Ohio State 52, Wisconsin 21
(AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
By MITCH STACY
AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Cade Stover and Emeka Egbuka each caught two of C.J. Stroud's five touchdown passes, Miyan Williams rushed for two more scores and No. 3 Ohio State blew by Wisconsin early and cruised to a 52-21 win.
The Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) scored touchdowns on their first four drives and led 31-7 at the half. Wisconsin could only slow them down after that but didn't get closer than 21 points.
Running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Williams both had 100-yard games; Henderson had 121 yards, and Williams averaged more than 9 yards per carry in rumbling for 101.
Stroud completed 17 of 27 attempts for 281 yards and also threw an interception for the first time this season. He has 16 touchdown passes in four games.
The TD catches were the first for Stover, a tight end in his fourth year who has also played defensive end and linebacker for the Buckeyes. His first was on a 13-yard toss, two plays after after Ohio State safety Tanner McCalister picked off Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz.
Later the 6-foot-4, 255-pound tight end caught a 2-yard scoring pass to put the Buckeyes up 21-0 before the end of the first quarter.
Egbuka caught scoring passes of 32 and 8 yards. Julian Fleming also caught a touchdown pass for the Buckeyes.
Mertz was 11 for 20 for 94 yards, rushed for a touchdown and threw for another. Braelon Allen rushed for 165 yards, including a 75-yard TD romp in the fourth quarter.
THE TAKEAWAY
Wisconsin: The Badgers (3-1, 0-1) were expected to put up more of a fight in the first Big Ten game for both teams. Instead, they got hit early and couldn't recover.
Ohio State: Stroud completed his first eight passes on the way to another outstanding performance. The Heisman favorite again was exceptional taking advantage of what the defense gave him, and the combination of Williams and Henderson carrying the ball kept Wisconsin off balance.
| Scoring Summary |
| First Quarter |
Wisc | OhioSt |
| OhioSt |
TD |
12:13 |
Miyan Williams 2 yard TD run (Noah Ruggles Extra Point) |
0 |
7 |
| OhioSt |
TD |
8:54 |
Cade Stover 13 yard TD pass from C.J. Stroud (Noah Ruggles Extra Point) |
0 |
14 |
| OhioSt |
TD |
3:55 |
Cade Stover 2 yard TD pass from C.J. Stroud (Noah Ruggles Extra Point) |
0 |
21 |
| Second Quarter |
Wisc | OhioSt |
| OhioSt |
TD |
13:33 |
Miyan Williams 3 yard TD run (Noah Ruggles Extra Point) |
0 |
28 |
| Wisc |
TD |
8:31 |
Graham Mertz 1 yard TD run (Nate Van Zelst Extra Point) |
7 |
28 |
| OhioSt |
FG |
2:20 |
Noah Ruggles 25 yard field goal |
7 |
31 |
| Third Quarter |
Wisc | OhioSt |
| OhioSt |
TD |
9:35 |
Julian Fleming 12 yard TD pass from C.J. Stroud (Noah Ruggles Extra Point) |
7 |
38 |
| OhioSt |
TD |
2:22 |
Emeka Egbuka 8 yard TD pass from C.J. Stroud (Noah Ruggles Extra Point) |
7 |
45 |
| Fourth Quarter |
Wisc | OhioSt |
| Wisc |
TD |
9:46 |
Jackson Acker 2 yard TD pass from Graham Mertz (Nate Van Zelst Extra Point) |
14 |
45 |
| OhioSt |
TD |
7:21 |
Emeka Egbuka 32 yard TD pass from C.J. Stroud (Noah Ruggles Extra Point) |
14 |
52 |
| Wisc |
TD |
7:11 |
Braelon Allen 75 yard TD run (Nate Van Zelst Extra Point) |
21 |
52 |
| Team Stats |
| |
Wisconsin |
Ohio State |
| First downs |
12 |
28 |
| Rushing |
8 |
13 |
| Passing |
3 |
14 |
| Penalty |
1 |
1 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency |
7-14, 50% |
7-11, 64% |
| 4th down efficiency |
0-1, 0% |
1-1, 100% |
| Rushes-Yards |
35-192 |
43-258 |
| Passing Yards |
104 |
281 |
| Return Yards |
82 |
45 |
| Completions-Attempts-Int |
12-21-1 |
17-27-1 |
| Sacks-Yards Lost |
1-3 |
0-0 |
| Punts |
6 |
2 |
| Fumbles Lost |
0-0 |
0-0 |
| Penalties - Yards |
5-57 |
3-27 |
| Wisconsin Passing |
| Player |
Cmp |
Att |
Yds |
TDs |
Int |
| G. Mertz |
11 |
20 |
94 |
1 |
1 |
| B. Allen |
1 |
1 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
| Ohio State Passing |
| Player |
Cmp |
Att |
Yds |
TDs |
Int |
| C. Stroud |
17 |
27 |
281 |
5 |
1 |
| Wisconsin Interceptions |
| Player |
Int |
Yards |
| J. Torchio |
1 |
0 |
| Wisconsin Punting |
| Player |
Punts |
Yards |
Avg |
| A. Vujnovich |
6 |
228 |
38.0 |
| Ohio State Punting |
| Player |
Punts |
Yards |
Avg |
| J. Mirco |
2 |
89 |
44.5 |
| Wisconsin Punt Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| Ohio State Punt Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| E. Egbuka |
1 |
10 |
10.0 |
| Wisconsin Kick Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| I. Guerendo |
3 |
82 |
27.3 |
| Ohio State Kick Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| C. Trayanum |
1 |
5 |
5.0 |
| Wisconsin Missed FG |
| Player |
Length |
| Ohio State Missed FG |
| Player |
Length |
