Chip Trayanum delivers all-time touchdown in final seconds for Buckeyes
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Call Ohio State soft at your peril.
Ryan Day made that message loud and clear Saturday night when he called Chip Trayanum’s number to put an emphatic exclamation point on one of the great victories in school history, 17-14 over Notre Dame.
Trayanum scored on a 1-yard plunge behind primarily left tackle Josh Simmons and left guard Donovan Jackson with one second left to cap a 15-play, 65 yards that consumed all but the last second of the 1:25 left when the Buckeyes took possession on a punt.
After Kyle McCord hit a critical 22-yard pass down to the one on third and 20 from the 23, McCord stopped the clock with a spike, then missed Marvin Harrison Jr. on a fling to the right corner on second down. That left and third and goal at the one.
Trayanum went on to the field, TreVeyon Henderson came off. Then the play was signalled in as Day made the call. Trayanum, who transferred from Arizona State last year with the intent of playing linebacker, was the running back of choice for one of the great moments of truth school history.
“That play has specific reads,” Trayanum said. “But at the end of the day, how I saw the penetration of the line and how I saw Notre Dame come off the edges, I just knew to stay tight to it.
“At the end of the day, it’s either you get the yard or you don’t.”
He did.
Pandemonium ensued.
Watching from the press box, Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles – he was coaching Trayanum in the linebacker room a year ago this time — wasn’t surprised.
“I tell you what, you call on Chip, he’s going to make the play,” Knowles said after the game.
The defensive stop that got the ball back proved the Buckeyes stood up on that side when it was needed most, also. It was helped of course by Notre Dame unbelievably trying to throw the ball and failing, first with an incomplete then with a sack by J.T. Tuimoloau that forced the punt.
Then McCord and Co. took over, and in the end, Trayanum punched it in.
Soft team? So much for someone such as former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz and others making that assessment in the 48 hours leading up to kickoff. When push came to shove, the Buckeyes shoved back the Fighting Irish, who by the way had just 10 men on the field on the last defensive play.
Looks like when needed most the Buckeyes were plenty tough.
“We definitely proved that point, I feel like we proved that point all through out the four quarters,” said Trayanum said. “They swung. We swung. And we kept swinging.
“Ultimately that point was proven. We strive on toughness. And toughness is getting the job done, no matter what.”
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