Buckeye Rosters

Recap

East Lansing, MI — Cornerback Gary Berry scored two touchdowns in a 2:07 span of the first quarter to spark ninth-ranked Ohio State to a 37-13 victory over Michigan State in a Big Ten Conference clash played in a driving rain storm. Dan Stultz kicked three field goals while Joe Germaine threw for a touchdown and Pepe Pearson ran for a score. Ohio State (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten) moved into a third-place tie with Wisconsin and Purdue, one game behind Michigan and one-half game in back of Penn State. After Stultz’s first field goal tied the game 3-3, Berry picked off a Todd Schultz pass on the next play from scrimmage and raced 45 yards for a score. After the Buckeyes forced a three-and-out on the Spartans’ next possession, linebacker Marcel Willis blocked the punt and Berry scooped it up one yard from the goal line and scored. Michigan State (5-3, 2-3) has now lost three straight games since a 5-0 start. The Spartans took a 3-0 lead 4:10 into the contest as Chris Gardner drilled a 49-yard field goal to cap a nine-play, 42-yard drive. Stultz answered with a 25-yarder of his own with 3:17 left. After Berry’s two touchdowns, the first two of the sophomore’s career, Michigan State drew within 17-6 on a 30-yard field goal by Gardner. But Ohio State operated its hurry-up offense to perfection, and the end result was an 11-yard TD pass from Germaine to David Boston with 32 seconds left in the half, capping an eight-play, 71-yard drive. Stultz extended the margin to 27-6 on a 43-yard field goal Pearson added a three-yard dash to paydirt 35 seconds into the fourth quarter. Schultz cut the deficit to 34-13 with a 47-yard pass to Gari Scott before Stultz finished the scoring with a 38-yard boot. Ohio State held Sedrick Irvin, who entered the game with 672 rushing yards, to 61 on 19 carries. Schultz, who was sacked twice, completed 8-of-22 passes for 118 yards and was intercepted twice. Matt Keller led the Buckeyes rushing attack with 50 yards on seven carries while Pearson added 46 on 12 rushes. Germaine completed 13-of-18 passes for 134 yards and Boston finished with eight receptions for 119 yards.

NOTES: Sophomore fullback Matt Keller, with 50 yards rushing against Michigan State, became the first fullback to lead the Buckeyes in rushing since Jeff Cothran led the Bucks with 61 yards vs. Louisville in the second game of the 1991 season.