Will Howard threw for three touchdowns and the defense chipped in with several big plays when No. 2 Ohio State pounded Purdue 45-0 in Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
The Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) took a 21-0 halftime lead with the aid of a blocked punt that led to the first score and a goal-line stand that resulted in a missed field goal by the Boilermakers (1-8, 0-5) that keyed a second TD before a crowd of 103,463.
Defensive end Jack Sawyer added a scoop-and-score in the third quarter and Jeremiah Smith set several OSU freshman receiving records.
Howard was 21 of 26 for 260 yards. Smith had six catches for 87 yards, all in the first half.
Block O
Purdue, losers of eight straight, started from the 25 after the opening kickoff and gained a first down but the drive stalled thanks to a 10-yard sack by Cody Simon and the Buckeyes took over at their 6 after a 51-yard punt by Keelan Crimmins.
The Buckeyes also made a first down off a 25-yard reception by Smith but a third-down pass from the 40 was dropped by Gee Scott Jr. and Joe McGuire lofted a 48-yard punt to the 12.
The Boilermakers’ second series ended in disaster when a punt from the 13 was blocked by Caden Curry and recovered by Purdue at the 8.
It took four plays but the Buckeyes went up 7-0 at 6:02 on a 1-yard run by Howard. Quinshon Judkins gained 2, Howard rolled right for 4 to the 2 and he ran again for 1. On fourth down, he faked a handoff to Judkins and followed him through the right side of the line.
Purdue responded with a strong drive from its 25 of running and passing to reach a first-and-goal from the 5 but came away with nothing after holding the ball for 5:50 when Spencer Porath missed right on a 21-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the quarter.
Devin Mockabee had consecutive runs of 9, 7, and 11, and quarterback Hudson Card ran 12 yards to the 31. He followed with completions of 15 and 11 to the 5.
On first down, Sonny Style blocked a pass attempt. Mockabee rushed for 2 before Hudson threw incomplete on the right side of the end zone to Jahmal Edrine.
Ohio State then made it 14-0 at 8:30 of the second period when Scott had a 15-yard TD catch at the end of an 80-yard, 13-play, 6:42 drive.
The Buckeyes got out of trouble when Smith on a third-and-17 from the OSU 40, gathered a 16-yard pass that was originally ruled a first down but changed to a yard shy after a review.
Howard used a sneak to gain the yard and a new set of downs. Later, he carried for 5 and 12 yards to the 15. On first down, he rolled right and threw back to Scott at the 13 for the easy score from there.
On Purdue’s next possession, Card was sacked by Styles for a 10-yard loss to the Purdue 42 to set up a fourth-and-17 but Eddrick Houston of Ohio State was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play to give the Boilermakers a first down at the OSU 43.
No harm, other than time off the clock, was done when on fourth-and-3 from the 36, Jordan Hancock and Jack Sawyer sacked Card for 5 yards with 1:40 left.
That led to Smith’s 17-yard touchdown reception for a 21-0 score with 27 seconds left.
TreVeyon Henderson ripped off a 16-yard gain, Smith made a catch for 9 and Judkins ran for 15 to the 19. On the next play, Howard took a 9-yard sack but Smith’s catch got 11 back and on third down, Smith caught the pass at the 15 and sprinted into the end zone. The series went 59 yards in 1:13, using 1:13.
The TD was Smith’s ninth to set the OSU freshman record held by Cris Carter in 1984.
Smith needed three receptions to break Carter’s first-year mark of 41 and he surpassed that in the first half. Meanwhile, Howard completed 11 of 14 for 121 yards.
Finishing Touches
OSU received the ball to start the second half and settled for a 42-yard field goal by Jayden Fielding to make it 24-0 at 8:34 despite running 13 plays and chewing up 6:21.
Jelani Thurman opened the drive with a 19-yard grab and Carnell Tate had one for 14 yards and another for 12 to the 20. The momentum stalled on third-and-3 from the 13 when Howard started to run but slipped for a 10-yard loss.
Purdue moved into OSU territory after the kickoff on a Jaron Tibbs catch good for 28 yards to the 40. On fourth-and-6 from the 36, Davison Igbinosun took his obligatory pass interference penalty, giving the Boilermakers new life at the 22 but Lathan Ransom on the next play made an interception 2 yards deep in the end zone and returned it to the 24.
A completion to Brandon Inniss gained 17 and Henderson rambled down the left side for 29 before going right for the final 19 and the score off the ensuing snap to make it 31-0 at 3:07. It took five plays and 2:36 to go 76 yards.
Just eight seconds later, it was 38-0 when TJ Tuimoloau forced a fumble by Reggie Love III at the Purdue 20 and Sawyer picked it up and scored from the 15.
After a Purdue punt, Emeka Egbuka’s only catch of the game was a 10-yard TD 55 seconds into the fourth quarter to cap a 74-yard, six-play, 2:58 drive.
Tate had a 17-yard catch to the Purdue 42 to end the third quarter. Henderson hauled in a 32-yarder before the toss to Egbuka.
Purdue tried to spoil the Buckeyes’ bid for a second shutout this season (56-0 vs. Western Michigan) but Porath missed a 38-yard field goal to the left with 9:50 remaining.
That’s when Devin Brown replaced Howard and with under five minutes left, freshman Julian Sayin entered at QB and ran for 19 yards on his first snap.
Notes
Henderson ran for 85 yards on six carries. … Tate’s six catches went for 56 yards.
