'Special,' record-breaking TreVeyon Henderson powers Buckeyes offense over Tulsa

Win or lose, every week there are a handful of Ohio State players who stood out above the rest.

Following the tradition of the helmet stickers that dates back to the days of Woody Hayes, Lettermen Row shares out our version of the award every Sunday morning for the best performers on offense, defense and special teams for the Buckeyes.

---

COLUMBUS — Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson has a list of goals to accomplish this fall.

First start? Check.

Single-game rushing record for a freshman? Check.

Henderson was nearly unstoppable in his first-career start in the Buckeyes 41-20 win over Tulsa in the Horseshoe. His 24 carries for 277 yards and three touchdown powered the Buckeyes over the Golden Hurricane. It was a good enough performance to shatter a 49-year-old freshman record that was held by Archie Griffin.

Now it belongs to Henderson.

“I was expecting something like this, but like I said before the season, I had a lot of big goals for myself,” Henderson said. “And I reached one of my goals today. But I got plenty more, so I have to keep working.”

Ohio State had trouble passing efficiently and couldn’t sustain success through the air. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for just 185 yards.

But none of that mattered. Henderson allowed the Buckeyes to stay on the ground and physically dominate up front. And he showed why he was the No. 1 running back in the country out of high school.

“We already knew he was special,” Stroud said. “He has a God-given talent. He put it on display today, showed the whole nation what he can do. He just started, so it was amazing watching him do what he did today. And I feel like he’ll do even better.”

There are still plenty of items to cross off on Henderson’s list of goals. But the single-game freshman rushing record isn’t one of them. He now already has that.

Henderson paced the Buckeyes offense, but he wasn’t the only impressive performer in the win over Tulsa. Lettermen Row is handing out Buckeye Leaves from the latest Ohio State victory.

Offense

RB TreVeyon Henderson

If there were any question who the best running back on the Ohio State roster is, it can now be put to rest. Henderson found yards when they weren’t there. He bounced runs outside to break loose for big plays. And he continuously showed he can the bell-cow tailback for the Buckeyes. Henderson did fumble twice, so he needs to clean up his ball security. But he also made plays no other back on the roster could make — and he broke a long-standing freshman rushing record in the process.

Defense

DB Cameron Martinez

Ohio State has been searching for game-changing players to bolster its defense that has struggled so far this season. Cameron Martinez is officially among the options to help make sure that side of the ball improves. Martinez had two tackles, three pass break-ups and the defensive play of the game: a 61-yard pick-six that finalized the scoring for the Buckeyes. If Ohio State is going to make a sizable leap on defense in the next few weeks, young players will be at the forefront. Martinez proved Saturday night that he’ll be a part of the solution moving forward.

Special teams

K Noah Ruggles

Noah Ruggles continues to prove why he won the starting job at kicker in the preseason. The transfer from North Carolina hasn’t missed a field goal yet this season, including two from beyond 40 yards against Tulsa. He was also perfect on extra points and does his job as a kickoff specialist, to boot. Ohio State will need his consistent leg at some point in a close game this season. Ruggles is proving the Buckeyes will be able to rely on him when they need him.