Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Kerry Coombs Receives Game Ball After Win Over Maryland

The Buckeyes held the Terrapins 135 yards below their season average for total offense on Saturday.

While defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs took much of the blame for Ohio State’s loss to Oregon earlier this season, he also took head coach Ryan Day’s decision to restructure the defensive staff in stride.

With Coombs now coaching from the press box and secondary coach Matt Barnes calling plays from the sidelines, the Buckeyes’ defense has progressively gotten better each week. And Day wanted to recognize him for his role in that, presenting him with the game ball following the 66-17 win over Maryland on Saturday afternoon.

“Everything he’s been through the last couple of weeks, he’s just continued to show up every day,” Day said. “He’s a huge part of the defense.”

The unit limited the Terrapins to 335 yards of total offense on the afternoon, which was 135 yards below their season average coming into the game. The Buckeyes also picked off two passes from quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, one of which redshirt sophomore safety Craig Young returned 70 yards for a touchdown.

It was the fourth straight game with a pick-six for Ohio State, setting a new school record.

“I see confidence and I see a defensive staff that’s working together,” Day said. “We reconstructed a few things and we got a little rhythm going. I think he is doing a great job of seeing it from the box. I think Matt (Barnes) is doing a great job of calling it. I think Larry (Johnson) is doing a great job with his guys up front. Al Washington is starting to build some stability at linebacker, and those guys are all working together and starting to see it through one lens.

“You can feel it out there. The confidence is there. It’s strong. We still have a lot of football to play and some really good opponents here in the second half of the season. So, we haven’t done anything just yet, but we’re building on it.”

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