WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The screen pass Ohio State called on its opening drive in the third quarter of Saturday’s game against Purdue should’ve been a touchdown. The Buckeyes don’t call running back screens often. This one, to James Peoples, called just inside the red zone at the 18-yard line, seemed to catch the Boilermakers off guard.
You could see head coach Ryan Day on the TV copy, anticipating the big play as the pieces fell into place. And then … a whiff. Tegra Tshabola, the right guard for Ohio State, standing flat-footed as a safety buzzed by him to tackle Peoples for a loss. Day couldn’t hide his frustration and threw his hands in the air.