COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 2 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0) started slow but finished strong at Maryland (6-5, 3-5) Saturday to come away with a 43-30 win at SECU Stadium in College Park.
In a breakout performance, freshman Dallan Hayden was Ohio State’s top ground gainer with 146 yards on 27 carries and three scores.
C.J. Stroud finished 18-of-30 passing for 241 yards and a touchdown. Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. were the top receiving targets with six and five catches, respectively. Egbuka led with 82 yards receiving.
Defensively, Tommy Eichenberg led with 12 tackles with nine solos. Lathan Ransom added seven tackles and six solos. He also blocked a punt that led to an Ohio State score.
The Buckeyes return to Columbus to begin preparation for the final regular-season contest of the year against Michigan at noon Saturday in Ohio Stadium. Fox Sports will televise The Game.
HIGHLIGHTS: Ohio State vs. Maryland
The Buckeyes started with the ball after Maryland won the toss and deferred to the second half.
Stroud went right to work, connecting with Harrison Jr. for 29 yards down the right sideline on the first play from scrimmage to the Maryland 46.
Every week, @MarvHarrisonJr has some kind of highlight.
The @OhioStateFB star WR wasted no time in Week 12, doing it on the first play of the game. pic.twitter.com/mJuMCRqDpZ
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 19, 2022
Ohio State moved to the Maryland 31 before Stroud found an open Henderson on the left side. Henderson took advantage of some running room and scampered 31-yards for the touchdown. The scoring drive covered 75 yards on six plays and used just 1:32 for the 7-0 lead.
WATCH: Henderson TD Reception
TreVeyon's healthy @TreVeyonH4 catches a TD on No. 2 @OhioStateFB's first possession. pic.twitter.com/TXTN3sVKNw
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 19, 2022
Maryland also threw on its first play, a 25-yard completion from Taulia Tagovailoa to CJ Dippre to the OSU 49.
The Terrapins continued to drive and were aided by a 15-yard Ohio State face mask penalty. Maryland was stopped at the Ohio State 13 leading to a Chad Ryland 31-yard field goal to make it 7-3 Buckeyes. The scoring drive covered 61 yards on nine plays over 4:35.
The Buckeyes were unable to produce a first down on their next effort on offense. Jesse Mirco delivered a 43-yard punt, giving Maryland the ball at their 43.
The Terrapins moved the ball inside the Ohio State 5 and added another Ryland field goal, this time from 21 yards to cut it to 7-6 Buckeyes. The drive covered 54 yards on eight plays over 3:58.
Starting from their 15 after a 14-yard return from Xavier Johnson, Ohio State fumbled on the first play of the drive back to OSU 10. A false start penalty backed the Buckeyes to the 6.
Mirco came on for a 35-yard punt from the OSU 16 to the Maryland 49.
The Ohio State defense forced a Maryland punt from the Buckeye’s 46 to the OSU 10, a 36-yarder, to end the quarter.
Stroud and the Buckeyes opened the second quarter deep in its own territory. A 25-yard pass to Julian Fleming and another 13-yarder to Emeka Egbuka gave the Buckeyes some breathing room at the Maryland 48.
After Stroud and Harrison Jr. connected for a gain of 9 yards to the Maryland 29, the Terps were called for a personal foul penalty that moved the ball to the UMD 15.
That was as far as the offense as able to move the ball, setting up a Noah Ruggles 33-yard field goal to put the Buckeyes up 10-6. The drive covered 75 yards on 14 plays while using 4:58.
Maryland then took the lead on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Dippre to cap a 14-play, 75-yard drive with 3:52 remaining in the first half. The score put the Terps up 13-10.
Ohio State drove to the Buckeyes’ 45 before Mirco punted, a 45-yard effort, to the Maryland 11.
The Terps made it out to the UMD 44 on their next drive before the half ended.
Maryland started the second half with the ball and a three-point lead.
The Terrapins managed to drive to their own 39 before the Ohio State defense forced a punt. Terp punter Colten Spangler then had his effort blocked by Lathan Ransom. Denzel Burke recovered at the Maryland 21 and returned it 7 yards to the UMD 14.
Ohio State’s Dallan Hayden then rushed twice, the first for a gain of 6 yards and the second for an 8-yard touchdown to put the Buckeyes back in the lead at 17-13 with 12:13 on the third-quarter clock.
Maryland was not able to make a first down on its next possession after a couple penalties helped lead to a punt from the UMD 17. A Spangler 47-yard kick gave the Buckeyes the ball on their 36.
Stroud then drove the Buckeyes to the UMD 13 before an intentional grounding call moved Ohio State back to the Maryland 29 where Ruggles nailed a 47-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes a 20-13 lead.
A Tommy Eichenberg sack of Tagovailoa stopped Maryland’s next drive at the Ohio State 46. The Terps punted to give the ball back to Ohio State at the Buckeyes’ 12.
Hayden then rushed on seven-consecutive plays to get Ohio State out to the Maryland 48 before Stroud hit Harrison Jr. for a 17-yard gain to the UMD 31.
A 12-yard pass interference call against Maryland and a 14-yard catch by Cade Stover down the right set set up a 3-yard Hayden touchdown run to put the Buckeyes up 27-13 with 16 seconds left in the quarter.
Maryland ran one play out to the Terps 27 to end the quarter.
Maryland opened the final quarter with a scoring drive to cut it to 27-21 Buckeyes. The Terrapins used six plays and covered 75 yards for the score, a 5-yard Tagovailoa rush. Maryland was then successful on a 2-point conversion, a completion from Tagovailoa to Jacob Copeland.
Xavier Johnson then took the ensuing kickoff 46 yards out to the OSU 47.
With great starting field position, the Buckeyes quickly drove to the UMD 13 to set up another Hayden touchdown rush, this time from 13-yards out.
WATCH: Dallan Hayden Touchdown Run
? "He has arrived!"@OhioStateFB freshman RB Dallan Hayden (@DCH__2) has his third TD of the second half. pic.twitter.com/7WuE7gNvbt
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 19, 2022
The Buckeyes lined up for a 2-point conversion attempt but a delay of game penalty moved Ohio State back to the UMD 8. Ruggles then attempted an extra point that was block and returned by Maryland for two points to make the score 33-23 Buckeyes.
The Terrapins scored again on its next possession, driving 74 yards on seven plays. Tagovailoa completed the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jeshaun Jones to make it 33-30 Buckeyes with 9:49 left to play.
The big play of the drive was a 49-yard pass play to Rakim Jarrett to the Ohio State 15.
The Buckeyes then drove to the Maryland 42 but did not convert on a fourth-and-1 to give the ball back to the Terrapins.
Maryland was not able to get a first down and punted the ball back to the Buckeyes. After a 42-yard kick, Ohio State regained possession at the OSU12.
Hayden got the Buckeyes going with rushes of 11 and 5 yards to get over the 100-yard rushing mark for the game.
After a Maryland offsides penalty gave the Buckeyes a first down at the OSU 36, Hayden busted one for 18 yards to the Maryland 46.
After a pair of Maryland timeouts, Stroud found Egbuka for a 9-yard gain and a first down at the UMD33.
The Terps then called their final timeout with 3 minutes left to play.
Ohio State drove to the Maryland 27 and called timeout facing a fourth-and-3 situation with 47 seconds left.
Ruggles then attempted a 45-yard field goal and made it to give Ohio State a 36-30 lead with 42 seconds to go.
On Maryland’s final possession, the Ohio State defense pressured Tagovailoa at the goal line. Zach Harrison forced a fumble that was recovered in the air by Steele Chambers at the UMD1 and walked it in to the endzone for the final score of the game to give Ohio State the 43-30 win.
