Dwayne Haskins, Dre’Mont Jones named LGHL Week 3 MVPs

You all good? I personally am still trying to recover from last night’s incredible, comeback win for the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes over the No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs. It wasn’t always pretty, but in the second half, both the Buckeye offense and defense stepped up to deliver a thrilling 40-28 victory.

The Frogs showed why they are a top-15 team, and a legitimate contender to win the Big XII. Gary Patterson’s squad kept the tempo up at a lightning’s pace, with quarterback Shawn Robinson getting plays off almost before the previous one was over, and the defense, led by defensive end Ben Banogu, was bringing the house from the first possession to the last.

However, in the end, the Buckeyes had just too many studs to be denied. So, without further ado, here our Land-Grant Hold Land’s Week 3 MVPs.

Week 3 Offensive MVP: Dwayne Haskins

Unsurprisingly, the new OSU quarterback’s day was not as smooth-sailing as the first two starts of his career were. For the first time this season, Haskins had to deal with pressure, and in the first half, at times it appeared that the normally calm signal-caller was rattled.

However, after Haskins adjusted to the speed of TCU’s defense, he returned to the incredible form that we’ve seen throughout the year thus far.

On the game, Haskins was 24-for-38 for 344 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He got the big plays started with a 48-yard pass to Austin Mack on the first series. On the throw, Haskins was able to drop the ball perfectly into the waiting hands of his wide receiver, despite being otherwise blanketed by two defenders.

As pretty as this pass was, it was the only catch that Mack would have for a while, as he followed it up with five consecutive drops, in many cases bringing drives to a screeching halt. Had the normally solid Mack pulled those very catchable balls, the night would have been even more impressive for Haskins. Mack finished with four catches for 84 yards on nine targets.

In addition to the delicate touch that Haskins was able to put on the deep ball, he also showed his cannon of an arm, especially on this frozen rope to Johnnie Dixon, placing it in the perfect spot that only his receiver could catch it. Haskins finished the game with a quarterback rating of 156.6.

And finally for Haskins, despite ABC’s play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler saying that he wasn’t a threat to run, in the fourth quarter, Haskins kept the ball and sprinted to the end zone on his first designed rush of the season—and the first rushing touchdown of his career.

Week 3 Defensive MVP: Dre’Mont Jones

First, I don’t want to be crude, but Nick Bosa did not sustain an injury to his “lower abdomen,” nor was it to his “upper leg.” He pointed to where he was hurting on national television. We all know that he hurt is groin; groin is not an inappropriate or tawdry term. So why did everyone from announcers to coaches feel the need to dance around the obvious? I mean, I can think of a lot worse words than groin that we could have used.

Anyway, not that Dre’Mont Jones needed the deck cleared for him to make an impact on the game, but with Bosa out in the second half, it sure seemed like Jones took it upon himself to completely dominate—and in turn, change the outcome of— the game.

First, Jones picked off the Shawn Robinson shuffle pass and returned it for the first touchdown of his collegiate career, putting the Buckeyes up for good.

As fun as the Piesman Trophy-caliber return was, Jones is not one of the best defensive linemen in the country because of his ability to score; he is one of the best defensive linemen in the country because of his ability to get to the quarterback. Against TCU, Jones had six tackles, two for loss, including this sack below, the aforementioned interception, and another pass broken up.

Dre’Mont Jones dominated the final 30 minutes of this game, and ultimately was a huge factor in the Buckeyes leaving Texas undefeated.

Honorable Mention:

K.J. Hill:

Receiving: six receptions on six targets, 95 yards, TD, zero drops

J.K. Dobbins:

18 rushes, 121 yards, eight carries of 10-yards or more yards