Four Buckeyes were recognized for their standout play as Ohio State defended the Illibuck Trophy in Champaign.
Cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. and linebacker Arvell Reese were named Ohio State’s defensive players of the game, while linebacker Garrett Stover and cornerback Bryce West earned the honors on special teams for their strong performances in the No. 1 Buckeyes’ 34-16 win over then-No. 17 Illinois Saturday.
Mathews finished his afternoon with just one solo tackle, but acted as a shutdown corner and made two of the game’s biggest plays. Midway through the first quarter, Mathews first broke up Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer’s pass intended for wide receiver Hank Beatty, tipping the football in the air for linebacker Payton Pierce to go up and snatch Altmyer’s first interception of the year.
Then late into the third quarter, on 2nd-and-10 from Illinois’ own 30-yard line, Mathews screamed off the edge on a cornerback blitz, coming from Altmyer’s blindside to strip the quarterback. The ball bounced right to defensive end Caden Curry who pounced on the football to secure possession. Both of Mathews’ key plays gave Ohio State excellent field position and led to Buckeye touchdown drives.
Reese, however, was all over the field in his own right. The junior linebacker racked up nine tackles (eight solo) and ended his outing with a team-high one and a half sacks and tackles-for-losses. Reese’s first sack ultimately ended Illinois chances of scoring just before halftime, and his second time in the backfield came with time waning down in the fourth quarter to seal Ohio State’s victory.
The sophomore special teamers Stover and West each recorded one tackle on the Buckeyes kick and punt return units. Stover now has five tackles on the year, while West has three.
