Echoes swirling and voices ringing throughout College Park, the Buckeyes may’ve felt like they’d been there before at Maryland Saturday.
This game, no overtime needed.
No. 2 Ohio State entered the fourth quarter Saturday ahead 27-13 but allowed touchdowns on back-to-back drives as Terrapins redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa put together a comeback bid, rushing for one score and throwing another.
But once Ohio State took over possession after forcing a three-and-out with 5:54 to go, head coach Ryan Day opted to run the football for nearly the remainder of the game, giving first-year running back Dallan Hayden nine carries before graduate kicker Noah Ruggles iced the game with a 45-yard field goal.
The Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) relied on Hayden to pace their offense, and the true freshman carried the football 27 times for 146 yards alongside three scores.
Second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson, who missed the last two games due to injury, capped Ohio State’s game-opening drive by scoring a 31-yard touchdown.
Thereafter, though, the Buckeyes offense slowed to a turtle’s pace.
Maryland (6-4, 3-4 Big Ten) forced Ohio State to back-to-back three and outs in the first quarter and outgained the Buckeyes 211 yards to 159. Ohio State also drew two delay of game penalties and two false starts in the first half, halting and slowing the Buckeyes to no more than 80 yards of offense in either the first or second quarter.
Tagovailoa went 16-for-18 with 180 passing yards and a touchdown in the first half, helping Maryland to a 13-10 halftime lead.
But, like Nov. 12, third-year safety Lathan Ransom blocked a punt in the second half to shift momentum.
Ransom stopped Terrapins senior punter Colton Spangler’s boot attempt less than three minutes into the third quarter, setting up first-year running back Dallan Hayden to rush 8 yards for Ohio State to retake a 17-13 lead.
Hayden scored his second touchdown of the quarter as 16 seconds remained, a 3-yard scamper following an 11-play, 88-yard drive, which was the Buckeyes’ longest of the game.
Ohio State’s defense forced Maryland to punt in its first three possessions of the third quarter.
Strip-sack seals it
With 36 seconds to go, fourth-year defensive end Zach Harrison forced Tagovailoa to fumble at the Terrapins’ 1-yard line.
Fourth-year linebacker Steele Chambers scooped up the loose football in the end zone, punching in the first defensive touchdown of his Buckeyes career and extending Ohio State’s lead 43-30 in the final minute of the game.
Marvin Harrison Jr. eighth Buckeye to 1K
Second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. moved past the 1,000-yard mark Saturday for the first time in his career, becoming the eighth Buckeye to do so in program history.
Harrison brought in a 6-yard reception on his second catch of the first quarter. It followed a 29-yard sideline grab during which Maryland redshirt junior defensive back Deonte Banks was flagged for defensive pass interference.
Harrison finished with 68 receiving yards on five catches.
Tagovailoa rewrites Maryland record books
Maryland saw a new all-time passing leader Saturday.
Tagovailoa eclipsed 7,302 career passing yards after finishing a drive on a 1-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Jeshaun Jones, bringing the game within 33-30.
‘The Game’ awaits
The turn of the calendar to November brought the final month of the regular season, weekly College Football Playoff rankings and heightened anticipation of Ohio State and Michigan’s next meeting.
Day has repeated over recent weeks that the Buckeyes cannot look past their next opponent, whether it’s been pulling away from then-No. 13 Penn State, battling Northwestern in the weather or tangoing with Indiana at home.
No. 3 Michigan survived an upset bid from Illinois, defeating the Fighting Illini after a game-winning field goal with nine seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Up next
“The Game” will return to Columbus as the Buckeyes host No. 3 Michigan at Ohio Stadium Nov. 26. Kickoff is scheduled for noon on FOX.
