Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was reveling in some fond memories of his first official game as coach in Ohio Stadium when a reporter asked him about the final play of the first half that sent him into the locker room in a foul mood.

“I almost forgot about that,” he said with a slight smile. “Thanks for ruining my day.”

Reaching the 1-yard line with three seconds left and holding a 21-3 lead, Meyer called for a run up the gut by Carlos Hyde. But the burly back was stuffed by Miami safety Justin Bowers, leaving the Buckeyes with a deflated feeling after what had been a dominant quarter (they produced 297 total yards, 26 fewer than their 2011 single-game average).

“Ohio State should be able to knock it from the 1. … That’s absolutely non-negotiable nonsense. We’ve got to sledgehammer guys and knock them out of the way. That can’t happen,” Meyer said after the 56-10 win Saturday.

“THE Ohio State University with a 220-pound or 230-pound tailback should be able to smash it in there. Not to take credit away from our opponent — and the whole world knew what we were doing (on that play) — but that’s part of the deal.”

Hyde and other Buckeyes argued the call, although the replay seemed to indicate the ball never crossed the goal line.

“Whenever we get in a situation like that, our offense has to come through and knock someone off the ball and get it in,” center Corey Linsley said. “On the other hand, Carlos came off and said he got in, so maybe we did an adequate job. But either way, it should have been no contest.”

Elusive: The quick release of Miami quarterback Zac Dysert helped to keep the Buckeyes from putting much pressure on him, at least through the first half. They registered their only sacks after halftime, and both were by freshmen: the highly regarded Noah Spence and Adophus Washington.

“They’re not going to be treated like freshmen,” co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. “By the third or fourth game, we need those guys to be grown men. They’re working on that.”

The Buckeyes were 72nd nationally in sacks in 2011 with 1.77 per game.

Welcome back: Defensive end Nathan Williams capped a long recovery from a knee injury by playing extensively against the RedHawks. The senior standout appeared in just one game last season before undergoing two surgeries.

Fickell and defensive line coach Mike Vrabel put Williams through a series of tests in warmups before turning him loose. He played about half the game, notching two tackles.

“I’m so happy for him. We took him out there, and you could see the passion come back,” Fickell said. “He needs to be able to show that passion and feel good about himself. We need him and want him, and I think he needs us and wants us every bit as much.”

Taking two: Cornerback Ty Howard had two interceptions, matching his total from last season. One came when Dysert was pressured by John Simon, and the other came on a misread by the passer.

It was the first two-pick game for an OSU player since Chimdi Chekwa in 2010.

Catching up: After amassing a combined 65 catches last season, OSU receivers had 15 in the opener, including seven by Corey Brown.

“I’m just happy to be in the situation I’m in right now,” Brown said. “Coach Meyer has brought a perfect offense.”