Will Howard explains reason for his significant jump in completion percentage

The Ohio State Buckeyes brought in Will Howard as an experienced starter during the offseason to run their offense and, to this point, it’s worked out well with Ohio State boasting one of the country’s best offenses.

A key reason for that offensive success has been Howard’s high completion percentage, which has improved from his time at Kansas State. When asked about that improved completion percentage, Howard praised offensive coordinator Chip Kelly while emphasizing the value of completing passes for an offense.

“I think a lot of it is coaching and the way that I’ve been taught here,” Will Howard said. “Something Coach Kelly has emphasized with me since, really, since I got here was just completions and how many completions are out there on the field that it’s just easy and just take them.”

During his time at Kansas State, Howard completed 58.8 percent of his passes. This season, his first with the Buckeyes, he’s completing 74 percent. That’s also come with improved turnover numbers, having thrown 10 interceptions in 12 games last season to only five interceptions in nine games this season.

“I feel like a lot of times in my career at Kansas State, I was trying to force things in windows and I didn’t really need to,” Howard said. “There’s checkdowns all over the field, man. And getting the ball to Trey [Henderson] or Gee [Scott Jr.] or [Quinshon Judkins] in the flat and letting them run for six to 12 yards — I mean, there was a play on Saturday where I may have missed [Emeka Egbuka] down the middle on one play, but I checked it down to Q and we get six yards out of it. And it’s like, well, we’re in 2nd-and-4 and that’s still a pretty good position to be in. There’s just completions all over the field.”

Improving on his completion percentage was a goal for Will Howard. He emphasized that every day he’s focused on completing 80 percent of his passes. That’s a stretch goal, but it’s one that gives him something to strive for and has helped.

“And something we emphasized in preseason training camp was, I was shooting for 80 percent completion percentage every single day. That was my goal,” Howard said. “And I only achieved it a couple of times and it’s hard. But I think that helped me so much.”

As a team, Ohio State is 29th in the country in passing offense this season, throwing for 269.9 yards per game. However, the team completion percentage of 71.3 percent, led by Howard, is third in the country. Scoring 38.6 points per game, the Buckeyes are also 11th in scoring offense.

“Completions are devastating to a defense,” Howard said. “Whether it’s a completion for zero yards or a completion for, you know, 50, it doesn’t matter just as long as you’re getting the ball in your playmakers’ hands. I mean, those defensive linemen are taught that they got to run to the ball and you know they’re getting tired. Anytime we can get a completion is a positive for the offense and I’m trying to look at it more that way. I think the way that Coach Kelly has tried to kind of drill that into my mind has kind of changed my mindset on it a little bit. And it’s helped me just be a lot more efficient in my passing game.”

From here, Will Howard will look to continue that success in the passing game against Northwestern on Saturday.