Buckeyes soundly put away Spartans, 49-20

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WCMH) — Third-ranked and unbeaten Ohio State (6-0) didn’t let a road game stop its momentum this season, with the Buckeyes soundly defeating Michigan State (2-4), 49-20.

The Spartans have now dropped four straight games and are 3-16 against the Buckeyes since 2000 and haven’t beaten Ohio State in East Lansing since 1999.

Fourth Quarter

Ohio State punted for the first time in the game, Jesse Mirco unloading a 53-yarder that was returned eight yards to the MSU 29 by Reed. The Spartans could not capitalize and went three and out.

Michigan State got on the board late when backup quarterback Noah Kim found Montorie Foster for a nifty 25-yard scoring toss just in front of the goal line. Foster was able to drag himself across for the touchdown. Michigan State covered 80 yards in eight plays and three minutes and 10 seconds.

Ohio State won for the ninth straight time over Michigan State, racking up an impressive 614 to 202 yardage advantage. OSU has outscored MSU 105-27 over the last two seasons.

FINAL STATS

OSU PASSING: Stroud 21-26, 361 yards, 6 TD, INT

MSU PASSING: Thorne 11-18, 113 yards, TD, INT

OSU RUSHING: Henderson 19-118, TD; Hayden 14-70

MSU RUSHING: Collins 2-9; Broussard 3-8

OSU RECEIVING: Egbuka 5-143, TD; Harrison Jr 7-131, 3 TD; Fleming 4-81, TD

MSU RECEIVING: Reed 4-67, TD; Foster 3-54, TD

TOTAL OFFENSE: OHIO STATE 614 yards, 377 passing, 237 rushing; MICHIGAN STATE 202 yards, 195 passing, 7 rushing

Third Quarter

Ohio State got the second-half kickoff at its own four after a penalty and got out of trouble on a 20-yard strike to Egbuka. The 96-yard drive was capped by an incredible scoring grab by Harrison Jr from 19 yards out, the sophomore reaching back for a slight underthrow to snag the ball and waltz over the goal line.

One down note for the Buckeyes is that Henderson left the game after a one-yard gain when he was hit on his knee. Dallan Hayden took over rushing duties and churned out 12 yards on two carries.

Ohio State has been able to get after Thorne, sacking him four times due to MSU’s inability to run the football. Michigan State has minus 11 yards rushing for the game.

Two Hayden runs for a combined 21 yards put the Buckeyes in the red zone, at the Michigan State nine-yard line, with 4:29 left in the quarter. The Buckeyes scored their 27th red zone touchdown in 29 trips this season when Stroud found Gee Scott in the back of the end zone. OSU covered 48 yards in nine plays.

Most of the offensive starters have left the game, and Stroud will finish with 361 yards and six touchdowns, giving him 12 scoring tosses in two games against the Spartans. He is just the second Big Ten quarterback to have multiple five-touchdown games against one opponent, joining Purdue’s Drew Brees, who did it twice against Northwestern.

Second Quarter

Henderson picked up the first down on a carry behind left tackle Paris Johnson Jr, setting up a 51-yard touchdown throw from Stroud to Julian Fleming on a post route and putting the Buckeyes up by two touchdowns just 30 seconds into the quarter.

Brown was whistled for another pass interference to keep Michigan State’s next drive alive at the OSU 46 yard line, and later another on a horse collar tackle on Jarek Broussard. Brown is having a tough game so far, with three penalties and a deep ball allowed.

Brown was whistled for another pass interference on the drive, and Zach Harrison nullified a third-down sack by Michael Hall Jr when he committed a hands to the face penalty. That led to an 18-yard touchdown grab by Jayden Reed off a pretty back-shoulder throw from Thorne. The extra point was missed, so OSU’s lead sits at 21-13 with 10:43 remaining in the half.

Brown is having a tough game for OSU, with a pair of pass interference calls, a horse collar tackle, and a big play catch allowed.

Stroud hit the throw of the day, dropping it over the right shoulder of Harrison Jr near the sideline, for 32 yards and a first down. A quick edge pass to Cade Stover moved the ball to the 1-yard line, where Henderson took a toss right, hesitated and bounded into the end zone. Ohio State covered 75 yards in eight plays.

After a Michigan State three and out, Ohio State took over at its own 9-yard line following a 59-yard punt by Barringer with 5:56 remaining in the half.

Henderson went over 100 rushing yards on a 10-yard run on second and two at the OSU 38. It is the fifth time in his short career that Henderson has eclipsed the century mark.

Stroud found Harrison Jr on a deep in route as Michigan State was in man coverage, Harrison Jr caught the ball at the MSU 11 and raced into the end zone. The Buckeyes covered 91 yards in nine plays, the second 90-plus-yard scoring drive by Ohio State.

HALFTIME STATS

OSU PASSING: Stroud 15-18, 285 yards, 4 TDs, INT

MSU PASSING: Thorne 11-18, 113 yards, TD, INT

OSU RUSHING: Henderson 18-117, TD

MSU RUSHING: Collins 1-5; Berger 4-5

OSU RECEIVING: Egbuka 3-109, TD; Harrison Jr 4-91, 2 TD; Fleming 4-81, TD

MSU RECEIVING: Reed 4-67, TD; Mosley 6-40

TOTAL YARDS: OHIO STATE 429 yards, 285 passing, 144 rushing; MICHIGAN STATE 117 yards, 113 passing, 4 rushing

First Quarter

Ohio State kicked off out of bounds, giving Michigan State the ball at its own 35-yard-line.

The Spartans hit a 20-yard gain on a pretty throw and catch by Payton Thorne to Jayden Reed to gain a first drive, but the drive was ended when Thorne threw into triple coverage and was picked off in the end zone by Lathan Ransom.

The Buckeyes took the ball at their own 20 and reeled off four big plays on a scoring drive that covered 80 yards –a 16-yard reverse to Emeka Egbuka, a 26-yard cutback run by TreVeyon Henderson, a 24-yard catch by Egbuka, and the 19-yard touchdown strike from Stroud to Marvin Harrison Jr, who went up and over an MSU defender to make the grab. Ohio State used seven plays and consumed 2:20 of the clock. The touchdown was the seventh of the season for Harrison Jr.

Michigan State went three and out on its second drive, with OSU taking the punt at its own 10 yard line after a 57-yard boot by Bryce Barringer.

Ohio State gained a first down before Stroud inexplicably threw the ball right to Spartans defender Charles Brantley, who turned it into a 32-yard Pick 6 and tied the game. It was an obvious miscommunication between Stroud and Egbuka, who thought the route was going farther upfield.

The Buckeyes countered with a 69-yard scoring strike from Stroud to Egbuka on a busted coverage by Michigan State. The Spartans’ corners were in man and Egbuka ran right past his guy for the touchdown. OSU covered 75 yards in three plays.

MSU had third and long on its next possession but was bailed out by a Cameron Brown pass interference penalty and used OSU’s pressure against it with a pass to Tre Mosley in the flat for 14 yards for another conversion. The Buckeyes buckled down and got aggressive, sacking Thorne on third-and-six to take the Spartans out of field goal range. Barringer punted down to the OSU three, where the Buckeyes will take over.

The Buckeyes moved the ball to its own 42 as the quarter ended, and is staring at a fourth-and-1.

Henderson had his best first quarter of the season, netting 77 yards on just 10 carries.

OSU will once again be without the services of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has played little since being injured in the opener against Notre Dame, as well as running back Miyan Williams, who tied a school record with five touchdowns against Rutgers last weekend.

The Buckeyes are expected to have TreVeyon Henderson back in the fold after he was a late scratch against the Scarlet Knights. OSU is looking to stay unbeaten before its bye week