Buckeyes overcome slow start at Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — J.K. Dobbins broke Ohio State’s freshman record by rushing for 181 yards in his college debut, J.T. Barrett threw three touchdown passes and the second-ranked Buckeyes pulled away to beat Indiana 49-21 on Thursday night.
The Buckeyes have won 23 straight over the Hoosiers.
Indiana had big plans for what was billed as the biggest opener in school history — a prime time, nationally televised game that included the first trip by ESPN’s College GameDay to Bloomington.
Instead, Dobbins stole the show.
With Mike Weber, Ohio State’s top runner in 2016, out with a hamstring injury, Dobbins stepped in and surpassed Maurice Clarett’s previous debut record of 175 yards set in 2002 against Texas Tech.
Barrett overcame a slow start to finish 20 of 35 for 304 yards. He added 61 yards rushing and another score to move within two touchdowns of matching Drew Brees’ Big Ten career record for total touchdowns of 106.
But the Buckeyes weren’t themselves early.
They didn’t reach the end zone until Antonio Williams’ 1-yard plunge with 5:17 left in the first half. They finally retook the lead on Barrett’s 2-yard scoring run midway through the third quarter and pulled away after Parris Campbell hauled in a 74-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-21 with 4:38 left in the third. Ohio State scored the last 28 points.
Hoosiers quarterback Richard Lagow played fearlessly, finishing 40 of 65 with 410 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
NO. 10 OKLAHOMA STATE 59, TULSA, 24
In Stillwater, Okla., Mason Rudolph launched his Heisman campaign with a nearly flawless performance.
The senior quarterback passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score to help 10th-ranked Oklahoma State beat Tulsa. He was 20 of 24 with no interceptions.
“We knew we had a good game plan going in,” Rudolph said. “They brought a lot of pressure, and I think we combated it well.”
Rudolph joined Brandon Weeden as the only Cowboys quarterbacks to surpass 9,000 yards in career passing.
Preseason AP All-American James Washington caught six passes for 145 yards, including touchdown receptions of 77 and 40 yards.
Justice Hill ran for 132 yards and a touchdown, J.D. King had 95 yards and a score and LD Brown added 92 and a touchdown for the Cowboys, who are in the preseason Top 10 for the third time in school history.
Oklahoma State led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and 38-17 at halftime. The Cowboys gained 640 total yards.
Tulsa gained 432 total yards, but much of that damage came in the second half and didn’t lead to points.
MINNESOTA 17, BUFFALO 7
In Minneapolis, P.J. Fleck led his players in a pregame sprint out of the tunnel, with a vintage late-summer evening sky framing his first game as Minnesota’s coach.
The Gophers started fast, too, with Tyler Johnson’s 61-yard reception from Conor Rhoda — one of two first-quarter touchdowns.
The rest of the game was a slow drag to the finish, which was just fine with Fleck.
Johnson had 141 yards on six catches, all in the first half to match his 2016 season total, and the Gophers grinded out a victory over Buffalo in the season opener and Fleck’s debut.
“You better always appreciate a win,” Fleck said, “no matter how you get it.”
Rhoda started the game and went 12 for 21 for 176 yards, but he threw an interception in the end zone in the second quarter. Croft rushed six times for 32 yards and completed 7 of 11 passes for 63 yards. Neither quarterback stood out from the other in spring or fall practice. The tandem will remain in place for now.
“How they managed and ran the game, I was proud of them,” said Fleck, who vowed not to make emotional decisions about who was in or out and stick to the prescribed plan for splitting playing time between the two.
Emmit Carpenter missed two of his three field-goal tries for the Gophers, but Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks were able to find enough running room to wear down the Bulls and run out the clock. Brooks scored on a short run near the end of the first quarter.
“It was really just a stalemate up front,” Croft said.
CINCINNATI 26, AUSTIN PEAY 14
In Cincinnati, Hayden Moore was told by first-year Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell that he won the quarterback job over Ross Trail last week.
Moore responded with touchdown passes to Thomas Geddis, Kahill Lewis and Tyler Cogswell in the Beacats’ win over the Austin Peay Governors in the season opener for both teams.
Fickell came to Cincinnati after 18 years at Ohio State, serving as defensive coordinator for the bulk of his career there.
Austin Peay had 313 yards offense to the Bearcats’ 249.
The Bearcats won for the first time since Oct. 22, a 31-19 win over East Carolina. The Bearcats were 1-7 down the stretch of a 4-8 season under Tommy Tuberville.
Austin Peay fell to 0-6 all-time against Cincinnati, and dropped its 28th game in a row. The Governors last victory came against Murray State, 20-13, on Oct. 18, 2014.