Playing on Hallow's Eve in Minneapolis, Ohio State was supposed to have some trouble in dispatching the Gophers.
Apparently, Minnesota never received the message.
The Buckeyes piled up 52 points, and OSU put itself back into the heat of the Big Ten race.
Clicking on all cylinders, the Ohio State offense moved the ball at will on Minnesota's porous defense. Terrelle Pryor (18 - 22, 222 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) and Devier Posey (6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 touchdown) keyed the Buckeyes' aerial assault while Dan "Boom" Herron (17 carries, 114 yards, 1 touchdown) led the ground game with his first 100 - yard rushing day of the season.
After allowing 7 1st quarter points, the Silver Bullets took complete control of the game. The Buckeye D forced 3 turnovers, scored a touchdown, and recorded 6 tackles for loss.
It now appears as if Jim Tressel has finally corrected his squad's frustrating special teams' problems. Although the Buckeyes still made a few mistakes in this department, they did take several steps in the right direction. Jordan Hall excelled in the return game, and the Bucks also recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. That TD was especially rewarding because, prior to this game, OSU had allowed 4 special teams' touchdowns without scoring one of its own.
Even though this was a good win for Ohio State, it would have been somewhat of a hollow victory if Michigan State had remained unbeaten. However, the Spartans were drilled, 37 - 6, by Iowa, putting the Buckeyes into a 4 - way tie for first place in the conference.
Jordan Hall returned the game's opening kickoff 34 yards to the Minnesota 46 - yard line, and the energy went right out of TCF Bank Stadium. Ohio State proceeded to completely silence the crowd as Pryor led the offense on a methodical march to the UM 1. And, following a couple of fine defensive plays by the Gophers, Pryor slipped into the end zone on a QB sneak.
Minnesota, though, had an answer against the Buckeyes' stout defense. Adam Weber, who is one of the better quarterbacks in the conference, completed 3 deep passes over the middle of the field. DeLeon Eskridge capped the drive with a 7 - yard TD burst, and OSU had shockingly allowed Minnesota to tie the score.
Ohio State responded with an impressive 92 - yard march that was sparked by a 34 - yard Pryor scramble on a 3rd down - and - 11. Several plays later, T.P. tossed a 3 - yard strike to a sliding Brandon Saine in the end zone.
When Eric Ellestad doinked a field goal off the left upright late in the 1st quarter, momentum was officially wearing scarlet and gray.
OSU's premier drive of the 2nd period resulted in a 23 - yard field goal off the right foot of Devin Barclay, and the Buckeyes had a two - possession lead they would never relinquish.
Minnesota went three - and - out on its ensuing series, and Hall turned in a brilliant, 71 - yard return of the punt, setting up the Buckeyes at the UM 1. However, Pryor made a grievous mistake on the very next play as he was picked off by Ryan Collado at the goal line.
Pryor bounced back on his next possession, and he led the Ohio State offense on a drive that was, in actuality, a knockout punch. Herron capped it with a 10 - yard bolt to pay dirt, and the Gophers were now skating on some very thin ice.
The situation quickly changed from bad to worse for Minnesota because Dan Orseske shanked a 10 - yard punt off the side of his foot. The Buckeyes promptly capitalized thanks to Pryor's 38 - yard pass to Posey, who had a step on his defender at the goal line.
With a few ticks of the 1st half clock remaining, Chimdi Chekwa intercepted a desperate heave thrown by Weber. Although the Buckeyes did not have enough time to convert the turnover into points, they were more than happy to take a 31 - 7 lead to the locker room.
The Gophers began the 2nd half with a scoring drive, but Ellestad's 33 - yard field goal did little but make the game slightly more respectable.
The Bucks produced their third big special teams' play of the night a few minutes later. Following a three - and - out, Minnesota decided to punt even though the Gophers were trailing by 3 touchdowns. It proved to be the wrong choice because Orseske was forced to field the snap on a bounce which allowed Jonathan Newsome to smother the kick. Minnesota nearly recovered the loose ball, but Zach Dominicone eventually fell on it in the end zone.
Hall's 16 - yard TD run early in the 4th quarter brought an end to OSU's offensive explosion for the evening.
The Ohio State D, however, had one more trick up its sleeve. On the Golden Gophers' ensuing possession, Chekwa came on a corner blitz and "blind - sided" Weber. As a result, Weber coughed up the ball, and John Simon scooped it up and returned it 30 yards for the score.
Scoring on offense, defense, and special teams, Ohio State thoroughly overwhelmed the pitiful Gophers int their stadium. The victory helped the Buckeyes distance themselves even further from their debacle in Madison, and it also gave them renewed hope in their quest for a 6th consecutive league title.
Player of the Game
Brian Rolle: 6 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble forced, and 1 fumble recovered
The phrase "a man possessed" often comes to mind when I watch B - Rolle play football, and never was that description more fitting than on this night in Minneapolis. Midway through the 3rd quarter, Rolle made a play that was as good as any you will see. With a blitz having been dialed up by defensive coordinator Jim Heacock, Rolle burst through the offensive line and violently slammed Adam Weber to the ground. Weber fumbled the ball, and Rolle alertly pounced on it. And so, in just one play, Rolle recorded a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. This tremendous effort was one more example of Rolle's extraordinary talent and his value to the Buckeyes' defense.
Play of the Game
Jonathan Newsome's blocked punt recovered by Zach Dominicone for TD in the 3rd quarter
Yes, I realize this play had no real bearing on the game's final outcome. But for a team desperate to make big plays on special teams, this is sure to boost the unit's confidence moving forward. And besides, it was a very exciting moment in an otherwise mundane game.
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