Skip to main content
ohio-state logo

Buckeyes facing injury concerns after win at Purdue

IMG_7408by:Andy Backstrom•10/14/23•

andybackstrom

Chip Trayanum by Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State running back Chip Trayanum runs in the first quarter at Purdue. (Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Ohio State blew out Purdue, 41-7, Saturday, but the No. 3 Buckeyes are going into their biggest week of the season with some serious injury concerns.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was asked postgame if he had any updates on the players who left the lopsided victory early, as well as for those who didn’t even suit up at Ross-Ade Stadium.

“Yeah, I can’t give any updates right now,” Day said. “I know everybody wants to know, but I can’t do that right now.”

Ohio State began the game without three household names: Running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.

But more players suffered early exits. Lettermen Row is breaking it down.

The Ohio State running back room is depleted…again

Henderson was held out last week against Maryland out of caution. But Day said throughout the week that he expected his lead running back to be good to go for the Purdue trip. Henderson was listed as “questionable” Saturday. He went through the first round of pregame warmups but then didn’t come out the second time around with pads on. Instead, he was in street clothes with his jersey over a sweatshirt. Henderson didn’t play for the second game in a row. And Williams — the Buckeyes’ leading rusher in 2022 who hasn’t gotten nearly as much run in 2023 — was out, too.

Then Chip Trayanum, effectively Ohio State’s No. 2 running back this season, suffered an injury late in the first quarter Saturday that took him out of the game. Trayanum took a screen pass from quarterback Kyle McCord nine yards before he was met by a trio of Purdue defenders. They slammed into Trayanum, and the 5-foot-11, 233-pound back got up slowly before stumbling on his way to the next play’s huddle.

Trayanum didn’t return the rest of the way. So the Buckeyes were down to two scholarship running backs: Dallan Hayden and Evan Pryor.

In the backfield, Ohio State ended up leaning on Hayden and wideout Xavier Johnson, who has spent time at both running back and receiver in his career. Hayden led the way with 11 carries for 76 yards and a score. Day said postgame that he and the staff will have to look at their plan with Hayden — he still has two more games before he’d be at risk of burning his redshirt — and figure out what’s best for the team.

“I think we got to look at it and just see what that room’s looking like, and we’ll kind of play it week-to-week,” Day said. “We didn’t know how the season was gonna play out. But we wanted to at least have the choice to be able to save his redshirt if possible.

“But we’ll sit down and talk. If it’s something that we got to go play and do what’s best for the team — and there’s opportunities to go play — then we’ll go from there.”

Xavier Johnson filled in for slot receiver Emeka Egbuka

It wasn’t a surprise Egbuka was sidelined against the Boilermakers. He went down with a third quarter leg injury the week prior against Maryland. Day did say this week that he didn’t think it was a “long-term issue” Egbuka was dealing with, though.

In his absence, Johnson stepped up. Day got creative with the way he used the versatile 6-foot-1, 210-pound playmaker, often motioning him behind the line of scrimmage and/or putting him in the backfield. Johnson moved around the field a lot, but he was — for all intents and purposes –Egbuka’s replacement in the slot. He finished with 60 yards from scrimmage (39 rushing, 21 receiving).

Top corner Denzel Burke didn’t return after third quarter injury

Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke has been having a breakout junior campaign. He’s been lockdown in coverage most of the year, as evidenced by his pass breakup late in the first half Saturday.

Burke broke up a shot to the end zone from Purdue quarterback Hudson Card, the first step in a sequence that saw the Boilermakers go from knocking on Ohio State’s doorstep to having to settle for a 39-yard field goal, which they missed.

But, in the third quarter, Burke went down with an injury. It appeared to occur on a 35-yard catch and run by Purdue wideout Mershawn Rice.

Burke had his legs taken out from underneath him after fellow Buckeyes cornerback Jordan Hancock made the tackle.

He’s yet another impact Ohio State player who will be on injury watch this week as a top-10 showdown with Penn State looms.

You may also like