Carnell Tate looked up at the stands at Wrigley Field and saw a big group of family and friends, including his father, grandmother, and sister. It was a special moment for him on an emotional day.
Tate celebrated his return to Chicago by catching two touchdown passes in No. 2 Ohio State’s 31-7 win over Northwestern on Saturday. The 6-foot-3 sophomore had four catches for 52 yards as the Buckeyes won their fourth game in a row.
This game was especially meaningful for Tate, as it was his first time playing in his hometown since his mother, Ashley Griggs, was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago in July 2023.
“It was a lot of high emotion and stuff like that, but I had to manage it,” Tate said. “It means a lot to me playing back in my city, especially my first time being back since my freshman year of high school, and especially being able to play in front of all my family and friends.”
Tate grew up in Chicago and spent one year at Marist High School, about 25 miles from Wrigley Field, before moving to IMG Academy in Florida. In his freshman season at Ohio State, he had 18 catches for 264 yards and one touchdown.
Tate mentioned that he had never been to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, but he had at least 30 supporters at the game, all cheering for him. “They expected a lot just coming back home. So they wanted me to put on a show,” he said with a smile.
And that’s exactly what Tate did.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day praised Tate’s efforts, saying, “Just the way that he’s handled himself has just been an example to everybody. We care a lot about him and to see him get two touchdown passes in his hometown… I know it means a lot to him, but it also means a lot to us. Really happy for him today.”
Late in the first half, Ohio State was facing second-and-8 at the Northwestern 25-yard line. Quarterback Will Howard threw a pass down the sideline, and Tate dove to catch it in the end zone, scoring his third touchdown of the season.
In the second half, Tate caught another touchdown, this one an 8-yard reception on Ohio State’s first drive, which capped a five-play, 90-yard drive and gave the Buckeyes a 28-7 lead. He also made a tough 14-yard catch over the middle that helped set up Ohio State’s first touchdown of the second quarter.
Howard, Tate’s teammate, said, “I don’t say it a lot to him, but he’s one of my favorite guys on the team. Just seeing him every single day, like, he just lifts my mood. And for him to have the game that he had here in his home city in this stadium, I couldn’t be happier.”
