Buckeyes turn on power in 2nd half
Top-ranked Ohio State avenges only 2014 loss
Braxton Miller looks comfortable at wide receiver, and Cardale Jones picked up right where he left off last season for No. 1 Ohio State.
Miller scored two touchdowns, including an electrifying 53-yard run, and the star-studded Buckeyes began their title defense with a 42-24 victory over Virginia Tech on Monday night.
Jones started at quarterback for the Buckeyes, ending the mystery of whether he or J.T. Barrett would open the first series. Jones threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score as Ohio State avenged a 35-21 home loss to Virginia Tech last season and earned its 14th straight win overall. J.T. Barrett, last year’s Big Ten player of the year, will back up Jones.
The Hokies, meanwhile, lost quarterback Michael Brewer, who injured his left shoulder in the third quarter. Ohio State’s Adolphus Washington slammed into Brewer, who had already thrown two touchdown passes,
straight-on right after the quarterback released a pass, and the 290-pound defensive lineman landed on him.
Brewer stayed down for a bit before walking off and going straight to the locker room, holding his non-throwing arm. He was ruled out for the rest of the game shortly thereafter.
Brenden Motley, a junior, took over for the Hokies.
Virginia Tech was trailing 21-17 and had driven into Buckeyes territory when Brewer went down, but it had trouble moving the ball behind Motley.
And the Hokies just couldn’t stop Miller and Co. in the second half.
Miller, a two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year at quarterback, missed last season with a shoulder injury. With Jones and Barrett at quarterback, Miller converted to wide receiver in the offseason and had an immediate impact.
First, he had a 54-yard touchdown reception to erase a 17-14 halftime deficit. Then he had a dazzling spin move on his long scoring run that lifted the Buckeyes to a 28-17 lead with 2:05 left in the third.
Jones added a 10-yard TD run in the fourth, and Barrett, who started for Ohio State until he was injured late in the season last year, threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to a wideopen Michael Thomas with 8:14 remaining.
The Buckeyes got off to a fast start, but the Hokies battled back.
Curtis Samuel caught a 24-yard touchdown reception from Jones, and Ezekiel Elliott had an 80-yard scoring run in the first 10 minutes.
Virginia Tech responded with 17 straight points.