The second game of a rare five-game home-stand to open the season for Ohio State has the Buckeyes, ranked No. 3 nationally, hosting the Arkansas State Red Wolves of the Sun Belt Conference in a 12 noon game Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
This is the first meeting between Ohio State and Arkansas State.
THE BASICS
Arkansas State at No. 3 Ohio State • Saturday, Sept. 10 • When: Noon ET • Where: Ohio Stadium • TV: Big Ten Network
• Radio: 97.1 The Fan
QUICK HITTERS
- Ohio State head coach Ryan Day’s teams improved to 9-3 overall against non-conference teams, 14-4 vs. Top 25-ranked teams, 19-1 at home and 35-4 overall with the Buckeyes’ 21-10 victory over No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend.
- Arkansas State, which pounded Grambling, 58-3, is one of eight teams from the Sun Belt Conf. to post wins in Week 1.
- Ohio State has previously met on the gridiron and defeated Sun Belt schools Marshall – two times – and Troy.
- The Sun Belt Conference, which moved to FBS status in 2001, had a first: two teams in 2021 finished in the College Football Playoff final rankings: Coastal Carolina and Louisiana.
C.J. STROUD & COMPANY
- C.J. Stroud completed 70 pct. of his pass attempts vs. Notre Dame – 24 of 34 – for 223 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
- Emeka Egbuka, with star Jaxon Smith Njigba sidelined for much of the game, caught a career-high nine passes for 90 yards and his first collegiate touchdown.
- Xavier Johnson caught Stroud’s other TD pass: a 24-yarder with 12 seconds to play in the third quarter to give Ohio State a 14-10 lead.
- This was Johnson’s first TD reception as well.
- Marvin Harrison Jr. (5 for 56 yards) and Cade Stover (3 for 14 yards) each recorded career-high receptions.
SOME HARLEY HISTORY
- The Arkansas State coaching staff includes Rob Harley, an Ohio State graduate whose great, great uncle was Chic Harley, the first three-time All-American in Ohio State history.
- Record numbers of fans turned out to watch Chic play (1916-17-19) and the inadequacy of old Ohio Field magnified.
- Discussions quickly heated up and three years after Chic graduated – in 1922 – Ohio Stadium opened and it is still today revered as the “House that Harley Built.”
More on Harley … the Nephew
- Rob Harley is in his second year as Arkansas State’s assistant head coach/ defensive coordinator.
- He was a member of Ohio State’s 2002 national championship team, and he lettered three times (2003-04-05) before graduating with his degree in business administration. Harley’s coaching career includes positions at Ohio Dominican, Michigan State, Florida International and Pitt, in addition to ASU.
BY THE NUMBERS
4
WR Billy Anders (1965-67), E Charles Bolen (1915-17), All-America CB Shawn Springs (1994-96) and All-American P Tom Tupa (1984-87) will be enshrined into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame Friday.
5
Five players made their first start for Ohio State Saturday against Notre Dame: WR Emeka Egbuka, OG Donovan Jackson, TE Cade Stover (his first start at TE), SAF Tanner McCalister and DT Mike Hall.
5
Ohio State and Arkansas State have each won five respective conference championships since 2011: 2014-17-18-19-20 Big Ten titles for Ohio State and Sun Belt titles in 2011-12-13-15-16 for Arkansas State.
25
Ohio State Radio Network play-by-play broadcaster Paul Keels is celebrating 25 years at the mic this year. Analyst and former Ohio State All-American Jim Lachey celebrated 25 years in 2021.
ABOUT THAT DEFENSE
DEFENSE SHINES IN DEBUT
- The new 4-2-5 defense of coordinator Jim Knowles was outstanding, holding Notre Dame to just 256 total yards, including only 76 rushing yards, 12 first downs and no points in the second half.
- LB Tommy Eichenberg led with nine tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and two quarterback sacks.
- SAF Lathan Ransom had seven tackles and LB Steele Chambers had five.
- DT Mike Hall Jr. was most impressive with four tackles, including two TFLs and a quarterback sack.
COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
