By Danielle Daniels
10/25/2023
The College Football Network has named freshman CB Jermaine Matthews Jr. as its national Freshman of the Week for Week 8.
Mathews played the most defensive snaps of his career against Penn State, 49 with star corner Denzel Burke out, and contributed three unassisted tackles and a pass break-up in Ohio State’s Top 10 win over No. 7 Penn State, 20-12. His fine play, especially in man-to-man coverage, helped limit Penn State to just 191 passing yards off 42 attempts.
Matthews’ had a pass break-up on a third down play midway through the third quarter with Ohio State clinging to a 10-6 lead. He also made a third-down stop in the fourth quarter to force a Penn State punt.
“He’s a baller and he’s fearless,” linebacker Cody Simon said about Matthews after the game. “I don’t know if I’m making those plays as a freshman. How he stepped up is all about competitive excellence.”
The No. 3-ranked Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) travel to Madison, Wisc., on Saturday night to take on Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten). The game will be televised on NBC.
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