Buckeye Rosters

Recap

Champaign, IL — Joe Germaine tied two Ohio State passing records on his way to a 307-yard, three touchdown day and the OSU defense was dominant once again as the Buckeyes cruised to a 41-0 victory over Illinois.

On a spectacular fall Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Germaine tied Ohio State’s career mark with his third 300-yard passing game, and he also tied the school mark with two 300-yard passing games in the same season. Both records were held by Art Schlichter. Germaine completed 17-of-28 passes and threw touchdowns to John Lumpkin, David Boston and Reggie Germany in the first half staking the Buckeyes to a 24-0 halftime lead.

After Dan Stultz kicked a then-season’s best 40-yard field goal on the Buckeyes’ first possession, Germaine hooked up with Lumpkin on a 1-yard pass to cap a 79-yard drive. The pass play came only after the Bucks were stopped on four-consecutive rushes inside the 2-yard line. Two drives later, Germaine found Boston for a 30-yard touchdown. A big play in that drive was a 40-yard completion to Dee Miller. It then took OSU just six plays to travel 63 yards with Germany hauling in a 37-yard touchdown reception for a 24-0 lead. OSU did not score in the third quarter, but the Illini didn’t either, thanks in part to a defensive display by the Buckeyes that allowed just 199 total yards and just 2.9 yards per play.

Antoine Winfield, Andy Katzenmoyer and Damon Moore led the Buckeyes with six tackles apiece. Winfield also had a personal-best four pass break-ups. And it was the defense that scored OSU’s fourth touchdown. After Stultz topped his 40-yard field goal by drilling a 46-yarder, sophomore linebacker Na’il Diggs raced into the end zone on a 47-yard fumble return for a 34-0 Buckeye lead. James Cotton forced the fumble with a sack of Illini quarterback Kurt Kittner. Jonathan Wells capped the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run with 3:45 remaining to be played.

The Buckeyes finished with 518 yards of offense, but only 161 came via the rush. Michael Wiley and Joe Montgomery rushed for 68 and 58 yards, respectively. Boston and Dee Miller had five and four catches respectively, and totaled 195 receiving yards to spark the passing attack.

NOTES: Joe Germaine took over sole possession of third place all-time at Ohio State with his 38th, 39th and 40th touchdown passes. David Boston’s TD catch was the 24th of his career. Tight end John Lumpkin entered this season with six career touchdown catches, but it took until the fifth game for him to add to that total. His TD catch was one of three catches against the Illini.

The Buckeye defense has held Illinois offense without a touchdown for 16 consecutive quarters. The Bucks have outscored the Illini 171-9 over the last four games with the only Illini touchdown a fumble return for a score in 1997.

Ohio State’s offense produced six plays of 30 or more yards and all were receptions. Joe Germaine connected with 33, 40, 30, 37 and 38-yard pass plays and Mark Garcia hooked up on a 39-yard play.

Ohio State had its second zero-turnover game of the season.