Football

2018 OSU Penalty Data: Urban Meyer Flagged More Than JK Dobbins and Other Fun Facts

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer 2018 Michigan

While you were out having fun doing your parties or enjoying a nice book in front of a fire Saturday night, I was going through each Ohio State box score this year and putting a spreadsheet together of every Buckeye penalty committed in 2018.

And before you think this was just some easy exercise, let me tell you — it was not.

There are plenty of box scores that didn’t list the players who were flagged, which meant that I had to go through other box scores at other web sites, and when that didn’t work, I’d go find the game on YouTube and look at the actual play. And when THAT didn’t work, I went through my DVR and had to fast-forward like a yokel until the right spot and find the play.

I also charted the penalties that were not accepted because flags were still thrown.

I said all of that to say that I think all of this data is pretty correct because any time there were question marks, I went searching for the answers. If some of it is incorrect, feel free to let me know so that I can chastise the people who do the box scores. And I said all of that because I know you’re probably not going to believe some of the information that you are about to read.

So who committed the most penalties for the Buckeyes?

We’ll get there, but first let’s talk about who committed the fewest. Four starters — JK Dobbins, Parris Campbell, KJ Hill, and Pete Werner all committed zero penalties, which is one fewer than head coach Urban Meyer committed. Meyer was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when Dwayne Haskins was hit in the head by Michigan linebacker Noah Furbush.

That penalty currently ranks Meyer in a tie for 18th place in most penalty yards on the team.

Who is first?

Get a guess in your mind. I’ll wait.

While right tackle Isaiah Prince committed the most penalties with 13, only nine of those were accepted for a total of 60 yards. Four other Buckeyes had more penalty yards than that, and a fifth — defensive back Shaun Wade — tied him with 60 yards on four pass interference flags.

The most penalty yards lost by one player is 100 by left guard Malcolm Pridgeon. Pridgeon committed 11 penalties this season, though only 10 were accepted. An eleventh penalty (unsportsmanlike conduct) was offset by the same penalty committed by the other team (Indiana) at the same time.

Who has the second most penalty yards? You’d probably never get it with 10 guesses, but it is safety Jordan Fuller with 85. He really swung for the fences on his flags. He was only flagged six times, but five of them went for 15 yards and a sixth — the illegal blocking penalty against Northwestern — went for 10 yards.

Two players — defensive end Chase Young and tight end Rashod Berry — tied for fourth-most yards with 65.

Young committed seven penalties, but two of those weren’t accepted. You may remember them because they came against Oregon State on the same possession. Twice he jumped offside, which allowed a free throw down the sideline, which both times ended up in pass interference penalties for Jeff Okudah.

Young also got the most out of his flags, with a roughing, two unsportsmanlikes, and a facemask.

Berry, you might be surprised to learn, led the team with five holding penalties. Prince had four, but only one was accepted. Pridgeon had four, all of which were accepted. Right guard Demetrius Knox held three times, two of which were accepted. Center Michael Jordan was flagged once for it — it was his only penalty on the season. Left tackle Thayer Munford was flagged for holding once, but it was not accepted. He also had two false starts, which were his only other penalties of 2018.

Where are the cornerbacks, you ask?

Damon Arnette was flagged for five times, all pass interference penalties, for 53 yards. Jeff Okudah was also flagged five times, with three pass interference calls and twice for holding. One of each was declined. Kendall Sheffield was flagged just three times — once for holding, once for pass interference, and once for offsides, which was declined.

Middle linebacker Tuf Borland committed two penalties, both pass interferences, and both were declined because the passes were caught.

Will linebacker Malik Harrison’s only penalty this season was a roughing call against Rutgers. Combined with Pete Werner’s zero penalties, that means Ohio State’s starting linebackers were responsible for 15 penalty yards this season.

What about individual penalty types?

Isaiah Prince was flagged for false start a team-high six times. Pridgeon got tagged for it three times, Munford twice, and Knox once. Redshirt freshman Josh Myers was called for it twice early in the season.

Defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones led the team with six offside penalties. Chase Young had three, but two were declined. Robert Landers had two, and freshman receiver Chris Olave got called for it once on a kick placement.

Ten personal foul penalties were called, with Jordan Fuller and Pridgeon getting nabbed twice. Freshman linebackers K’Vaughan Pope and Teradja Mitchell also got flagged once a piece for handing out some business cards.

Chase Young led the team with two unsportsmanlike penalties. There is still one game left for Urban Meyer to grab the lead back, however.


The Data

PlayerPenaltyYardsOpponent
Amir RiepHolding10Rutgers
Austin MackHolding10TCU
Baron BrowningPass Int6Minnesota
Binjimen VictorOPI2Indiana
Binjimen VictorOPI15Nebraska
Binjimen VictorHolding10Northwestern
Binjimen VictorUnsportsmanlikeNAPenn State
Brendon WhiteFacemaskNAMinnesota
Brian SneadHoldingNARutgers
Chase YoungRoughing15Indiana
Chase YoungOffside5Nebraska
Chase YoungOffsideNAOregon State
Chase YoungOffsideNAOregon State
Chase YoungFacemask15Penn State
Chase YoungUnsportsmanlike15Rutgers
Chase YoungUnsportsmanlike15Rutgers
Chris OlaveOffsideNATCU
Chris OlaveUnsportsmanlike15Tulane
Dallas GantHolding10Tulane
Dallas GantHoldingNATulane
Damon ArnettePass Int5Maryland
Damon ArnettePass Int15Michigan
Damon ArnettePass Int15Michigan
Damon ArnettePass Int14TCU
Damon ArnettePass Int4Tulane
Dante BookerIllegal Block10Rutgers
Davon HamiltonRoughing Kicker15Purdue
Davon HamiltonOffside5TCU
Demetrius KnoxHolding10Indiana
Demetrius KnoxHolding10Indiana
Demetrius KnoxFalse Start5Michigan
Demetrius KnoxHoldingNAMinnesota
Dre’Mont JonesOffside5Indiana
Dre’Mont JonesOffside5Nebraska
Dre’Mont JonesOffside5Northwestern
Dre’Mont JonesOffside5Northwestern
Dre’Mont JonesOffside2Purdue
Dre’Mont JonesPersonal Foul15Purdue
Dre’Mont JonesOffside5Tulane
Dwayne HaskinsUnsportsmanlikeNAPenn State
Dwayne HaskinsGroundingNATulane
Everyone But CenterFalse Start5Maryland
Isaiah PrinceFalse Start5Maryland
Isaiah PrinceFalse Start5Minnesota
Isaiah PrinceFalse Start5Minnesota
Isaiah PrinceIneligible5Minnesota
Isaiah PrinceHoldingNAMinnesota
Isaiah PrinceHoldingNANebraska
Isaiah PrinceHolding10Northwestern
Isaiah PrincePersonal Foul15Northwestern
Isaiah PrinceFalse Start5Penn State
Isaiah PrinceHoldingNAPenn State
Isaiah PrinceUnsportsmanlikeNAPenn State
Isaiah PrinceFalse Start5Purdue
Isaiah PrinceFalse Start5Purdue
Isaiah PryorPass Int15Penn State
Isaiah PryorPersonal Foul15Penn State
Jashon CornellOffside5Tulane
Jeff OkudahHoldingNAIndiana
Jeff OkudahPass IntNAIndiana
Jeff OkudahPass Int15Oregon State
Jeff OkudahPass Int15Oregon State
Jeff OkudahHolding10Rutgers
Johnnie DixonIllegal Touching0Maryland
Johnnie DixonHolding10Maryland
Jonathon CooperFacemask10Michigan
Jordan FullerPass Int15Indiana
Jordan FullerPass Int15Michigan
Jordan FullerUnsportsmanlike15Michigan
Jordan FullerPersonal Foul15Nebraska
Jordan FullerIllegal Block10Northwestern
Jordan FullerPersonal Foul15Northwestern
Josh AlabiHolding10Maryland
Josh AlabiFalse Start5Rutgers
Josh AlabiHolding10Rutgers
Josh MyersFalse Start5Oregon State
Josh MyersFalse Start5Tulane
Justin HilliardOffside5Penn State
Justin HilliardRunning Kicker5Purdue
Justin HilliardUnsportsmanlike15Tulane
Kendall SheffieldHolding10Indiana
Kendall SheffieldPass Int15Michigan
Kendall SheffieldOffsideNATCU
K’Vaughan PopePersonal Foul15Maryland
Luke FarrellHoldingNAMaryland
Luke FarrellHolding10Michigan
Luke FarrellFalse Start5MSU
Luke FarrellFalse Start5MSU
Luke FarrellFacemask15Penn State
Malcolm PridgeonUnsportsmanlikeNAIndiana
Malcolm PridgeonHolding10Maryland
Malcolm PridgeonFacemask15Maryland
Malcolm PridgeonPersonal Foul15Michigan
Malcolm PridgeonFalse Start5MSU
Malcolm PridgeonPersonal Foul15MSU
Malcolm PridgeonFalse Start5Northwestern
Malcolm PridgeonFalse Start5Oregon State
Malcolm PridgeonHolding10Rutgers
Malcolm PridgeonHolding10Rutgers
Malcolm PridgeonHolding10Tulane
Malik HarrisonRoughing15Rutgers
Marcus WilliamsonHolding10Rutgers
Michael JordanHolding10Purdue
Mike WeberFalse Start5Nebraska
Rashod BerryHolding10Indiana
Rashod BerryHolding10Penn State
Rashod BerryFalse Start5Purdue
Rashod BerryHolding10Purdue
Rashod BerryDelay of Game5TCU
Rashod BerryFalse Start5TCU
Rashod BerryHolding10Tulane
Rashod BerryHolding10Tulane
Robert LandersOffside1Nebraska
Robert LandersOffside5Oregon State
Shaun WadePass Int15Michigan
Shaun WadePass Int15Minnesota
Shaun WadePass Int15Northwestern
Shaun WadePersonal Foul15Purdue
Shaun WadeHoldingNATulane
Team12 Men5Indiana
TeamIllegal Formation5Penn State
TeamIllegal Procedure5Penn State
TeamIllegal FormationNAPurdue
TeamIllegal FormationNARutgers
Teradja MitchellPersonal Foul15Penn State
Terry McLaurinFalse Start5Michigan
Thayer MunfordFalse Start5Maryland
Thayer MunfordHoldingNANorthwestern
Thayer MunfordFalse Start5Oregon State
Tuf BorlandPass IntNANebraska
Tuf BorlandPass IntNAPenn State
Urban MeyerUnsportsmanlike15Michigan

14 Responses

  1. Where are the fun facts you promised?

  2. No data on Haubeil’s kicks out of bounds? Seems like if we added that yardage up, he’d be right in the thick of things.

    1. Interestingly, those aren’t listed as penalties in box scores.

    2. I could be wrong, but I think Haubeil only did that twice all season… both of which were in the title game.

  3. I did some sosrting on the data for you:
    Penalties Ohio State 2018
    Penalty Number Yards
    12 Men 1 5
    Delay of Game 1 5
    Facemask 5 55
    False Start 22 110
    Grounding 1 NA
    Holding 34 240
    Illegal Block 2 20
    Illegal Formation 3 5
    Illegal Procedure 1 5
    Illegal Touching 1 0
    Ineligible 1 5
    Offside 16 53
    OPI 2 17
    Pass Int 18 194
    Personal Foul 10 150
    Roughing 2 30
    Roughing Kicker 2 20
    Unsportsmanlike 10 90
    Total 132 829
    Average/game 10.15 63.77

  4. thanks for putting the time in on this. Seems like Jordan had multiple penalties for not snapping the ball. Maybe those go to other player? Seems like Sheffield had a number of pass interference penalties this year.

  5. Nice work. Can you summarize the penalties as a team? e.g. Holding – 10 penalties for 100 yards, False Start, etc. etc.

  6. while you are in a researching mood, can you do the following for me? I was disappointed that Haskins came up one yard short of 500 yards in the Big ten championship. There were two plays that potentially could be recategorized as passes. (like the Campbell play against Michigan). At the 6:30 mark of both the first and second quarters, Haskins appeared to pitch the ball forward a bit on running plays. I am kind of fixated on 5’s right now for Haskins. 5000 yards, 50 passing touchdowns, and a 500 yard game. It will make it easier to remember his biggest records.

      1. The one in the first quarter is too close for them to change anything. The one in the second quarter is already considered a pass.

  7. thank you you just revealed how undisciplined this team really is!!! it is either coaching or brains.

  8. Interesting column. Goes to show, if something happens on the football field, there’s a statistic to document it.
    Do you have a breakdown on whether the players were wearing red or white jerseys at the time of the violations?

    1. Don’t forget the all black uniforms against Nebraska.

  9. Isiah Prince, Jordan Fuller and Damon Arnette! WOW! Why can’t this be coached?!

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