Chris Olave returned to Ohio State for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft, and because of that, he is now in the running for three program records: receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Entering the season, Olave had 111 catches for 1,775 yards and 22 touchdowns. That left him 91 catches, 1,124 yards and 13 touchdowns short of the records held by K.J. Hill (201 catches), Michael Jenkins (2,898 yards) and David Boston (34 touchdowns).
Olave entered the game against Tulsa with 16 receptions for 243 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He left the game with 16 receptions for 243 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
It was the first time Olave was held without a catch since his freshman season in a Nov. 3 win over Nebraska, and it significantly slowed down his projections as he continues his attempt to make Ohio State history.
Now, over a 14-game season (regular season, Big Ten championship, bowl/playoff game), Olave is on pace for roughly 75 catches, 1,134 yards and nine touchdowns. Those would still be strong numbers, but only one of those – the yardage – would be enough for a program record.
Of course, Olave is likely to bounce back from the disappointing effort and has plenty of season to do so. Still, the goose egg in the score sheet stopped what was an excellent start to the senior wide receiver’s quest for history.
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