It was a record-breaking day for Ohio State Club Football, as a 6-year-old record fell on Sunday at Wright State in a 62-7 Buckeye victory.
Trey Jones, who joined the Buckeyes as a freshman in 2022, broke the program’s career sack record on Sunday, recording two sacks against the Raiders to put him at 23.5 for his career. He passes Mike Fenstermaker, who posted 22.5 sacks from 2016-19.
Jones helped set the tone early with a sack on Wright State’s first drive with Ohio State already leading 7-0. The Buckeye defense was stifling throughout the contest, as the Raiders’ only points came late in the fourth quarter with a running clock that started midway through the second quarter, per Wright State request.
Quarterback Niko Pappas completed 13-of-18 passes for 208 yards and a whopping six touchdowns – to five different receivers – in just one half of play. A would-be seventh touchdown pass was intercepted in the end zone late in the second quarter. Pappas’ six touchdown passes are tied for the second-most in a single-game in team history.
Desean Bonte led the Buckeyes offensively with five catches for 70 yards and a pair of scores, including the opening touchdown of the day. Charlie Harlow hauled in three passes for 37 yards and a score, Ricardo Washington caught a pair of passes for 41 yards and a touchdown while tight end Aidan Donovan snagged two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. Keegan Lynch, while also starting at safety defensively, caught the longest touchdown pass of the day, a 35-yard strike from Pappas in the first quarter.
The Ohio State defense and special teams were suffocating all afternoon, setting up the Buckeyes with numerous short fields. Ohio State forced a pair of fumbles, recovering both, the second of which was returned 53-yards for a touchdown by junior cornerback Reagan Little. Little also recovered a pooch-kick on a kickoff that the Raiders failed to jump on.
Freshman safety Jackson Gula, playing in just his second game with the Buckeyes, hauled in an interception while safety Topaz Linton blocked a punt with the Raiders already backed up into their own territory. Thanks to the multiple short fields and running clock, Ohio State amassed just 300 yards of total offense.
Running back Milan Jackson rushed five times for 52 yards and a touchdown while Lucas Fenstermaker recorded his first touchdown of the year, an 8-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter. He is the fourth Buckeye to record a rushing touchdown this year, joining Pappas, Jackson and Ethan Young. Meanwhile, Pappas eclipsed 300 yards rushing for the second straight season and has passed JR Burton for fifth all-time in program rushing yards, now with 697 career rushing yards. Through the air, Pappas has now thrown 12 touchdowns, the fifth-most all-time in single-season team history. Pappas tossed 11 touchdowns last season in just over five games played.
The Buckeyes are set to return to action on Sunday, Nov. 2 against Toledo at home, a game that will in all likelihood send the winner to the conference championship game. The Rockets are set to Columbus with a 5-1 record, having just dropped a 21-0 contest to No. 1 Coppin State on the road.
(Header photo credit: Scott Mayberry)
Ohio State Club Football 