9 - 25 - 10 vs. Eastern Michigan W, 73 - 20 4 - 0
The Eagles of Eastern Michigan were lured into Columbus by a hefty paycheck, and they left with the realization that no amount of money can compensate for an utter embarrassment on national television. The contest produced a complete mismatch as the Buckeyes scored at will en route to a blowout that was difficult to watch, even for Ohio State fans.
Terrelle Pryor was clearly the best player on the field, and his 348 yards of total offense bore that fact out quite well. Pryor accounted for 6 touchdowns - 4 passing, 1 rushing, and 1 receiving, in what was arguably his most prolific game as a Buckeye.
Dane Sanzenbacher was the recipient of all 4 of Pryor's TD tosses. The senior wide receiver tied a school record with his quartet of receiving touchdowns, and he also accumulated 108 yards on 9 catches.
OSU finally cleaned up their special teams' problems thanks in large part to Drew Basil's 2 touchbacks. Those 2 kicks to the end zone lightened the load on the Buckeyes' kick coverage unit, which had been the team's weakest link.
The Silver Bullets were nearly flawless through the first 3 games of the season, but they showed some chinks in the armor. It was probably nothing more than an attention lapse, but allowing 20 points to EMU is never a good thing.
It took Ohio State all of 3 offensive plays to find the end zone for the first of many times during the afternoon. Facing a blitz on 3rd - and - 7, Terrelle Pryor ran right by a host of Eagles' defenders and after covering 53 yards of real estate, he crossed the goal line.
The Buckeyes' next possession also lasted just 3 snaps as Pryor tossed a 31 - yard scoring strike to Sanzenbacher. T.P. absorbed a big hit when he released the football, but the throw was still perfect, and a day - long connection had begun.
OSU lone forced turnover of the day occurred on EMU's next series. Devontae Payne, briefly filling in for starting QB Alex Gillett, fumbled an attempted play - action fake, and John Simon recovered the loose pigskin.
Ohio State failed to fully capitalize on the golden opportunity, but Devin Barclay did convert a 42 - yard field goal as the Buckeyes' lead grew to 17 - 0.
Dan Herron's 7 - yard TD run off the left side of the offensive line gave the Buckeyes a 24 - 0 advantage at the end of the 1st quarter.
The beginning of the 2nd period coincided with Eastern Michigan's first sustained march of the game. Gillett engineered a quick drive that was capped off by a Dwayne Priest 2 - yard touchdown scamper.
Ohio State didn't take too kindly to the Eagles' score as was was evidenced by OSU's quick respnse. Without the use of a huddle, Pryor led a swift drive down the field. A 9 - yard pass from Pryor to Sanzenbacher restored the Buckeyes' 24 - point lead and removed any lingering doubt the sell - out crowd still had.
Another hook - up between Pryor and Sanzenbacher produced 6 more points, and it appeared as if the 1st half's scoring had been completed.
However, Gillett slung a 13 - yard pass to Kinsman Thomas for EMU's second touchdown of the contest's opening 30 minutes.
A short trip to the locker room did nothing to dampen Ohio State's firepower. On their first drive of the second half, the Buckeyes reached pay dirt when Pryor fired one more TD pass to Sanzenbacher.
Shockingly, OSU's defense surrendered yet another scoring drive a few minutes later. This time it was a 32 - yard strike from Gillett to Donald Scott that produced the score.
Following that EMU touchdown, the Buckeye defense reacted with a display of anger and pride. First, Brian Rolle blocked the extra point before throwing his helmet to the ground on the sideline. The entire defensive unit then had a passionate meeting with the coaching staff as both parties tried to figure out what was going wrong. They apparently solved the problem because the Silver Bullets lived up to their nickname for the remainder of the game.
Ohio State compiled one last highlight late in the 3rd quarter. Pryor took a snap from the Eagles' 20 - yard line and lateraled the ball to Jordan Hall on an apparent power sweep. However, Hall stopped on a dime and floated a touchdown pass to a wide open Pryor, who had slipped out of the backfield.
The Bucks' second team offense scored 3 TDs in the 4th quarter as things began to get utterly ridiculous. Those 3 touchdowns came byway of a Joe Bauserman 17 - yard pass to Hall, a 65 - yard run by Jaamal Berry, and a Ken Guiton 15 - yard rumble.
Ohio State's 53 - point margin of victory is indicative of the way in which the Buckeyes thoroughly dominated the Eagles. Eastern Michigan had no business being on the same field as Ohio State, and the EMU players probably agree with that assessment. OSU hopes they are now ready for Big Ten conference play.
Player of the Game
Terrelle Pryor: 20 - 26 (completion - attempts), 224 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 7 carries, 104 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 reception, 20 yards, 1 touchdown
If you still think Pryor is unworthy of this meaningless award, please read those stats one more time. I believe I have made myself crystal clear.
Play of the Game
Terrelle Pryor 53 - yard TD run in the 1st quarter
Pryor's touchdown scamper in the game's opening moments established Ohio State's superiority over Eastern Michigan. They play was also one more example of Pryor's talent and the edge it creates for him on the gridiron.
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