Ohio State-Rutgers: Buckeyes build big lead, sleepwalk to win

“It is a tale of two halves," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. "Really proud of the way our guys came out and played. 35-3 at halftime, really a pretty dominant first half. Guys played well. And then in the second half we just didn’t play great. Some penalties. Some big plays. The special teams touchdown, and we didn’t close 'em out.

"We had some other (reserve) guys in the game late and that kind of is what it is, but we should have really dominated the first five or six minutes of the second half and then allow some of our other guys to get in the game, and that didn’t happen. So that’s something we’ve got to get back and work on and work to close it out.”

Rutgers used a pair of trick plays to pull off a 91-yard touchdown drive to start the scoring in the third quarter.

Facing third-and-1, Rutgers running back Isaih Pacheco took a direct snap as quarterback Noah Vedral faked as if the ball went over his head. Pacheco then found some room in the middle of the line and broke free for a 66-yard run.

He was tripped up by Josh Proctor at the 4-yard line, but Rutgers finished the job a play later with a throwback screen pass to offensive lineman Raiqwon O’Neal, who went in untouched. Since the pass went backwards, it was ruled a touchdown run by the 296-pound O’Neal.

The ensuing two-point conversion attempt — a reverse pass — failed and so did an onside kick for the Knights.

Ohio State got the ball at the Rutgers 44 and drove for another touchdown, a 7-yard touchdown pass from Fields to Jeremy Ruckert with 4:49 to go in the third quarter.

The Scarlet Knights answered that with a 6-yard touchdown pass form Vedral to Jovani Haskins that made it 42-15 with 14:55 left.

The Buckeyes needed only 1:31 to respond. Taking over at the Rutgers 44 after a third failed onside kick, Ohio State found the end zone again four plays later as Chris Fields hooked up with Chris Olave from 33 yards out, fitting a beautiful throw in between a pair of defenders in the end zone.

The Scarlet Knights kept coming with a 64-yard touchdown drive Johnny Langan capped with a 1-yard run.

Fields finished 24-for-28 passing for 314 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for a score and has accounted for 13 total touchdowns this season.

Garrett Wilson, Jeremy Ruckert and Jameson Williams caught touchdown passes while Olave caught two.

Trey Sermon ran for 68 yards on 12 carries while Master Teague III added 60 yards and a touchdown on 12 totes.

Tuf Borland led the Ohio State defense with six tackles and a sack.

FIRST HALF RECAP

The Buckeyes had little trouble with Rutgers in the first half.

Fields threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as the third-ranked Buckeyes built a 35-3 lead through the first 30 minutes.

Ohio State did not take long to get on the board.

After forcing a punt, the Buckeyes took the ball and went 89 yards for their first touchdown, a 38-yard pass from Fields to Jameson Williams.

Rutgers responded with a 30-yard field goal by Guy Fava before Ohio State opened the second quarter with a 7-yard touchdown run by Fields.

The Buckeyes went back to the air for score No. 3 as Fields found Olave behind a pair of defenders in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown with 9:30 left in the second quarter.

They tacked on another touchdown with 1:22 left in the second quarter when Master Teague slipped through an arm tackle and took it in from nine yards out.

Ohio State gained 353 total yards in the first half while allowing 83.

Fields completed 15 of 17 passes for 232 yards while Teague ran for 46 yards on seven carries in the first half.