Thanks to a stifling defense that caused three first quarter turnovers, Ohio State scored early and often in a 45-7 win over Great Lakes rival Michigan State on Sunday afternoon in Columbus.
Ohio State opened the game by forcing a Spartan turnover on just the second play from scrimmage as defensive end Trey Jones punched the ball free from MSU running back Elijah Taylor, allowing safety Corey Adams to recover on the Michigan State 34-yard line.
Four plays later, Ohio State was in the end zone as quarterback Niko Pappas found tight end Aidan Donovan for a 21-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. It was the first catch of the year for the reigning national championship game MVP who missed the 40-3 win over George Mason due to illness.
It took just one more play from scrimmage for the Buckeyes to get back on offense after freshman safety Topaz Linton stepped in front of a Spartan pass, returning it to the Michigan State 11-yard line. From there Pappas found senior wide receiver Ricardo Washington for a score, putting the Buckeyes up 14-0.
After forcing a punt on Michigan State’s third possession, Ohio State completed a nine-play, 66 yard drive with a 1-yard Ethan Young touchdown run to extend the lead to 21-0. Young finished the day with 11 carries for 69 yards and the first quarter score.
On their fourth series of the game, the Spartans were able to drive the ball into Ohio State territory before safety Keegan Lynch picked off Michigan State quarterback Andres Kent and retuned the ball to the Ohio State 42-yard line. The Buckeye offense again capitalized on the Spartan miscue as Pappas scampered 29 yards for a score a few plays later, giving Ohio State a 28-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Ohio State would add 10 more points in the second quarter as Pappas scored again on the ground and sophomore kicker Jacob Cramer drilled a 32-yard field goal just before the end of the half.
The Buckeye offense would score once more on their opening drive of the second half. Ohio State took the opening kickoff and drove 58 yards on five plays, capping the scoring drive with a 19-yard strike from Pappas to Washington over the middle to extend the lead to 45-0. Pappas, who broke the program record for rushing touchdowns in a single game with five last week, once again accounted for five touchdowns in Week 2. Pappas finished the day 11-of-20 passing for 188 yards and three touchdowns to one interception. He also carried 10 times for 93 yards and a pair of scores.
Seven different Buckeyes caught passes in the win, including Desean Bonte who led Ohio State in receiving yards on the day, hauling in four passes for 79 yards. Washington finished with four receptions for 65 yards and a pair of scores. Charlie Harlow, Tommy Delaney, Lynch and Linton also recorded receptions for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s offense was incredibly balanced, throwing for 223 yards and rushing for 217. Junior running back Lucas Fenstermaker chipped in seven carries for 63 yards while freshman quarterback Corbyn Aleshire completed 3-of-5 passes for 35 yards and an interception.
The NCFA’s running clock rule (35-point deficit in the second half), limited the reps in the second half on a hot day in Columbus, but the Spartans kept fighting, scoring on a 62-yard touchdown pass on the final play from scrimmage as time expired.
Tyler Siegel tied for the team lead in tackles with 10, including 4.5 for loss. Linton also posted 10 total stops including three tackles for loss and a sack to go along with his interception. In all, the Buckeyes posted four sacks on the day.
Ohio State moves to 5-1 all-time against Michigan State, winning the last five. The two teams could meet again in the conference championship game should the Spartans and Buckeyes win their respective divisions. Ohio State needs to win games against Toledo and Wright State in order to qualify while the Spartans need wins against Oakland, Milwaukee and Loyola Chicago.
Game Notes:
- Defensive end Trey Jones collected 1.5 sacks in the win, giving him 21 for his career. He needs just two more sacks to break the program record of 22.5, set by Mike Fenstermaker (2016-19).
- Ohio State collected a pair of interceptions in the win. The Buckeyes have tallied at least one defensive interception in nine of their last 11 games dating back to last season.
- For the second time in program history, the Ohio State University Athletic Band performed for the Club Football team. The Club Football program sends its sincere thanks to the band for their support.
(Header photo credit: Scott Mayberry)
Ohio State Club Football 