For the fourth straight season, Ohio State Club Football will play for a national championship.
Behind a huge second quarter, the Buckeyes raced past No. 3 Sacred Heart, 43-9, in Toledo, Ohio on Saturday night to advance to the 2023 NCFA National Championship, set to be held in Pittsburgh, PA on Dec. 2.
Ohio State started slow, as the Pioneers forced the Buckeyes into a three-and-out on their first possession. However, Ohio State’s defense also forced a punt, which was blocked giving the Buckeyes the ball at the SHU 21 yard line. On the next play, the Buckeyes found the end zone as sophomore running back JR Burton scampered 21 yards for the opening score of the game. The extra point was missed though, leading to a 6-0 OSU lead.
Sacred Heart’s second drive ended in an interception as linebacker Colm Damron stepped in front of a Pioneer pass and returned it inside the SHU 30 yard line.
This time, it took two plays for Ohio State to find the end zone, as quarterback Spencer Moore connected with Abdou Keita for a 24-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 13-0.
The Pioneers next drive resulted in three points as SHU drove deep into Ohio State territory before a strip sack by Buckeye linebacker Jackson Rittman forced Sacred Heart to attempt a 41-yard field goal, which was made.
Leading 13-3 midway through the second quarter, the Buckeyes drove 77 yards, capped by a 9-yard scoring run by Burton to take a 20-3 lead. Ohio State’s defense immediately stiffened, and the Buckeyes exploded for 14 more points in the final four minutes of the quarter.
Moore connected with Keita for an explosive 60-yard score before the Buckeyes got the ball back and the Ohio State signal caller found David Cooper for a 31-yard strike in a two-minute drill, sending OSU into halftime with a 34-3 advantage.
Ohio State scored the first nine points of the second half as Moore scrambled and found Keita again on a highlight-reel play for 61 yards and the third touchdown between the two on the night. Leading 41-3, the NCFA enacted the running clock rule midway through the third quarter.
Buckeye special teams stepped up again, as defensive lineman James Smith blocked a second SHU punt out of the end zone for a safety for a 43-3 lead. The Pioneers marched for their only touchdown of the game late in the fourth quarter but missed the two-point conversion leading to the 43-9 final.
Moore finished 11-of-21 passing for 247 yards and four scores, making him the NCFA’s single-season record holder for touchdown passes in a season, with 30. Keita finished with three catches for 145 yards and three scores while Cooper caught five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Burton rushed 11 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns while Jack Laing pitched in 34 yards on the ground.
The Buckeyes are now set to take on No. 1 Central Georgia Tech on Dec. 2 for the NCFA National Championship. The Titans are undefeated on the season and champions of the South Atlantic Conference. They defeated No. 4 Michigan State, 46-14 in the first semifinal at Toledo.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at UPMC Graham Field at Chatham University.
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