Ohio State 'activated' Caleb Downs against Michigan State

The Michigan State “spartan” logo was the bat signal for Caleb Downs.

After a three-game non-conference slate that included back-to-back MAC opponents and one Sun Belt foe, Ohio State made the trip to East Lansing, Michigan, to play its first road game and kick off Big Ten play. That’s where the Buckeyes “activated” Downs, a transfer safety who earned second-team AP All-American honors as a true freshman at Alabama last year.

“We’re going to continue to activate him as we get into Big Ten competition,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said Tuesday.

Downs was everywhere on the field for the Buckeyes in a 38-7 win over the Spartans. He recorded a season-high six tackles, including three solos.

The Hoschton, Georgia, native and Mill Creek High School product prevented a 19-yard Michigan State run from turning loose on the Spartans’ first offensive play of the game. Running back Nate Carter tried to hurdle Downs, but Downs — who hasn’t missed a tackle since missing three in Week 1, per Pro Football Focus — made the open-field stop.

Later in the first half, Downs recorded tackles at and behind the line of scrimmage. He read a Spartans run play on a 1st-and-10 and brought down Carter for no gain. Then, on a 3rd-and-11 with less than two minutes to go before halftime, Downs blew up a screen pass to Michigan State wide receiver Aziah Johnson. That highlight-reel play set the stage for a first-half-ending touchdown drive that featured not one but two one-handed catches from phenom freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith and stretched the Buckeyes’ lead to 24-7.

“Caleb made some huge plays, especially in that ‘middle eight’ there,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday, referencing the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half.

“First off, his preparation is remarkable. And just the amount of work he puts in and his ability to play really fast certainly is part of his makeup. But when you put preparation in, you know what you’re looking at and you can react faster because you put that much preparation in. That’s a sign of a veteran player. He plays that way. He’s got great energy. He’s a great teammate. He does communicate well, but even late in the game he’s encouraging the younger guys. He knows what it means to pull along other guys, and he’s shown that.”

Downs starts at free safety, and fifth-year senior Lathan Ransom starts at strong safety. Both move around the field, though. And, together, they make up one of the better, if not the best, safety tandems in the country.

Ransom punched the ball loose on a third down scramble by Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles this past weekend. He also forced a fumble the week before that against Marshall. Plus, he returned a fumble for six in the opener against Akron.

Ransom is second on the team with 20 total tackles. Downs is tied four fourth with 14 total tackles. They’ve given up a combined 59 receiving yards through four games, according to PFF.

“There’s also a certain level of calmness back there when he’s back there with Lathan,” Day said of Downs. “These guys have played a lot of football, and they’ve seen it. There’s no panic. But they’re also identifying the things that they got to get fixed.”

For the second year in a row, Ohio State has been great at limiting explosive plays, including through the air. The Buckeyes are the only team in the nation that hasn’t given up a pass play of 30-plus yards this season. Downs plays a role in that equation.

“You see what he looks like when he’s activated,” Knowles said. “What you don’t see a lot is when he’s not activated, how many times they just don’t throw the ball deep. Because he’s in the right place and on top of the routes, and they don’t even take those shots. Those shots aren’t taken.”

But Downs was “activated” at Michigan State. He’ll be activated again and again in Big Ten play.

“I think for the first couple of games, the game got a little bit lopsided later on, so you just don’t see [him] playing a full game, but that’s here now,” Day said.

Day later added: “He’s somebody that’s certainly, since he’s even been here in a short period of time, made a huge impact on us.”