I skipped a position update last week because there was absolutely nothing to take away from the Purdue game in week 7, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
After the Minnesota game last week things are looking up, but I would like to see similar results in more adverse situations before I can say that I have a lot of confidence in the offense.
That being said, this week is basically a scrimmage before our trip to Happy Valley and a killer final three games of the season. So, it would be nice to see the offense pick a scheme and fine tune it. Even if the offense puts up big points this week, I am not sure how much you can take away from the performance due to the competition. At this point in the season, I am waiting for our dual with Penn State before I form any opinions.
So, rather than focus on a specific position this week, I will briefly go over where we stand at every position on offense. Hopefully the entire offense steps up and uses this week as an opportunity to find some kind of identity to finish the year on a high note.
QB
Terrelle Pryor #2
102-184, 55.4%, 1408 yards, 12 TDs, 9 INTs
101 rushes, 471 yards, 4.7 average, 5 TDs
Terrelle Pryor has put up decent numbers this year, but he has been painfully inconsistent. Purdue was an unbelievably awful game for Pryor, Minnesota was probably one of the best games of his career. Will Pryor build on his Minnesota performance against New Mexico State? We can only hope. The real test comes in two weeks.
RB
Would you want to tackle him? Neither did Minnesota.
There are four backs listed on the depth chart heading into the game this weekend, mostly due to a series of injuries and questions about whether or not players will be healthy enough to play. Still, these four backs should provide the Bucks with a nice rotation for the rest of the season, and hopefully everyone will be back to 100% sooner rather than later.
Boom Herron #1
GP 5, Att 66, Net 241, Avg 3.7, TDs 5
Many people were critical of Herron at the beginning of the year due to his subpar play. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had a chance to answer his critics since week 4 when he was injured against Illinois. It looks like Herron may play some snaps this week, but he will most likely be used sparingly to make sure he is 100% for Penn State.
Ideally he will at least get a few carries this week in order to shake the rust off, because getting your feet wet for the first time in five weeks on the road against Penn State probably isn’t the greatest way to make a comeback. Unless something drastic happens in the next few weeks, it looks like it will be a disappointing year for Herron to say the least.
Brandon Saine #3
GP 8, Att 81, Net 426, Avg 5.3, TDs 0
Many people were pushing for Saine to be the starter even before Herron went down with his injury. Saine broke 100 yards in his first start against Indiana in week 5 but hasn’t come close to breaking 100 since. Still, Saine is averaging a respectable 5.3 yards per carry and his recent lack of production can be partially explained by a lack of opportunities. Saine only had 14 rush attempts against Wisconsin and 7 in the debacle at West Lafayette. Last week Saine carried the ball 11 times for 45 yards before being sidelined with a concussion.
I looks like Saine will be available to play this weekend, but like Herron, his reps may be limited to make sure he is 100% for Penn State.
Jordan Hall #29
GP 4, Att 35, Net 141, Avg 4.0, TDs 1
Hall had 38 yards on 10 carries and his first TD of the year filling in for the injured Saine last week against Minnesota. That stat line has been about average for him when he gets into the game, and if the offense gets rolling against New Mexico State he will probably get a chance to carry the ball some more, but Hall may see some carries taken away by the emergence of Jermil Martin.
Jermil Martin #41
GP 2, Att 8, Net 73, Avg 9.1, TDs 1
Martin was definitely the breakout player of the week against Minnesota. His 75 yards and a TD on only 7 carries was probably the most impressive piece of running Buckeyes fans have seen this year. Despite his impressive running, I am not ready to call Martin the next big thing just yet. Keep in mind that he was carrying the ball against a Minnesota defense that was halfway on the bus by the time Martin got his first carry. So, I would take his performance with a grain of salt.
Still, it was nice to see a back running with authority and breaking tackles like we haven’t seen since… well, Beanie last year. But anyways, I expect Martin to get more carries, and hopefully he can provide a power back look to hammer away at defenses up the middle and keep them honest on the edge.
WR
DeVier Posey #8
So good at catching the ball that he can carry it like this without fumbling apparently.
GP 8, Catches 38, Yards 516, Avg 13.6, TDs 6
Posey had by far his best game of the year last week, hauling in 8 passes for 161 yards and 2 TDs. Like Jermil Martin, however, you have to consider the competition before you get too excited. On the other hand, it definitely looked like Posey into developing into Pryor’s go-to guy, and that can’t hurt. Like everyone on offense, I will wait a few weeks before a make up my mind, but Posey definitely looks to be a solid #1 receiver in the making.
Dane Sanzenbacher #12
GP 8, Catches 19, Yards 388, Avg 20.4, TDs 4
Dane started off the year strong, but has been quiet for the past few weeks. You can’t exactly blame Dane considering the entire offense has been pretty quiet lately. If the offense is able to consistently move the ball, it is a pretty sure bet that Sanzenbacher will be involved.
Ray Small #82
GP 7, Catches 11, Yards 147, Avg 13.4, TDs 0
There’s not much to say about Ray Small, the talent is there, but the production has not been. Small did carry the ball 4 times against Minnesota, so the staff is trying to get him the ball. Unfortunately for Small, he is running out of time in his Buckeye career to be an impact player.
Duron Carter #9
GP 8, Catches 9, Yards 82, Avg 9.1, TDs 1
Duron has all of the tools, but like everyone else on the offense, his numbers have been seriously cut into by the extremely inconsistent play of the entire offense. He is going to be good.
TE
It looks like another year where all of the preseason talk about getting the TEs getting involved in the passing game doesn’t actually materialize. Jake Ballard and Jake Stoneburner have combined for 10 catches and 118 yards on the year despite both playing in all 8 games up to this point. It once again is a case of poor production from the entire offense rather than poor play from the TEs in my opinion. If the offense gets rolling I imagine that the TEs will see a few more balls coming their way.
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So there you have it. Inconsistency has hurt everyone on the offense in terms of production so far this year. It would be nice if we could fix that in the last couple games. I will believe it when I see it.
