Ohio State Football vs. Marshall Highlights: Buckeyes Cruise 49-14, Kicker Benched in Second Half

Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State Dominates Marshall 49-14; Kicker Benched After Struggles

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes cruised to a convincing 49-14 victory over Marshall, improving their season record to 3-0. However, the game wasn’t without its controversies, particularly regarding kicker Jayden Fielding.

Fielding struggled during the second quarter, sending three kickoffs out of bounds, which allowed Marshall to start their possessions at the 35-yard line. Head coach Ryan Day expressed his frustration, stating, "That’s completely ridiculous. We need to fix that."

In the second half, Ohio State made the decision to bench Fielding for kickoffs, allowing Austin Snyder to take over. Snyder, who transferred from Division II Findlay, had briefly appeared in the previous game against Western Michigan. He successfully handled kickoffs and extra points after Fielding attempted one following TreVeyon Henderson's 40-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.

While Fielding converted all five of his extra-point attempts, his kickoff issues raised concerns. Day mentioned the possibility of a physical issue affecting Fielding’s performance, stating, “We’ll evaluate him to see if there was a tweak or something happened in the hip. We can’t have that; it puts our defense in a terrible situation.”

As Ohio State prepares for their upcoming challenges, the team will be looking to address the kicking situation to maintain their momentum.