Ohio
How Ohio State’s defense made Iowa’s offense one-dimensional to force second half turnover spree
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football knew what Iowa wanted to do on Saturday.
The Hawkeyes were 10th in the country in rushing yards coming into Saturday’s matchup, led by the second-best runner in the nation in Kaleb Johnson.
Ohio State’s first half issues on offense allowed Iowa to run its offense off the ground game, even though it wasn’t nearly as successful as it had been throughout the season.
But after Ohio State took a 14-0 lead on its way to a 35-7 blowout victory, Iowa couldn’t just run the football anymore. Iowa needed to lean more on the pass despite ranking 125th of 134 FBS teams in passing yards per game (147.5).
When the Hawkeyes had to throw, that’s when the Buckeyes broke things open.
Ohio State forced turnovers on three consecutive possessions, picking off quarterback Cade McNamara once and making him fumble twice.
“We knew they were going to be a good team coming in here,” Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer said. “They’re going to run their stuff and they’re a veteran, older group of guys. We love going against teams like that that want to run the ball and challenge our manhood. So we were ready and I thought we did a great job.”
Johnson entered the game ranked second only to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty in rushing yards (685) and tied for third in rushing touchdowns (nine). He came off a 206-yard performance in Iowa’s previous game, a 31-14 win at Minnesota on Sept. 21.
The Buckeyes, who were third in rushing defense (61.8 yards per game), kept Johnson to 86 yards on 15 carries. 28 of those yards came on a fourth-quarter touchdown when the outcome was decided.
“It was a big challenge to our entire team about physicality and toughness. I thought we answered that,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.
The Buckeyes had already quieted Johnson in the first half, limiting him to 19 yards on eight carries.
Before he had his ninth carry, Ohio State had a 21-0 lead.
That’s because the Buckeyes scored on the opening drive of the second half when Jeremiah Smith made another one-handed touchdown catch to give his team a 14-0 lead. On the very next play from scrimmage, Sawyer strip-sacked McNamara as he tried to scramble up the field. Cody Simon recovered the fumble, and the Buckeyes scored three plays later on a four-yard TD run by Howard.
“I think that a big thing this offseason is disrupting the football,” Sawyer said. “If you’re the first one to the ball, try to get a punch. Lathan (Ransom is) the master at it. You see him do it almost every game it seems like. So it’s definitely a point of emphasis for us.”
During the following drive, Johnson broke loose for the first time in the game with a 28-yard run to get into Ohio State territory. But three plays later, Simon tipped a McNamara pass and Davison Igbinosun picked it off, returning the ball to the Iowa 40-yard line and setting up another OSU touchdown, which was a 15-yard pass from Howard to Emeka Egbuka.
Defensive tackle Ty Hamilton forced another McNamara fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. recovered it, and Howard and Egbuka connected for a third touchdown, this time from three yards out, seven plays later to make it 35-0. That ended a sequence of three consecutive touchdowns off Iowa turnovers to blow the game open.
“Those were all really big plays in the game. So any time we can do that, it’s a game changer,” Day said. “When you come into games, I think especially for guys like Jack and JT (Tuimoloau), there’s this,’ Well, how many sacks are you gonna get?’ Well, if they’re running the ball every play, it’s hard to get sacks. So what do you do? You stop the run.
“We wish we had done that a little bit sooner, forced them to throw the ball, and then here come the sacks because now there’s opportunity. I think they did that and saw some big plays happen.”
In addition to getting four sacks, Ohio State finished with nine tackles for loss. Two of those were against Johnson, both in the third quarter.
“I think we showed some toughness today. I think guys are physical up front, on both sides of the ball, and obviously their offense had like 200 and some rushing yards,” said Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, who led the team in tackles with seven, two of which were for loss. “Like I said, you got to keep getting better every week.”
Iowa finished the game with 116 yards rushing as a team on 27 carries. By comparison, Johnson’s quietest game of the young season coming in was in Iowa’s opener vs. Illinois State when he ran just 11 times for 119 yards and two TDs.
68 of the 116 yards rushing for Iowa came on its only touchdown drive, which was in the fourth quarter facing a 35-0 deficit. Backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan had a 30-yard run, and Johnson ended the drive with a 28-yard TD run.
The Buckeyes had several backups in the game at that point, and it was the only blemish on an otherwise strong afternoon. But as Styles discussed after the game, the Buckeyes defense wanted more.
“I think for the defense, our mindset, we wanted to shut them out,” he said. “We feel like we’re fully capable of doing that, and I think we gave up a cheap one late. So we’re a little frustrated about that. A few big plays that we kind of allowed, things like that, like I said. So there’s always things to correct.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s law requiring children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps must be restored, a divided panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
The decision comes as a blow to NetChoice, which has won court victories against identical digital identification laws in other states, including Arkansas, Louisiana and Georgia. The trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies said the Ohio decision went against “clear national consensus” and that it intended to keep fighting.
“An unconstitutional law protects no one, and we remain focused on ensuring the First Amendment rights of Ohioans are protected,” said Paul Taske, director of the NetChoice Litigation Center.
Netchoice brought suit against Ohio’s law in 2024, arguing that it was overly broad, vague and represented an unconstitutional impediment to free speech.
The Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit’s panel disagreed. In a 2-1 decision, it found that the law was not unconstitutional and sent it back to a lower court to have a block on the law’s enforcement vacated.
“At bottom, the Act imposes a parental consent requirement,” Judge Eric Clay wrote in the lead opinion. “That requirement constitutes a marginal burden that precisely targets the multi-faceted problem that Ohio has identified: Children’s unsupervised assent to terms and conditions for use of platforms that take advantage of and harm them.”
Judge Alice Batchelder concurred, writing that “a statute is not vague just because it has a wide berth.”
Known as the Social Media Parental Notification Act, the Ohio law was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill that Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law in July 2023.
The administration pushed the measure as a way to protect children’s mental health, with then-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, now a U.S. senator, saying at the time that social media was “intentionally addictive” and harmful to kids.
The law requires companies to get parental permission for social media and gaming apps and to provide their privacy guidelines so families know what content would be censored or moderated on their child’s profile.
Republican Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson called Thursday’s ruling “a win for Ohio families.”
“The court agreed that parents –- not social media companies –- should get a say in what kids see online,” he said in a statement. “We have an obligation to keep our children safe, and today, the most dangerous place for our kids is the internet. This decision gives parents the tools to be involved and provide oversight.”
Piketon, Ohio (WSAZ) – Folks in southern Ohio are waking up to power outages and road closures.
Route 32 in Pike County is down to one westbound and one eastbound lane due to debris on the roadway.
Drivers are also dealing with tree limbs on roadways.
The Athens County 911 dispatcher told WSAZ that it’s not believed a tornado touched down, but there is storm damage.
The dispatcher said storm damage from flooding and trees being knocked down has affected US 50.
Power outages are being reported in Athens, Pike, Vinton, Scioto and Meigs Counties and even as far south as Boyd County, Ky.
If you’re in a tornado warning area, you’re urged to get to the lower part of your home.
Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Clarence Burley, II, affectionately known as “Lil Man,” entered eternal rest on Thursday, June 5, 2026, at the age of 60, at Summa Health Akron City Hospital in Akron, Ohio.
Born on May 22, 1966, in Youngstown, Ohio, Clarence was the beloved son of Clarence L. Burley and Jacqueline Wilkinson-Burley.
He attended Ursuline High School and graduated with the Class of 1984.
Clarence was a hardworking and dedicated man who spent many years employed at Classic Optical Corporation as a Lens and Frame Specialist. Known for his skill and precision, he was recognized as one of the top lens shapers during his tenure with the company. He also worked for Goodwill Industries, where his exceptional work ethic earned him recognition and awards for outstanding service.
A devoted fan of the Oakland Raiders, Clarence enjoyed football, boxing, roller skating, and bowling. In his younger years, he was also an accomplished swimmer. He loved life and cherished spending time with family and friends. Whether enjoying a cruise vacation, visiting the lake to admire the water, debating sports statistics from A to Z, or simply sharing laughter with loved ones, Clarence brought joy wherever he went.
Known for his impeccable style, Clarence was often dressed to perfection. He was especially proud of his many Cadillacs, but none more than his beloved Cadillac Seville, affectionately known as “the baby caddy.” He could often be found cruising through the city, listening to music and enjoying the ride. His infectious smile, strength, humor, and generous spirit will forever be remembered by those who knew and loved him.
In 1999, Clarence met the love of his life, the former Cathy Winphrie. Their friendship blossomed into a lasting bond, and they were united in holy matrimony in 2015. Together they shared a life filled with love, companionship, and cherished memories.
Clarence leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife, Cathy Burley; his children, Shannie (Meisha) Burley of Atlanta, Georgia; DeShawn Burley (fiancée Ziah) of Warren, Ohio; Eddie W. Matthews; and Montell Cochrane; his beloved grandchildren, Zaira, DeShawn, Jr., Deondra, Audrionna, Eddie, Jr., Quiara, Azel, Anyia, Marquel, Aiden, Adalese, Meadow, and Amatureas; five great-grandchildren; his mother-in-law, Eula Winphrie; brothers-in-law, James (Jamie) Winphrie and Timothy (Kori) Winphrie; sisters-in-law, Regina Winphrie and Azella Burley; niece Helleenia Winphrie; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, and dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence L. Burley and Jacqueline Wilkinson-Burley; his brother, Wesley Burley; and his grandmother, Carrie Davis.
Though Clarence’s earthly journey has ended, his legacy lives on through the lives he touched, the family he loved, and the countless memories he leaves behind. His strength, perseverance, laughter, and love will continue to inspire all who were blessed to know him.
“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”2 Corinthians 5:8
A homegoing celebration will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday June 20, 2026 at Jerusalem Baptist Church , a visitation with the family will be 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. at the Church.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Gregory-Martin Funeral Home. For additional information, please call (330) 743-4098.
To send flowers or plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit our flower store.
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