Ohio State buries Michigan State with big plays, turnovers

The Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) did finish the next drive as Will Howard found Gee Scott Jr. in the end zone from three yards out on fourth down. That capped a 14-play, 80-yard drive that took more than six minutes off the clock.

The touchdown came one play after a near interception in the end zone, but Howard took advantage of his second lease on life for that drive.

Ohio State forced a turnover on the second Michigan State drive then gave it right back when Howard threw a third down pass into double coverage.

Michigan State linebacker Jordan Turner step in front of his intended receiver – and another Spartan who could have intercepted it if he hadn’t – and set the Spartans up in the red zone.

Michigan State scored one play later when Jaron Glover took a bubble screen pass from Jordan Chiles 12 yards for a touchdown.

Ohio State responded quickly with a four-play, 75-yard drive that saw the ground game get going.

After a 20-yard reception by Jeremiah Smith, TreVeyon Henderson went up the middle for 37 yards to put the Buckeyes in Michigan State territory. Quinshon Judkins then picked up nine yards on a counter play then Smith finished the drive with a 19-yard run on reverse off the same action as the previous play.

Late in the second half, Smith struck again by making two incredible one-handed catches, first a 27-yarder between two defenders along the sideline then a 17-yarder for a touchdown with 29 seconds left.

The second one came from Devin Brown, who replaced Howard after the senior went down hard on his right shoulder. It was also made possible by Henderson stepped into a blitzer to give Brown an extra second to let the ball go.

Smith caught five passes for 83 yards in the first half while Howard completed 17 of 25 passes for 182 yards.

Michigan State was able to move the ball consistently until the final two minutes of the half, but the Spartans turned the ball over in the red zone three times.

Nonetheless, Chiles completed 10 of 13 passes for 142 yards, and the Spartans averaged nearly seven yards per play.

Ohio State put the game away with a dominant third quarter that included a touchdown pass and run by Howard.

First he hit Egbuka on a crossing route on fourth-and-5 then let him do the rest, scampering up the sideline for a 33-yard touchdown with 4:57 on the clock.

Less than three minutes later, Howard ran it in from six yards out to cap a 12-yard drive set up by a Denzel Burke interception.

Howard ended up completing 21 of 31 passes for 244 yards with another 14 on the ground.

Egbuka caught seven passes for 96 yards while Smith had five catches for 83 yards.

The Buckeyes outgained the Spartans 483-246 while beating them for the ninth straight year.