Buckeye Rosters

Recap

Columbus, OH — An all-out offensive attack along with the usual solid play of the “Silver Bullets” defense led No. 1 Ohio State over Minnesota, 45-15. The Buckeyes did basically whatever they wanted offensively against the Golden Gophers defense. For the first time this season, OSU opened the game in a four-receiver set featuring David Boston, Dee Miller, Reggie Germany and Ken-Yon Rambo.

On the second series of the game, Joe Germaine found Boston in the back of the endzone to give OSU an early 7-0 lead. Minnesota answered right away with a nine-play, 48-yard drive which resulted in an Adam Bailey field goal. The Buckeyes increased their lead to 14-3 with 43 seconds remaining in the first quarter off Matt Keller’s 8-yard touchdown scamper. The score was the first of the season for the OSU fullback. Ohio State tacked on another score with 11:35 left in the first half when Germaine found Boston again, this time on a 53-yard score. Germaine finished the game with 339 yards passing while setting a new school record with four career 300-yard plus passing games. He also became the first OSU quarterback ever to throw for over 300-yards in back-to-back games. The Buckeyes mixed things up later in the second quarter with tailback Joe Montgomery running over the Golden Gopher defense. Montgomery set up his 12-yard touchdown run with a 30-yard rush up the middle. The first half onslaught continued with Dan Stultz’s 19-yard field goal that gave OSU a commanding 31-3 lead. Minnesota went into halftime down 31-13 off Andy Persby’s 35-yard pass to Antoine Henderson with 2:27 remaining in the half and Bailey’s 32-yard field goal with 41 seconds left in the half.

The second half proved to be all Ohio State again. Michael Wiley punched in a 1-yard run with 8:31 remaining in the third quarter. The junior finished the afternoon with 118 yards rushing, his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Minnesota recorded a safety with 8:21 left in the game for its final score of the afternoon. The Buckeyes capped their scoring with Central McClellion’s 60-yard interception return for a touchdown. The score marked the third-consecutive game the OSU defense has scored a touchdown. Linebacker Na’il Diggs had a big afternoon recording three sacks for -14 yards. Cornerback Ahmed Plummer led the defense with nine total tackles.

NOTES: Boston finished the afternoon with a career-high 191 yards receiving. He went over the 100-yard mark for the third time this season and the eighth time in his career. His eight career 100-yard games ties him with Cris Carter for the OSU all-time career record.

Ohio State’s 586 yards of total offense marked the fifth time in 1998 OSU eclipsed the 500-yard plateau.

Minnesota coach Glen Mason lettered as a junior at Ohio State in 1970. He was a 6-2, 218-pound linebacker/middle guard and was listed as wearing jersey numbers 36 and 69. He was part of Ohio State’s 1970 Big Ten championship team that lost to Stanford in the Rose Bowl, 27-17.

In addition to festivities surrounding the Homecoming game, Ohio State University celebrated the 30th anniversary of its 1968 national championship football team and the 25th anniversary of the 1973 team which finished 10-0-1 and arguably should have been national champions.