Ohio State HC Ryan Day sends message about Luke Fahey after USC loss
· Yahoo Sports
Ryan Day’s first remarks after the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes’ 30-18 loss to the USC Trojans on Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum centered on a quarterback who had just made his first career start on the road, in the rain, against a team fighting for its coach’s job.
Luke Fahey, a freshman, started in place of Julian Sayin, who is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. Fahey completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown without a turnover.
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“It’s extremely frustrating coming into a game like this with a young quarterback and not [to] play cleaner than we did,” Day said.
Day pinned the result on the group around Fahey.
“At the end of the day, as a team, we weren’t able, to me, to play well enough to support a young freshman quarterback who was making his first start on the road,” Day said.
Ohio State University football coach Ryan Day talks during the post-game news conference after the Texas at Ohio State football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
Ohio State ran for 204 yards, 121 of them from Bo Jackson, and reached USC territory eight times. Its first touchdown still did not come until 2:12 remained, with the game already decided. Before halftime, a pass to Phillip Bell was dropped at the 1. Later, a false start from the 1 forced a field goal, and a Fahey touchdown run was overturned when his knee was ruled down. An Isaiah West fumble in USC territory also set up a Trojans touchdown. Most of what stalled those drives happened away from the quarterback, which is the case Day was making.
“I think for Luke, he competed. It wasn’t perfect,” Day said.
Can Ohio State still reach the playoff after a second loss?
Ohio State Buckeye head coach Ryan Day addresses his team after the spring game at Ohio Stadium on April 12, 2025.
The Buckeyes are 6-2, and this was their first loss to an unranked opponent since a 13-10 defeat to the Michigan Wolverines in Columbus on Nov. 30, 2024. Day had also been 11-0 at Ohio State in games coming off a bye before Saturday.
Winning out would still put Ohio State in the College Football Playoff, while another loss would leave it needing help. The remaining schedule holds home games against the Oregon Ducks, Northwestern Wildcats and Michigan, plus a trip to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers, with no indication yet of when Sayin can return.
The night’s one milestone came on that late touchdown, when Jeremiah Smith’s catch broke the Big Ten career record for receiving touchdowns.
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