Here are three keys for No. 3 Ohio State against Marshall on Saturday:

Shake off the rust

When the Buckeyes routed Western Michigan on Sept. 7, it looked as if they were finding their stride. Then they were off the following Saturday, a pause that will force them to recapture momentum. In the Ryan Day era, they have had little trouble returning from idle weeks. Not including the pandemic-altered season in 2020, they have won each time by double-digit margins, including four times by 40 points or more. Nonetheless, avoiding rust in these situations remains a priority.

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Force Marshall to pass

The transition to the Air Raid has been a bumpy one for the Thundering Herd. Quarterback Stone Earle, who transferred from North Texas this summer, is completing only 44.2% of his passes, a percentage that ranks 116^th among qualifying passers in the Football Bowl Subdivision. In a 31-14 loss at Virginia Tech two weeks ago, he completed only 13 of 36 passes (36.1%) for 131 yards with a touchdown and interception. The Buckeyes should encourage Marshall to throw as much as possible.

Limit explosiveness

A.J. Turner has been an explosive playmaker out of Marshall’s backfield. His first carry in a season-opening win over Stony Brook went for 80 yards as he reached the end zone untouched, outrunning a crowd of defenders. He also had a run of 69 yards the following week. His 14 carries have resulted in 222 rushing yards. The Buckeyes have limited long gains on the ground. Only one rush attempt has gone for more than 10 yards against them, the fewest in the nation, but Turner poses their biggest challenge to date.

Key matchup

Ohio State offensive line vs. Marshall defensive line

The Buckeyes have so far shored up their pass protection after it lagged late season, but the Thundering Herd offer a barometer of progress. They are among only nine FBS teams averaging four sacks per game and pressured quarterbacks from Stony Brook and Virginia Tech on 44% of their dropbacks, according to data from Pro Football Focus. The top pass rusher is Mike Green, a redshirt sophomore defensive end who transferred from Virginia last year and leads Marshall with 3.5 sacks. If Ohio State is to keep rolling, its offensive line will need to account for Green.

Key stat

3: Average points per game allowed by the Buckeyes, who are tied with Mississippi atop the FBS in scoring defense.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football hosts Marshall: 3 keys to victory for Buckeyes