Ohio State Buckeyes Spring Game: Live Game Updates

The Ohio State Buckeyes put their program on display on Saturday in front of a huge crowd at Ohio Stadium.

Ryan Day will be evaluating quarterback Kyle McCord and be looking for defensive improvement in / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

The Ohio State Buckeyes put their program on public display at the spring game for the first time since sweeping changes took place in Columbus this offseason.

It will be the first time to see the scarlet and gray with former Bruins head coach Chip Kelly in charge of the offense. Kelly gave up the top job at UCLA to become the offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes.

Ryan Day will be evaluating quarterback Kyle McCord and be looking for defensive improvement in / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

It will also be the first nationally televised spring football game to be broadcast on FOX.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and his staff were heavily involved in the transfer portal to bring in outside talent to an already stout roster. No. 1 recruit Jeremiah Smith is already turning heads in practice with circus catches, and now, everyone will get to see what all the buzz is about.

Maybe the most attention will be on Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard, who takes over for the departed Kyle McCord - who is now at Syracuse. Howard might be one of the best transfer portal pickups by a national title contender this season.

Will Howard be able to cure the offensive deficiencies the Buckeyes dealt with last year under McCord? Howard is more mobile than McCord, but will that translate to Kelly's offensive scheme?

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FIRST QUARTER: Gray 9, Scarlet 3

Will Howard get the start under center for the Buckeyes scarlet team first.

The Scarlet team begins with the ball and are going ground game heavy with a couple of runs from transfer Quinshon Judkins. The first play from scrimmage was out of the old "T" formation from the Woody Hayes era from new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

Howard looks good early with a nice out pattern to Gee Scott Jr. for his first catch of the game.

It's pretty windy at the stadium, and it's a point of concern for the quarterbacks today. On the first scoring opportunity of the day, Howard overthrows his receiver in the end zone from 24-yards out. On the next play - a 3rd and 7 - Howard is sacked for a loss.

The Gray team takes over from its own 11-yard line.

A botched exchange on the snap causes a Lincoln Keinholtz fumble on the first play. Jeremiah Smith catches hs first ball of the day on a four-yard out pattern. Keinholtz is throwning this series exclusively so far. An end around for Smith gets four yards. Day said Smith won't play very much today.

Devin Brown comes in at quarterback for the third series of the game, the second for the Scarlet team.

Brown hands to Judkins for a nice gain up the middle. Day barked at the referee for blowing the whistle too soon. On the next play, Brown scrambles up the middle for a significant gain.

Brown completes a couple of nice deep out patterns of 15-plus yards to get into the red zone.

FIELD GOAL SCARLET: The Gray defense holds for a 32-yard field goal by the Scarlet team.

Julian Sayin is in at quarterback now for the Gray team, and they go without getting a first down.

Will Howard comes in for the Scarlet team on the next possession.

END OF THE FIRST QUARTER

SECOND QUARTER: Gray 17, Scarlet 13

Howard and the Scarlet start at their own 9-yard line. A deep pass connected with Emeka Egbuka at the 32, then Judkins runs for a big gain.

Howard continues to hit passes downfield,and is now 7-of-8 for 56 yards.

Emeka Ebuka makes an outstanding one-handed catch on the left sideline at around the 10-yard line.

Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka with the 1-handed SNAG🔥🌰

(via @CFBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/nx39b94S8k

— On3 (@On3sports) April 13, 2024

Howard misses Smith on two attempts in the end zone on bad passes, then misses Ebuka. The defensive pass coverage has been outstanding today by the Gray team.

FIELD GOAL SCARLET - 32 YARDS

Kienholtz comes in for the Gray team and under throws a couple of deep balls to start the drive, then throws an interception.

Gray takes over at its own 33 with Brown under center, and Sam Williams-Dixon gets a couple of carries for eight yards to begin the drive. Williams-Dixon gets another carry of four for a first down.

Brown hits David Adolph for a deep gain down the left sideline.

TOUCHDOWN SCARLET: 11-yard pass from Brown to Brennen Schramm for the score to tie the game at 12.

Sayin returns to the field under center for Gray with 1:32 left in the half trying to run the two-minute drill in front of a crowd for the first time.

Sayin is 3-for-3 for 22 yards so far today, and throws an interception on the two-minute drill to the outside into the wind.

Kienholtz takes over with about 40 ticks left in the half, and takes a huge sack with 16 seconds left to take the team out of field goal range - and getd lit up by Day on the sideline.

48-yard field goal is missed wide left, pushed by the wind.

END OF THE HALF

THIRD QUARTER: Scarlet 27, Gray 26

The Scarlet team takes the ball and marches downfield behind the arm of Sayin.

TOUCHDOWN SCARLET - 10-yard touchdown run by James Peoples.

Air Noland hits the field under center for the Gray on the next drive, and scrambles for 12 yards.

Noland is hitting his passes to the outside with precision and marches the team down to the Gray 26-yard line.

TOUCHDOWN GRAY - Sam Williams-Dixon runs up the middle for 22 yards.

Scarlet gets the ball with Sayin back under center. He's 9-of-14 with 76 yards and one interception.

At their own 36-yard line, Keinholtz takes back over under center for Scarlet.

Keinholtz hits Joop Mitchell for a big gain on the left side to end the quarter.

END OF THE THIRD QUARTER

FOURTH QUARTER: Scarlet 34, Gray 33

Noland is back in at quarterback at the Gray 25-yard line.

We get the first penalty of the game on a defensive PI in the end zone on a bomb by Noland to Mitchell.

TOUCHDOWN SCARLET: TC Caffey with a 10-yard scamper up the middle.

Julian Sayin takes the ball for Gray's next possession.

Sayin has spent much of this possession carrying the bal himself on RPOs but has also thrown a couple of passes off target.

Noland's last effort toss into the end zone is intercepted.

END OF GAME