Caleb Downs’ punt return for a touchdown broke up a tight game and pushed No. 2 Ohio State to a 38-15 victory over No. 5 Indiana at Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.
The Buckeyes (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) can earn a rematch with top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 7 if they beat Michigan on Nov. 30. Oregon defeated Ohio State 32-31 at home on Oct. 12.
Downs, an Alabama transfer, electrified the crowd with a 79-yard punt return early in the third quarter to give the Buckeyes a 21-7 lead.
It was Ohio State’s first punt return TD since Jalin Marshall’s 54-yarder against Indiana on Nov. 23, 2014.
The Buckeyes increased the lead to 28-7 on a 1-yard catch by Jelani Thurman with 6:02 left in the third quarter and Jayden Fielding kicked a 45-yard field goal for a 31-7 lead with 8:56 remaining.
A 2-yard TD run by Indiana’s Ty Son Lawton and a two-point conversion with 1:53 left in the game made it 31-15, but after a failed onside kick and a 39-yard run by TreVeyon Henderson, Will Howard ran it in from the 1 with 35 seconds left for the final margin.
Ohio State held a 14-7 halftime lead thanks to a fumble by Indiana punter James Evans to give the Buckeyes the ball at the 7-yard line. Three plays later, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a 4-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left in the half.
After Indiana (10-1, 7-2) went 70 yards on their first possession of the game for a 7-0 lead on a 2-yard run by Lawton, the defenses took over.
The Buckeyes entered the game No. 1 nationally in red-zone scoring at 97.3 percent (37 of 38) with 33 touchdowns but were twice denied in the first half.
Indiana stopped Quinshon Judkins for no gain on a fourth-down run at the 2. Later, with the score tied 7-7 following an 11-yard catch by Emeka Egbuka, the Buckeyes reached the Indiana 18 but Will Howard was intercepted at the 11 by Jailin Walker.
Howard was 22 of 26 for 201 yards with two TDs and an interception.
– Field Level Media
