Will Howard Impresses, But Ohio State Buckeyes Defense Steals Show in Spring Game

New Ohio State QB Will Howard performed well in his first game setting under center, but the Buckeyes defense was dominant as expected.

Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly watches / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

The Ohio State Buckeyes spring football camp has now come to an end, following the conclusion of the annual spring game in Columbus on Saturday.

Ultimately, the 'Scarlet' team (the offense), led by quarterback Will Howard, won the day, finishing up with a 34-33 victory.

Howard, who transferred to the Buckeyes following four seasons at Ohio State, was the presumed starter heading into the spring. And while Ryan Day revealed there is still a competition at the position, On Saturday Howard showed why he was the favorite.

April 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) throws a pass / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch /

For the game, Howard got the start with the first-team offense and went on to complete 9 of 13 passes for 77 yards before freshmen Julian Sayin and Air Noland, and second-year QB Lincoln Kienholz took the lion's share of the carries in the second half.

Meanwhile, Howard's presumed main competitor for the starting job, Devin Brown, also had a nice day, completing 5 of 7 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown, and rushing three times for 24 yards.

On the ground, Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins took the early praise, rushing four times for 31 yards before exiting the game, and giving way to freshmen James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon - each of whom scored a touchdown on the day.

Williams-Dixon ended the day as the leading rusher for the game, carrying 11 times for 78 yards and the score.

On the outside, Emeka Egbuka made the play of the day with a one-handed catch on the sideline in the first half for 19 yards, and leading the team with four catches for 47 yards before leaving the game. Freshmen phenom Jeremiah Smith was relatively quiet on the day, making just two catches for 12 yards.

All that said, when it was No. 1s vs. No. 1s, it was the Gray team (the defense) that truly stole the show early on for the Buckeyes, finishing with two interceptions and four sacks in the first half alone. Those interceptions came from Calvin Simpson-Hunt (off Kienholz) and Jaylen McClain (off Sayin).

Jack Sawyer, Jason Moore, Mitchell Melton, and five-star freshman Eddrick Houston were responsible for the four sacks in the first half. The defense ended the game with, nine tackles for loss, six sacks, four interceptions, and six pass breakups.

With the spring now officially coming to a close, the Buckeyes will aim to refine their new roster and iron out the inconsistencies that were present throughout camp.

Then, it is on to fall camp and the regular season, which will kick off on August 31 in Columbus against the Akron Zips.