Ohio State hosted a red-hot Purdue and won the game 59-31.
Despite being able to knock off several top teams, the Boilermakers couldn’t handle the #4 Buckeyes in the Horseshoe. The last time these two teams met, Purdue upset the #2 Buckeyes by winning the game 49-20. This year, Ohio State reversed their fortunes and kept their playoff hopes alive.
Ohio State opened the scoring after only three minutes into the game and kept their foot on the gas the entire game. The Buckeyes scored on each of their first eight drives, seven of which were touchdowns. Meanwhile, Purdue gave the ball away twice and had several gaffes on special teams.
Garrett Wilson started the day with a 21-yard touchdown to put the Buckeyes ahead after only one drive. Purdue answered with a touchdown of their own, and TreVeyon Henderson put the Buckeyes back on top with his first rushing score on the next drive.
The turning point came when Jack Plummer came in at quarterback and fumbled the handoff. Jerron Cage recovered the ball, and Henderson broke off a 57-yard touchdown run on the next play.
Ohio State would exploit another turnover to go up 35-7 midway through the second quarter.
The Buckeyes scored 45 points in the first half. Purdue scored 49 in their last game against Ohio State, which Ryan Day is sure to have remembered.
Purdue made a push in the second half, but Ohio State didn’t relent. The Boilermakers stopped the Buckeyes only once. Ohio State punted once and kneeled to end the game, but every other possession resulted in a score.
The result was a 59-31 win for the home team.
This time, Ohio State was safe from a Purdue upset, and they remain one of only two schools in the Big Ten to remain undefeated in conference play.
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Ohio State Steamrolls Purdue
Garrett Wilson Has a Day
Ohio State has one of the best-receiving groups in the country, which made game-planning nearly impossible for Purdue. Between Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Wilson, one of them is bound to have an electric game on any given Saturday.
This game against Purdue was Wilson’s turn to show off.
The Ohio State junior wide receiver had 10 catches, 126 yards, and three touchdowns against the Boilermakers. He also added a 51-yard rushing touchdown to his dominating box score. Wilson became the first player in Ohio State history to score three or more receiving touchdowns and also have a rushing touchdown.
For as dominant as Wilson was, his teammate Smith-Njigba actually had more receiving yards. The sophomore ended up with nine catches, 139 yards, and a score. After his dominating 200-plus yard performance against Nebraska last week, he has quietly become the most productive receiver on one of the most dangerous offenses in college football.
Ohio State’s Defense
It’s a good thing that Ohio State had the offensive output they did because Purdue had the Buckeye defense figured out.
Ohio State gave up more points than Iowa did when they were upset by Purdue. The best thing Ohio State did to contain Purdue was to score 59 points and keep the Boilermakers’ offense on the sideline.
Purdue got off to a slow start offensively because they got in their own way. Plummer’s fumble ended a Purdue drive that was moving, and Ohio State got a free touchdown from that turnover. Later in the first half, Ohio State capitalized off a muffed kick return and turned the ball over.
After that, Purdue was able to get their offense moving. Aidan O’Connell ended the game with 42 completions on 50 attempts, 390 passing yards, and four passing touchdowns. David Bell was Purdue’s leading receiver, and he showed why against the Buckeyes with 110 yards of his own.
The biggest problem with Ohio State was the lack of a pass rush. The Buckeyes didn’t record a sack. O’Connell was extremely comfortable in the pocket, and since he barely got touched, he had plenty of time to wait for Bell to get open.
Jeff Brohm planned a great game against these Buckeyes, finding the weak spots on defense. He called plays on offense that confused the Buckeyes’ secondary, resulting in a lot of wide-open Boilermakers.
Freshman cornerback Denzel Burke has been lights-out this year, so Brohm decided to exploit his inexperience. Burke was frequently caught having to cover two receivers thanks to some defensive play calls from the Buckeyes coaching staff.
Ohio State Rushing Attack
Henderson is one of the best all-around athletes in football, and he had another dominating game. He carried the ball 13 times for 98 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Miyan Williams was the leading rusher in the second half, and he recorded his first 100-yard game since Week 1. Williams had 13 carries for 110 yards.
Wilson’s 51-yard helped increase the team total to 265 yards on their first 29 carries. That’s over nine yards a carry, for those keeping track. The total only went down when Ohio State kneeled to end the game.
