Ohio State

No. 2 Ohio State avoids upset, beats Maryland

COLLEGE PARK, MD — The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes survived an upset bid on the road and beat the Maryland Terrapins, 43-30, late Saturday afternoon at College Park, Maryland.

>>Ohio State stays ranked No. 2 in latest College Football Playoff rankings

Zach Harrison sacked and forced Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa to fumble and it was recovered by Steele Chambers for a touchdown with nine seconds left to seal the game.

Buckeye running back Dallan Hayden rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 241 yards and a touchdown.

The Buckeyes improve to 11-0 overall, 8-0 in the Big 10.

Ohio State got on the board first when Stroud hit TreVeyon Henderson for a 31-yard touchdown pass to go up, 7-0. Maryland got a pair of field goals by Chad Ryland, 31 and 21 yards, to cut it to 7-6 after one quarter.

Noah Ruggles made a 33-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes a 10-6 lead but Tagovailoa hit C.J. Dippre for a three-yard touchdown pass to cap a 14 play, 75-yard drive to give the Terrapins a 13-10 halftime lead.

Ohio State blocked a Maryland punt to start the third quarter and Hayden’s eight-yard touchdown run reclaimed the lead, 17-13. Ruggles added a 47-yard field goal and Hayden’s three-yard touchdown increase the lead to 27-13 after three quarters.

Tagovailoa’s five-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion got Maryland within six, 27-21. Hayden scored his third touchdown run of the game from 13 yards out but the extra point was blocked and return the other way by the Terrapins and Ohio State led, 33-23.

Jeshaun Jones’ one-yard touchdown catch cut it to 33-30 with 9:49 remaining. That’s as close as they got as Ruggles added a 45-yard field goal to go up, 36-30 with 42 seconds left.

Chambers’ fumble recovery for a touchdown sealed the game with nine seconds to go.

The Buckeyes will host No. 3 Michigan in Columbus on November 26. The Wolverines escaped an upset bid Saturday by beating Illinois, 19-17.

Kickoff from Ohio Stadium will be at 12 p.m.

The winner of Ohio State and Michigan will clinch the Big 10 North and a berth in the Big 10 Championship Game on December 3.

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