Buckeye Rosters

Recap

Columbus, OH — Trailing 13-3 in the first quarter, the Buckeyes scored the next 24 points and cruised to a 27-13 win over visiting Michigan State. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Buckeyes at the hands of the Spartans.

Tailback Derek Combs led a balanced Ohio State attack, rushing for a career-high 153 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries. The latter also represented a career-high for Combs.

The Buckeyes’ defense scored its sixth touchdown of the season, Michael Doss scooping up a Spartan fumble and returning it 73 yards for his second TD of the year. Defensive end Brent Johnson forced the fumble. The Buckeye senior had three sacks on the day, one shy of the school single-game record.

Doss’ score cut the Michigan State lead to 13-10. The Buckeyes tied the score with one second left in the half on a 38-yard field goal by Dan Stultz. Linebacker Joe Cooper’s interception set up the kick.

It was all Ohio State the rest of the way, the Buckeyes scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns in the third quarter – one by Steve Bellisari and the other by Combs. Combs tally, from 9 yards out, followed a muffed Michigan State punt that was recovered by OSU freshman linebacker Robert Reynolds. Bellisari’s score was his first rushing TD of the year.