Hill's one-handed 'crazy play' a highlight in Buckeyes' victory
COLUMBUS — K.J. Hill made the play of the game Satur- day for the Ohio State Buck- eyes, catching a pass across the middle from Dwayne Haskins with one hand and then acting as if the ball was stuck to his hand as he cel- ebrated in the end zone.
The third-ranked Buckeyes didn’t play anything close to their best offen- sive game, but Hill did. He finished with nine catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns. His 27-yard touchdown catch with 2:15 to play sealed a 30-14 victory against Minnesota at Ohio Stadium.
“I wanted him to get his head around,” said Haskins of Hill’s one-handed touchdown. “So when he looked, the ball was already there, and it was a little behind him. He made a crazy play. Of course, K.J. is a little char- acter. He was pretty hyped up. He had a career day today.”
Hill has caught at least one pass in 27 straight games. He has had at least four receptions in every game this season.
As for the one-handed grab, Hill said, “It just shows more trust in the quarterback. If I can catch it with one hand, I can definitely catch it with two hands. I felt it gave us momentum. I just tried to make a play and give us a spark.”
New kicker: Sophomore Blake Haubeil filled in for starting kicker Sean Nuernberger, who was sidelined with a minor muscle strain, and kicked field goals of 47 yards and 27 yards in the second half.
“Going out there for the first time and hitting that first field goal, a little bit of nerves but full confidence,” Haubeil said.
Opposing viewpoint: Minnesota freshman quar- terback Zack Annexstad completed 13 of 23 passes for 218 yards with two interceptions. He kept the Golden Gophers in the game into the fourth quarter.
“I thought he played outstanding,” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said. “To do what he did in this environment as a true freshman, forget it. I’m not sure what we were expecting, but everybody else picked us 12th out of 14 in the Big Ten, and they played outstanding. We had plenty of opportunities.”
Perfect start: Ohio State improved to 7-0 for the first time since 2015 and for the third time in Urban Meyer’s seven seasons as coach.
“The saying right now that I’m using is enhance our strengths and let’s fix our weaknesses,” Meyer said. “We’re going to have to get some things fixed. What we’re going to do is enjoy our win. Not many teams are 7-0. Get some things fixed and get ready for the trip to Purdue.”
Looking ahead: The Buck- eyes play at Purdue (3-3, 2-1) at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday. The Boilermakers defeated Illinois 46-7 on Saturday. They beat Boston College 30-13 and Nebraska 42-28 in their previous two games.
Odds and ends: Ohio State free safety Jordan Fuller set a career high with 12 tackles. Strong safety Isaiah Pryor (five tackles) and linebacker Pete Werner (eight tackles) also set career bests. Pryor also had his first career inter- ception . ... Terry McLaurin caught his seventh touch- down pass. He’s tied with Parris Campbell for the team lead.