CHICAGO (WCMH) — In the final road game of the regular season, the second-ranked Buckeyes defeated Northwestern 31-7 in their Wrigley Field debut.

Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins and wide receiver Carnell Tate each scored two touchdowns while the Buckeyes defense came up with four sacks of quarterback Jack Lausch despite allowing its first touchdown in weeks.

Judkins tied the game at seven with a one-yard rush in the second quarter. He scored again after the Buckeyes recovered a blocked Northwestern punt to put them at first and goal. Tate caught a 25-yard pass from quarterback Will Howard in the final minute of the first half. The Chicago native made a second touchdown haul with an eight yard catch in the third quarter.

The performance marked an emotional homecoming for Tate, who lost his mom in a drive-by shooting in Chicago in July 2023.

“He does not show that everyday when he’s here. We say it all the time. The game doesn’t care what you’ve been through,” head coach Ryan Day said. “But we do. His teammates do. His coaches do. The people that know Carnell care a lot about him. The way that he’s handled himself is just an example to everybody.”

The Wildcats controlled possession for much of the opening 15 minutes. Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer forced a fumble on NU’s opening drive with Davison Igbinosun on the recovery. But what looked like a deep throw to Jeremiah Smith in the endzone was ruled incomplete, forcing OSU to punt in its only drive of the quarter.

Wildcats quarterback Jack Lausch scored the first points of the game with an eight yard rush up the middle in what ended up being the only Wildcat points scored in the afternoon.

Howard went 15-for-24 for 247 yards and two touchdowns. While Smith didn’t score a touchdown for only the second time this season, the freshman led the receiving corps with 100 yards on four catches.

Ohio State earned its 11th straight win over the Wildcats, who last beat OSU in an overtime game in 2004. The matchup took place at the home of the Chicago Cubs while Northwestern continues building a new stadium on its campus.

Since falling to Oregon, the Buckeyes have rattled off four straight victories. Now attention turns to a pivotal matchup against No. 5 Indiana at home next Saturday.

Photo gallery

Scroll below for live updates.