After slow start, Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes don’t disappoint
A sluggish start gave way to a strong finish for Ohio State in the debut of Urban Meyer as Buckeyes head coach as his team emerged with an emphatic 56-10 win over Miami-Ohio.
It didn't look good early on for Ohio State, with Miami's Kaleb Patterson drilling a 22-yard field goal midway through the first quarter to give the visitors a 3-0 lead. It would take till the second quarter for Meyer's team to respond, but it was worth the wait.
"That darn first quarter, I want to say I was embarrassed with the way we were playing, we worked so darn hard and we didn't play well in all phases," Meyer said in his post-game press conference.
After a Zac Murphy punt put the ball at Ohio State's own 17-yard line, two running plays set up quarterback Braxton Miller's 38 yard pass to Philly Brown to get the ball to Miami's 23-yard line. On the very next play, Miller fired into the back of the end zone where 6'1 Devin Smith rose and with one hand made a remarkable touchdown catch.
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"I don't know if Devin's been saving that, I've not seen him do that," Meyer said. "So now that I know he can I expect him to do that… He's actually been playing pretty good for us.
"That was a 'Wow' moment; that was a moment that ignited the stadium. Our stadium got quiet, our sideline got quiet and he went up and made a play."
Smith's highlight reel play, already being called the "Catch of the Year," was the catalyst for the Buckeyes to reel off 35 unanswered points in the second and third quarters. A season ago, the Buckeyes were the No. 8 scoring offense in the Big Ten, averaging just 24.5 points per game.
Meyer will get a shot at his second win with the Buckeyes next Saturday when they host Central Florida, part of Ohio State's four-game homestand to start the season.
"A little disappointed with that first quarter but after that, what a great day, we enjoyed the win," Meyer said. "We all know it is difficult to win in major college football."
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