Ohio State’s safety Damon Webb earned the McKnight Trophy as the defensive MVP for the 82nd Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, after the Buckeyes 24-7 victory over the USC Trojans.
On the third play of the game, Webb recovered a fumble that was forced by Kendall Sheffield and returned it 20 yards to the USC 19. The fumble recovery set OSU up for its first score of the day and was the second recovery of Webb’s career.
USC possessed the ball heading into the second quarter, but Webb soon changed that. On the second play after the start of the quarter, Webb intercepted USC’s pass attempt and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.
Webb’s pick-six marked the first since 2009 at the Cotton Bowl Classic and the first at AT&T Stadium in the bowl game. Webb recorded his sixth interception of his career and fifth of the season.
The Detroit, Michigan native who played his High School ball at Cass Tech, marked five solo tackles in addition to grabbing the two turnovers for the Buckeyes. OSU forced four turnovers during the matchup scoring 21 points off the takeaways.
Webb finishes his career at Ohio State with 131 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and six interceptions. He is projected to be a high first-round pick in the NFL draft.