Buckeye Rosters

Recap

Pasadena, CA — The fourth-ranked Buckeyes used a dramatic last-minute drive to down the second-ranked Sun Devils and become just the fourth team in Ohio State football history to win 11 games in a season.

Trailing 17-14 with 1:40 to play, the Buckeyes marched 65 yards in 12 plays for the winning score. Joe Germaine and freshman split end David Boston capped off the drive with a five-yard pass that put OSU on top 20-17 with 19 ticks left on the mammoth Rose Bowl clock. Germaine completed four passes on the drive, three to flanker Dimitrious Stanley.

ASU blocked the extra point attempt, but the Sun Devils, who had specialized in spectacular finishes during the regular season, fell short this time and suffered their first defeat of the year.

The Buckeye defense played brilliantly, limiting ASU to 276 total yards, including just 75 rushing. The Sun Devils had entered the game averaging 492 yards and 42 points a game and were the nation’s fourth-ranked offense.

OSU took a 7-0 lead on a nine-yard pass from starting quarterback Stanley Jackson to Boston. The score was set up by a 22-yard pass from Jackson to Matt Keller. ASU tied it with 10:04 to play in the second quarter on a 25-yard pass from Jack Plummer to Ricky Boyer.

The Sun Devils opened the second half with a nine-play drive that was capped off by Robert Nycz’ 37-yard field goal. But the Buckeyes recaptured the lead on their next possession, Germaine and Dimitrious Stanley hooking up on a 72-yard scoring pass to cap off a two-play, 88-yard drive.

Neither team scored again until late in the fourth quarter, ASU taking the lead on a nifty 11-yard scramble by Plummer at the 1:40 mark. Plummer’s run came on third down. Earlier, he had kept the drive alive with a 29-yard completion on fourth down. The drive started at the ASU 42, following a blocked Ohio State field goal.

But the Buckeyes were not to be denied, Germaine winning Player of the Game honors with his last-minute heroics. Ironically, the Arizona-born Germaine had grown up as a Sun Devils’ fan.

As a result of the win, Ohio State jumped to No. 2 in the final polls.