Cheap shot? Here's the play vs. Notre Dame that injured Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson

bill rabinowitz, columbus dispatch

Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 7:59 PM·2 min read

After his triumphant return against Wisconsin, Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson said the reason he missed the previous three games was a “cheap shot” he took early in the Notre Dame game.

Henderson didn’t specify what the injury was, and the team doesn't disclose most injury information, but it occurred with just over 12 minutes left in the second quarter against the Fighting Irish. Henderson took a handoff, cut inside, and was tackled by two Notre Dame players.

He was on the ground when senior linebacker Marist Liufau dived into him. Exactly where Liufau hit Henderson is difficult to tell on the television broadcast because right tackle Josh Fryar obscures the view, but it was the upper body.

After the Wisconsin game, TreVeyon Henderson said he’d missed three games because of a cheap shot vs. Notre Dame. Here’s the play, which got no attention at the time. pic.twitter.com/OFe9JVEym2
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) October 31, 2023

No penalty was called on the play and the announcers didn't mention the hit. When Henderson got up, he pointed twice toward the Notre Dame huddle. He left the game for the rest of that drive, replaced by Chip Trayanum and then Miyan Williams at the goal line.

More: Rutgers coach Greg Schiano says altercation with Ryan Day, Ohio State 'feels like years ago'

Henderson returned to the game and scored a pivotal 61-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He finished with 104 yards in Ohio State’s 17-14 win. Trayanum scored the winning touchdown with 1 second left.

More: Ohio State football running back Miyan Williams out for season with knee injury

Sep 23, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) scores a rushing touchdown against Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety DJ Brown (2) during the third quarter of their game at Notre Dame Stadium.

Henderson then missed the Maryland, Purdue and Penn State games before returning Saturday. He was integral in Ohio State’s 24-10 win over Wisconsin. Henderson ran 24 times for 162 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown, and caught four passes for 45 yards to give the Buckeyes’ offense a needed spark.

“Tre gives us the ability to hit home runs,” coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “Tre’s very competitive. He’s versatile. He can do a lot of things in the pass game and the run game. Having him in there makes our offense much different.”