It didn’t have the drama of Mike Nugent’s 55-yard walkoff field goal to beat Marshall in 2004, but it had the length.
After a screen pass to J.K. Dobbins and a quick spike to stop the clock, the Buckeyes had the ball at the Northwestern 38 with four seconds to play before halftime and without an obvious option.
A Hail Mary-type heave into the end zone was a possibility, although a somewhat low-percentage one.
They could also line up for a long field goal try. This seemed like an odd choice. For one thing, OSU kicker Blake Haubeil had never made a kick longer than 47 yards, and this would be a 55-yard attempt.
There was also a significant downside. A kick that long would probably have to come off Haubeil’s foot at a low angle to get across the crossbar. That meant it was at increased risk of getting blocked and run back for a potentially game-changing touchdown.
OSU head coach Ryan Day decided to try the kick, and Haubeil and the rest of the kicking unit executed to perfection.
“We tried to see if we could get the thing inside of a 50-yard field goal for Blake because he hit one about that distance in pregame. We hit the screen and we clocked it and it was 55 yards and we had to make a decision,” Day said. “He had made one before, so we said we’ll give him a shot to make it.”
The snap from Liam McCullough and hold from Drue Chrisman were good, the line kept the Northwestern defenders at bay, and Haubeil absolutely crushed the ball. It soared high and cleared the crossbar easily. It likely would have been good from 60 or more.
The response was immediate.
Haubeil, Chrisman, and others bounced off the field as the rest of the Buckeye team ran out to meet them.
Watch the Buckeyes come off the sideline to celebrate with Blake Haubeil after his 55-yard field goal at the end of the first half. pic.twitter.com/dQN8Cvs9Hv
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) October 19, 2019
On the scoreboard, the kick barely mattered. The Buckeyes’ lead went from 28-3 to 31-3, on a night when Northwestern would have needed about 17 quarters to score 28 or more points.
But to Haubeil and his teammates it was a huge moment, and the kicker said it was awesome to see the rest of the Buckeyes coming out to celebrate with him.
“It’s incredible. Just the love and support the team has shown throughout the year. It just made it that much more special,” Haubeil said.
“It was good to see the team rally behind him,” said Day. “It goes to show you the confidence the team has in him, and just the chemistry of our team in general. I think it kind of put an exclamation point on the whole half.”
Haubeil had been solid, but not perfect this season, going 5-for-7 on field goals coming into the game. He had missed a 32-yarder at Indiana and a 37-yard kick against Michigan State.
But Haubeil said when he trotted out for the kick on Friday night, he knew he could make one from that deep.
“Very confident,” he said. “During pregame, Drue, Liam, and I were obviously working all over the field, and I was very confident that we as a unit could go out there and execute.”