Ohio State’s Run Defense Faces Its Toughest Test Yet in Miami’s Mark Fletcher Jr.
Ohio State’s defense has made a habit of shutting down opposing ground games all season long - and not just shutting them down, but dominating. The Buckeyes come into the College Football Playoff semifinal ranked fifth in the nation in rushing defense, giving up just 84.5 yards per game.
That’s not a fluke. It’s the product of a physical, disciplined unit that’s made life miserable for running backs from coast to coast.
Only three teams - Texas, Michigan, and Indiana - have even cracked the 100-yard rushing mark against Ohio State this year. And not a single opposing player has hit the century mark individually. That’s the kind of consistency that wins championships.
But now comes the biggest test yet.
Miami (Fla.) rolls into the Cotton Bowl with a bruiser in the backfield: junior Mark Fletcher Jr. - a name that might sting a little for Buckeye fans, considering he was once committed to Ohio State back in 2022. Fletcher is 6-foot-2, 225 pounds of downhill power, and he’s coming off a monster performance in the first round of the CFP, where he gashed Texas A&M for 172 yards on just 17 carries. That’s over 10 yards per touch, and it included a 56-yard run that flipped the field and the momentum.
This is not your average back. Fletcher brings a rare mix of size, strength, and athleticism - and he’s running with confidence at just the right time.
So how does Ohio State plan to slow him down?
We caught up with linebacker Sonny Styles during Cotton Bowl media day, and his answer was straight to the point.
“He is obviously a big running back,” Styles said. “He runs very physical.
For his size, he is also very athletic. If you’re going against a running back like that, a lot of guys have to get to the ball.
We have to have population at the ball and get a lot of hats on him.”
Translation: it’s going to take a full team effort. No arm tackles.
No one-on-one hero plays. Everyone needs to rally to the ball and make sure Fletcher feels every yard he earns.
Styles has been a key piece of this Buckeyes defense all season, but he’s quick to spread the credit around - starting with the guys in the trenches.
“It starts with the guys up front,” he said, naming Kayden McDonald, Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson, Eddrick Houston, and Tywone Malone. “They do a very good job with their hands.”
That front line has been the foundation of Ohio State’s run-stuffing success, winning battles at the point of attack and keeping linebackers clean to make plays. And when it comes to the second level, Styles, along with Arvell Reese and Payton Pierce, has been flying to the football with purpose all season. Even the defensive backs are doing their part, stepping up to fill gaps when needed.
Still, Styles knows this unit isn’t perfect. He pointed to the regular season finale against Indiana as a game where they gave up more on the ground than they wanted to.
“We have to be consistent throughout the whole game,” he said. “I thought we gave up too many yards rushing against Indiana the last time we played.”
That kind of self-awareness - and accountability - is why this defense has been able to grow into one of the best in the country. But now, with the stakes at their highest, there’s no room for slippage.
Styles, a senior, knows what’s on the line. Every snap could be his last in a Buckeyes uniform, and he’s not ready for that moment to come just yet.
“We are preparing like everything is on the line because everything is on the line,” he said. “When you go on that field, leave everything out there.
When we played Indiana, we lost that game and we felt like we left some things out there on the field. You don’t want to feel like that leaving this game, especially for guys who know this could be it for them.”
It’s win or go home. And for a defense that’s been elite all year, the message is clear: leave no doubt.
Miami’s Mark Fletcher Jr. is coming in hot. But Ohio State’s defense has been waiting for this kind of challenge. Let’s see who blinks first.