Ryan Day on CJ Stroud, team performance following win over Penn State

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day spoke with Holly Rowe after the game about his team’s performance and quarterback CJ Stroud in the win against Penn State. Day praised his team’s ability to win a tough game despite things not going the way they expected, as the Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions 33-24.

Ryan Day on Stroud and the win

“Yeah, we were trying,” stated Day after the game. “It wasn’t for a lack of trying. Never quite got in a rhythm. It’s not the way that we saw the game shaking out but it’s good to get a gritty win like this. This is a good team. They’re a very good defense. I thought our defense was gritty. They caused turnovers, they played well down the stretch. Our guys played hard. It’s good to get this win. This [is] always a hard game for us.

“I thought it was good overall. Sure he [C.J. Stroud] missed some throws but he played well. The whole goal in this game was to go 1-0 tonight, to win this game and to survive. We did that. That’s just the way the football works, it gets tough. These games are hard. And we knew this was going to happen. We knew the backstretch of this season was going to be tough and hard. And here we are.”

A tough contest for Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes held a 17-10 at halftime against Penn State and head coach Ryan Day let ESPN’s Holly Rowe know he wasn’t happy with his offense as they left the field for the break.

Day spoke to Rowe about his team’s only touchdown drive of the first half. “It was well done,” he said. “The protection was good, just enough to hang on. We have to run the ball better and stay on schedule — we’ve got to come out of the locker room and play well.”

The Buckeyes’ only offensive touchdown of the first half was a 38-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud to his receiver, Chris Olave.

“Ryan Day clearly saw something,” noted Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel about the play itself. “He was waving his hands wildly on the sideline, seemingly to change the play. The result is a 38-yard touchdown from Stroud to Olave.”

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day appeared to call the audible based on the defense Penn State was presenting, and C.J. Stroud delivered. The play-action pass didn’t do much to shrug off the pass rush on the play, but Stroud stepped into the pocket and hit Olave mid-stride just outside of the end zone.

The second half saw a slightly better offensive production from the Buckeyes as they managed another 16 points and only one more touchdown. Defense and field goals proved the difference, as Ohio State scored one defensive touchdown and four field goals on the day.