The Wake-Up Call: Containing Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong Jr., sticking with the short game and more

landof10.com
Colin Gay
Colin Gay

We hope you’ll start your day with us here at Landof10.com as we work to prepare you for everything that you need to know — Monday through Friday — around the world of Ohio State sports. Whether it’s football, basketball, wrestling, hockey, baseball or just a wild story we hope you’ll find interesting, we’re here to share it all with you.

Today is Friday, Nov. 4, and this is your Ohio State Wake-Up Call.

How to stop the dual-threat quarterback

Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. is a dual-threat quarterback that can beat defenses in many ways. That is something the Ohio State defense hasn’t really seen this season.

Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley gave the Buckeyes a taste of that with 154 yards through the air and 63 on the ground. But Armstrong averages 8.1 yards per completion while averaging 4.5 yards per rush. He also has scored both in the rushing and passing game, with 18 total touchdowns this season.

Armstrong has impressed many people, including some coaches on the opposing sideline.

“He’s a very dynamic football player,” cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said. “He can run, he can throw, he scrambles. He does everything well. He probably has the strongest arm of any of the quarterbacks we have seen thus far this year.”

The game plan is clear for Coombs and the rest of the defense.

“We know have to do everything we can to contain him in the pocket, try to make sure we have on-body coverage and then have to stop him when he runs the ball,” Coombs said.

However, with a player behind center with that dynamic playing ability, they know it may be a tough time stopping him. There is no doubt what Armstrong’s game plan will be, though.  

“He’s going to throw the ball and avoid the rush, and I think he has great confidence in his ability to make throws,” Coombs said. “That’s what our guys need to understand, that no play is going to be over until the ball is on the ground or the player is on the ground. I think he is a very explosive player that presents a lot of problems.”

J.T Barrett has struggled with the deep ball

As for the starting quarterback on the Ohio State sideline, J.T. Barrett has a pretty consistent game plan as well. It revolves around high-efficiency short- to mid-range passes with some scrambles mixed in.

But one of the main concerns with Barrett is the lack of the big play. These stats give a pretty good reason why maybe Barrett should avoid it:

Although receivers such as Noah Brown and Marcus Baugh could provide the game-changing scoring play, it seems Barrett wants to stick with the consistent short-yardage passing game. He has said it before: It only matters if the Buckeyes score, not how.

Two familiar faces are Rookies of the Month

The NFL Rookies of the Month had a couple of things in common. Not only were they back-to-back picks in the first round of the 2016 Draft, but they both came from Buckeyes country.

San Diego Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa and Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott took the honors for October.

After making his debut at the beginning of October, Bosa had 13 tackles, including four sacks, in his four games. He had two two-sack games, including in his NFL debut against the Oakland Raiders.

Elliott was an absolute monster last month. He has rushed for more than 125 yards in three of his four games in October, scoring three times in that span and averaging 5.97 yards per rush.

 

B1G Happenings

NEXT Dotting the ‘Eyes: Urban Meyer, Ohio State preparing for a major recruiting weekend
Ohio State Buckeyes gear at Fanatics.com
Official Partners
Get Breaking News Fast!
Download the new Land of 10 app.
Get it on the AppStore
Get it on Google Play