Ohio State Quarterback Will Howard 'Stoked' for Penn State Game

The Pennsylvania native said he grew up a Penn State fan. "They didn't think I was good enough," Howard said after the Buckeyes' win over Nebraska.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard runs the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the fourth quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard barely had time to process his team's 21-17 win over Nebraska on Saturday when he was asked about his next game at Penn State. His answer didn't disappoint.

"I’m stoked. I’m stoked," Howard told reporters at Ohio Stadium after the game. "I cannot wait. It’s going to be a homecoming for me. I grew up a Penn State fan. I wanted to go there my whole life. They didn’t think I was good enough, but I guess we’ll see next week if I was."

And that's how Penn State-Ohio State week began even before the Nittany Lions had kicked off at at Wisconsin on Saturday night in Madison. Howard, a fifth-year senior from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, had a decorated career at Downingtown West High. He threw for 5,308 yards and 48 touchdowns in high school, winning the Maxwell Football Club's Pennsylvania Player of the Year award for the 2019 season.

Howard was the No. 7 recruit in Pennsylvania for the 2020 cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, and did make an unofficial visit to Penn State in 2018, according to his recruiting profile. But Howard ultimately chose Kansas State, where he played four seasons and started 28 games.

Howard led Kansas State to the 2022 Big 12 title, beating TCU in the conference championship game, and threw a school-record 48 touchdown passes in his career. He tied the school record with 24 touchdown passes in 2023 and also rushed for 19 career touchdowns at Kansas State.

Howard transferred to Ohio State in January and has been the Buckeyes' starting quarterback through their 6-1 start. He entered the Buckeyes' game against Nebraska with a 72 percent completion rate and 13 touchdown passes and was pretty efficient against the Cornhuskers. Howard went 13-for-16 for 221 yards and three touchdowns, completing scoring throws of 40 yards to Carnell Tate and 60 yards to Jeremiah Smith. Howard also threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Quinshon Judkins that gave the Buckeyes' a 21-17 lead with 6:04 remaining.

However, Ohio State labored offensively at stages of the game, particulalry in the third quarter. Nebraska held the Buckeyes to 23 total yards and no first downs. Howard threw all three of his incompletions, including an interception, in the third quarter. He was 12-for-12 during the other three quarters.

"I’m not going to let a couple bad plays affect me," Howard told reporters after the game. "I’ve played a lot of ball. I’ve had some games where things aren’t going your way. Sometimes you’ve got to scrap it out and make it work. It wasn’t going our way in that third quarter.

"… It just irks me. Just the competitor in me, I don’t like that. We kept our heads down and knew that our time was coming and we had to make some plays down the stretch, and we did. ... We've got to fix it, because we've got a big one next week."

Howard's performance compensated for a difficult rushing game (31 carries for 64 yards) exacerbated by issues on the offensive line. Ohio State already had lost left tackle Josh Simmons for the remainder of the season and lost Zen Michalski, his replacement, during the fourth quarter against Nebraska. Guard Donovan Jackson shifted to tackle, something to watch from the Buckeyes' next week.

In addition, Ohio State will be without safety Arvell Reese for the first half against Penn State. Reese was ejected for targeting in the fourth quarter against Nebraska.

Penn State will host Ohio State on Nov. 2 for a Big Noon game on FOX.

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