Buckeye Rosters

Recap

Columbus, OH — Ohio State’s defense appreciates being tested and the Buckeyes received a passing grade after the sixth-ranked Buckeyes defeated No. 23 Minnesota 34-3.

There were plenty of offensive stars for the Buckeyes. Lydell Ross ran for two touchdowns. Chris Vance caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Craig Krenzel. Mike Nugent kicked two field goals to set a school record with 20 on the year and extend his overall mark to 21 in a row.

But it was the defense that controlled the game, holding Minnesota to just 112 yards while running its streak without allowing a touchdown to 10 quarters. The Golden Gophers came in averaging 271 yards rushing but finished with just 53 on 36 attempts.

Darrion Scott had two sacks and David Thompson had two tackles for losses for OSU.

Ohio State improved to 10-0 for the first time since 1996 and the 10th time in school history.

Ohio State outscored the Gophers 17-0 in the third quarter. During that period, Minnesota ran 13 plays that netted -6 yards, without a first down.

Ross ran for 89 yards on 20 carries, scoring on runs of 5 and 9 yards. Maurice Hall added 93 yards on 14 carries.

On their first three possessions, the Gophers took over at the Ohio State 27, and the Minnesota 45 twice. But they managed just 48 total yards on 16 plays, the only points coming on Dan Nystrom’s 24-yard field goal.

Minnesota gained just 64 yards in the final three quarters.

Krenzel, who completed 9 of 15 passes for 128 yards, set up the Buckeyes’ first touchdown with a 49-yard strike to Michael Jenkins. Ross went off left tackle for the 5-yard TD on the next carry.

Minnesota’s Preston Gruening had a punt blocked and also dropped a snap. Those two plays led to 10 points as Nugent kicked a field goal, and Ross scored on a 9-yard run two plays after Gruening kneeled after mishandling the snap.

The Gophers’ Terry Jackson II and Thomas Tapeh had each rushed for more than 100 yards in the previous three games – with Jackson topping 200 yards in the last two. But they combined for just 81 yards on 24 attempts against Ohio State.