No. 5 Ohio State extended its winning streak to six games Saturday in front of an Ohio Stadium crowd decked out in scarlet.
The Buckeyes (7-1, 5-0 Big Ten) survived numerous counter-punches from No. 20 Penn State (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten), topping the Nittany Lions 33-24. A 26-yard field goal by graduate kicker Noah Ruggles in the game’s final three minutes sealed Ohio State’s victory.
Ohio State had issues with the Penn State defense in the game’s early goings, amassing just 189 yards in the first half. The running game severely struggled, collecting only 19 yards in the opening half.
Despite his early struggles, freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson found his groove late in the third quarter — finding the end zone on a one-yard plunge, which was set up by a 68-yard carry on the previous play.
Henderson finished the game with 152 yards on 28 carries and his third-quarter score.
Ohio State also kept Penn State’s running game in check, holding the Nittany Lions to just 33 yards on the ground and an abysmal 1.1 yards-per-carry.
Redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud and the Buckeyes’ aerial attack kept Ohio State’s offense alive in the first half, as he tossed Ohio State’s lone offensive touchdown to senior Chris Olave in the middle stages of the second quarter. Stroud finished the game 22-for-34 with 305 yards and a touchdown.
Stroud spread the ball around to seven different receivers, but his favorite target of the night was junior wideout Garrett Wilson — who snagged seven catches for 82 yards.
Wilson also led the Buckeyes in rushing yards in the first half, picking up seven yards on just one carry.
Outside of Wilson, sophomore wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba added six receptions for 97 yards.
On both sides of the ball, the Buckeyes blundered on numerous occasions — amassing 10 penalties for 74 penalty yards.
Ohio State also sent freshman punter Jesse Mirco in to punt more times than he has in the past three weeks. Mirco nailed the Nittany Lions within their own 20 on all three attempts.
A major theme for the Buckeyes Saturday was an inability to punch the ball into the end zone, despite three of their four successful red zone trips ending in a field goal. Ohio State was also stopped on fourth down in the Penn State red zone in the early stages of the fourth quarter.
Ruggles hit on all four of his field goal attempts, however.
The defense provided Ohio State with a touchdown in the first half. Redshirt senior defensive tackle Jerron Cage scooped up a strip-sack caused by senior defensive end Tyreke Smith and returned the ball 57 yards for the score.
Despite his fumble that turned into a score for the Buckeyes, redshirt senior quarterback Sean Clifford played solid in his return to his home state.
The Cincinnati native completed 35-of-52 attempts for 361 yards and a touchdown, while spreading the rock to seven receivers. But, a fourth-quarter interception to Ohio State junior cornerback Cameron Brown served as a blemish on Clifford’s stat sheet.
Senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson hauled in 11 catches for 127 yards, but was able to find the end zone on a two-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the second half.
Aiding Dotson and Clifford in the passing game was sophomore wideout Parker Washington, who snagged nine receptions for 108 yards.
The duo of Dotson and Washington kept the Buckeyes secondary on their heels all night and compiled more than half of Penn State’s passing output.
Sophomore bullet safety Ronnie Hickman led Ohio State in tackles for the fourth time this season, corralling 14 tackles.
The win kept Ohio State on pace with No. 8 Michigan State — who beat No. 6 Michigan 37-33 Saturday — for the Big Ten East lead.
The Buckeyes head back on the road Nov. 6 to take on Nebraska, with the kickoff time yet to be determined.
