This post was updated Nov. 16 at 8:59 p.m.
Seas of scarlet and gray-clad fans covered every inch of bleacher.
Deafening chants of “OH” were met with equally as roaring “IO’s,” leaving no question where the fans’ allegiance lied.
104,168 fans in one of the most adversarial environments in college sports joined together to create an enticing and captivating football atmosphere – one that left ears ringing, eyes glued to the gridiron and an unmatched stadium aura that earns it its very own nickname, “The Shoe.”
But what was most people’s football dream was quarterback Luke Duncan’s nightmare, as the screams of the Buckeye Battle Cry drowned out the redshirt sophomore’s collegiate debut, leading UCLA football (3-7, 3-4 Big Ten) to be washed away 48-10 by No. 1 Ohio State (10-0, 7-0) at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The defeat marked the official end of the Bruins’ bowl game aspirations, marking the second consecutive year they will miss out on winter football.
“He (Duncan) had his little package of plays that we had for him – we were trying to get him going, get him to ease into the game,” interim head coach Tim Skipper said. “It was his first career start right here in the Horseshoe, so as the game went (along), he got more and more comfortable – that’s what I was proud to see of him. That’s a tough deal and just proud of that kid for fighting. He never blinked an eye and just kept going moving forward, so he’ll build off of that.”
If the Buckeye faithful was a wave silencing the Bruins as they fought to stay afloat, then the Ohio State defense was a tsunami.
Heading into the affair, the Ohio State defense ranked first in the nation in total defense, fifth in rushing defense, second in fewest passing yards allowed and first in scoring defense.
And the Buckeyes had no problem corroborating their prestige.
Ohio State held Duncan – who was announced the starter after redshirt sophomore Nico Iamaleava was deemed out with concussion symptoms – to just 154 passing yards. Duncan’s leading receiver, redshirt sophomore Rico Flores Jr., garnered just 59 receiving yards.
The ground game did not fare much better either, garnering just 68 total rushing yards on 24 attempts – enough for an abysmal 2.8 yards per carry tally.
And on the other side of the ball, quarterback Julian Sayin left no doubts as to why he is a favorite for the Heisman Trophy this season.
Entering the contest, Sayin boasted 2,491 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes on an efficient 80.9% completion percentage – with the second and third statistics ranking fourth and first in the nation, respectively.
And the sophomore signal-caller only used Saturday to build on that resume.
Sayin finished the contest with 184 yards and one touchdown on a 74.2% completion percentage. The quarterback worked quick and methodical drives – garnering zero three-and-outs, scoring on all five drives and registering just 3:41 per drive in the first half – to pick apart the UCLA defense.
While it was Sayin’s arm who kept the tempo of the Buckeye offense and left the Bruin defense guessing – hitting nine different pass catchers on the night – it was the Ohio State run game that tattered the UCLA defensive unit.
Bo Jackson led the tailback department with 112 yards and one score on an ultra-efficient 7.5 yards per carry. Joining Jackson in the paydirt was running back James Peoples, who took just six carries but took one attempt 19-yards for a touchdown, punctuating the moment with a hurdle over diving redshirt sophomore defensive back Cole Martin vying for a tackle. Peoples finished the game with 42 yards and two scores.
As a unit, the running back room combined for 222 yards on 33 attempts – good for 6.7 yards per carry. Ohio State’s performance marks the sixth team to run for at least 150 yards and fourth to rush for at least 200 against the UCLA front seven.
Despite the Buckeyes’ success offensively, Skipper was pleased with how his squad came out of the locker room at halftime.
“I liked how we came out of the halftime. I think the guys were fighting. We got some stops when we came out of the locker room, the energy levels were good in the locker room, all of that good stuff,” Skipper said. “I mean, playing the No. 1 team in the country, you’re fighting for everything, so I thought the guys fought. They got the best of us, and we’ve just got to move on from here.”
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Gary Smith III echoed his head honcho’s notion, emphasizing that the defense made the necessary adjustments after trailing 27-0 at halftime.
“We definitely made some adjustments as far as just talking to the team and said, ‘We’re in the right positions, we just need to make that play, make this play,’” Smith said. “We began to make those plays a little bit, but that’s a hell of a ball team we just played, so they make plays, we make plays.”
Miscues, gaffes and self-induced negative plays only magnified the Bruins’ failures and the Buckeyes’ successes.
UCLA garnered seven penalties, good for 55 yards – just 13 fewer yards than the Bruin’s entire rushing total. And while Duncan kept good ball security, registering neither a fumble nor an interception, the Bruins still managed to give the Buckeyes an inch.
And when you give the top-ranked team in the nation an inch, they will take a mile.
Junior punter Will Karoll mishit a punt deep into UCLA territory, resulting in a botched kick-turned-block punt that gave Ohio State an additional field goal heading into halftime.
And just 11 seconds after putting the first points on the board – courtesy of an 18-yard reception from sophomore wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer – Buckeye cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. ran a kickoff 100 yards to the house.
Just two games remain in UCLA’s 2025 slate – one against crosstown rival USC and the other against former Pac-12 foe Washington in what could be the Bruins’ last home game at the Rose Bowl.
Despite the loss, Duncan reiterated the love he had for his team, highlighting the support he received in his first career start.
“I really love this team. We got a great group of guys, the whole O-line was cheering me on the whole time, and nobody got negative,” Duncan said. “It’s just a great group. No one gave up. Everyone was cheering me on, believing in me from the start. I’m thankful for my teammates.”
