Game Preview: Ohio State Hopes To Keep Building Against Arkansas State

Saturday's game in Columbus marks the first-ever meeting between the Buckeyes and Red Wolves.

After all of the build up to Ohio State’s season opener against Notre Dame, there’s a different feeling in the air heading into this week’s matchup with Sun Belt Conference foe Arkansas State.

The Buckeyes enter as a 44.5-point favorite against the Red Wolves, and shouldn’t have any issues with an overmatched opponent. Still, head coach Ryan Day recognizes the opportunity to build off the victory over the Fighting Irish rather than be complacent with the top-five win.

“The games start coming at you fast,” Day said during his media availability this week. “You’re going to wake up in a few weeks here and you’re going to be a quarter of the way through the season. It just comes at you fast after the preseason.

“We have to continue to build and grow and enhance what we’re doing in all three phases, and that’s part of the challenge … If we’re the same team we were in four weeks, then we’re going to get passed up. We’ve got to keep growing each week, and this is an opportunity to do that on Saturday.”

When watching the film, Day found several areas in which his team needs to improve moving forward, including cleaning up false start penalties on offense, being more disciplined on special teams and executing at the end of the half. Those are all things Ohio State can address against Arkansas State.

“A lot of people say the biggest improvement comes from Week 1 to Week 2,” Day said. “Certainly there are a lot of things we need to learn from and grown from in that last game. We were far from perfect. There were a lot of plays we wish we had back in all three phases. We’ll try to make those adjustments this week and grow.”

General Info

Date: Sept. 10, 2022
Where: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, OH)
Expected Weather: 74 degrees, cloudy
Kickoff: 12 p.m. ET

Current Betting Numbers

Spread: Ohio State (-44.5)
O/U Total: 68.5
Betting: Check out the new SISportsbook!

How to Watch/Listen

Television: BTN
Streaming: fuboTV (get a 7-day free trial)
Announcers: Mark Followill (play-by-play), Joshua Perry (analyst) and Elise Menaker (sideline reporter)

Local Radio: Ohio State Sports Network from Learfield IMG College
Flagship: WBNS 97.1 The Fan
Announcers: Paul Keels (play-by-play), Jim Lachey (analyst), Matt Andrews (sideline reporter), Skip Mosic (pregame/halftime/postgame host and producer)

Series History

No previous matchups
* OSU record at home: 0-0

Coaching Matchup

* Ryan Day
* At Ohio State: 4th Season, Record: 35-4
* Overall: Same

* Butch Jones
* At Arkansas State: 2nd Season, Record: 3-10
* Overall: 87-64

Ohio State Capsule

The biggest storyline coming out of the victory over Notre Dame was the health of junior wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter and finished the game with two catches for three yards.

Though we won’t know his availability until Saturday morning, Day said earlier this week he won’t return until he’s 100 percent.

That means fifth-year senior Xavier Johnson (two catches for 34 yards and one touchdown) and sophomores Emeka Egbuka (nine catches for 90 yards and one touchdown) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (five catches for 56 yards) will have to step up again in his absence.

“To see Xavier come in and play like that was excellent,” Day said. “He’s really worked hard to get where he’s at and to be at competitive excellence … He practices, and that’s why he was ready for that moment.”

On the flip side, Smith-Njigba’s absence would give sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud a chance to build a rapport with Egbuka and Harrison, who are only starting the second and third game of their careers, respectively.

“They played a lot, and that was good,” Day said. “As we go into this game, the more they play, the more they realize what it means to be a starter … That’s a growing process that we’ll continue to build on.”

The only other question mark heading into Saturday’s game is the status of redshirt sophomore center Luke Wypler, who could be seen leaving Ohio Stadium in a walking boot following the win over the Fighting Irish.

“He’s had a good week,” Day said. “He’s been practicing, so we should be good there, but we’ll continue to evaluate him.”

Arkansas State Capsule

After winning just two games last season, second-year Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones revamped his roster, bringing in whopping 25 players through the transfer portal, headlined by former Ohio State running back Brian Snead, who was suspended and ultimately dismissed from the team amid sexual assault allegations in 2018.

“When you look at where they’re transferring from, they’re very respectable programs,” Day said. “It’ll be a good challenge. They’re well coached and have good players.”

The Red Wolves are led offensively by sixth-year senior quarterback James Blackman, who started 22 games at Florida State from 2017-20. He’s completed 61 percent of his passes for 6,989 yards and 53 touchdowns with 30 interceptions during his career.

That includes 1,344 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions in five games at Arkansas State last year before he went down with a season-ending back injury. He’s fully healthy this fall, though, and was a big part of the Red Wolves’ 58-3 win over Grambling last Saturday.

“He’s a guy that has some big-time experience in some great environments,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “We’re going to have to pressure him and make sure he feels that pressure and that we’re doing a good job of collapsing the pocket around him.”

Snead, meanwhile, arrived in Jonesboro this offseason after stops at Iowa Western Community College and Austin Peay, where he rushed for 1,051 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons. He carried the ball 12 times for 57 yards and one score in last week’s win over the Tigers.

“They’re a good football team. They really are,” safeties coach Perry Eliano said. “They’re a tempo offense. They go as the quarterback goes … He stands tall in the pocket and they’ve got really good skill around him. We’ve got our work cut out.”

Major Storylines

• This marks Ohio State’s second-ever game against a Sun Belt Conference opponent, joining Troy in 2008. Marshall, which joined the conference this year, was a member of the Mid-American Conference (2004) and Conference USA (2010) when it came to Columbus.
• Former wide receiver Billy Anders (1965-67), end Charles Bolden (1915-17), cornerback Shawn Springs (1994-96) and punter Tom Tupa (1984-87) will be honored during the game for their induction into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.
• Arkansas State defensive coordinator Rob Harley played safety at Ohio State from 2001-05. His great uncle is the legendary Chic Harley, the first three-time All-American in school history.
• The Red Wolves have the same number of conference titles since 2011 as the Buckeyes, having captured the Sun Belt crown in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2015.
• Ohio State enters the game having scored 20 or more points in 62 straight games, seven shy of tying the Football Bowl Subdivision record set by Oklahoma from 2016-21.
• Defensive end Caden Curry and walk-on kicker Jayden Fielding were the only freshman to see action against Notre Dame, each totaling four plays on special teams.
• No matter the result of Saturday’s game, Day will have the second-best record through 40 games in Ohio State history, trailing only former head coach Urban Meyer (37-3).
• Jones served as a special assistant to the head coach and offensive analyst at Alabama during the 2020 season, when the Crimson Tide beat the Buckeyes, 52-24, to capture the College Football Playoff National Championship. 

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