Ohio State QB Cardale Jones benched after 2 first-half INTs (Video)
After throwing two interceptions early on in Ohio State’s game against Northern Illinois, quarterback Cardale Jones was benched in favor of J.T. Barrett.
Jones’ first interception came on the Buckeyes’ third offensive snap of the game on a bad overthrow. NIU’s Shawun Lurry had no trouble hauling it in.
Lurry’s 33-yard return allowed the Huskies to take an early 7-0 lead on an Aregeros Turner TD run.
Ohio State’s next three drives with Jones at the helm looked like this: fumble, field goal, punt. Jones’ second miscue of the game came early on in the second quarter.
This time Jones stared down Braxton Miller on an out route. Lurry had the underneath coverage on the outside and Jones simply did not see him, allowing the NIU sophomore to pick up his second interception of the half.
That turnover set up a field goal that gave NIU a 10-3 lead.
On Ohio State’s next possession, Urban Meyer brought in J.T. Barrett at quarterback. Barrett’s first possession resulted in a three-and-out, but he hit Mike Thomas for a 23-yard score to tie the game at 10-10 on his second drive under center.
Barrett finished 11-of-19 for 97 yards with a touchdown and an interception as the Buckeyes held on in a 20-13 win. Jones never returned and finished 4-of-9 for 36 yards and two interceptions.
Jones led the Buckeyes to a national title in place of an injured Barrett in 2014 and edged Barrett for the starting role in a highly publicized quarterback battle in preseason practice. Despite the lofty expectations, Jones has had an inconsistent start to the season.
Jones played most of the season opener at Virginia Tech, but the two split snaps in Week 2 vs. Hawaii. Jones started again Saturday against NIU, but his struggles lackluster play continued.
It remains to be seen how Meyer handles his quarterbacks moving forward.
For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
