Oct 29, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) receives the snap during the second quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ohio Stadium. Photo Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
COLUMBUS — Sixth-ranked Ohio State avoided a second straight upset, breaking a tie early in the fourth quarter and holding on for a 24-20 victory over Northwestern on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Coming off a loss the previous week at Penn State, the Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) faced another challenge, but Curtis Samuel scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 3-yard run with 9:43 left to help Ohio State keep pace with front-running Michigan in the Big Ten East Division.
Northwestern (4-4, 3-2) came back after Samuel’s score with a 16-play, 60-yard drive but couldn’t get the ball into the end zone against Ohio State’s defense and settled for a 33-yard field goal by Jack Mitchell with 3:31 left.
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett put the game away with a 35-yard run with 1:57 left to the Northwestern 22-yard line and the Buckeyes ran out the clock.
Barrett rushed for 71 yards on 13 carries and completed 21 of 32 passes for 223 yards. The Buckeyes finished with 431 yards and no turnovers after a sluggish offensive performance last week in the 24-21 loss at Penn State.
The Wildcats had tied the score at 17 with 3:49 left in the third quarter on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Clayton Thorson to Garrett Dickerson. Northwestern converted a fourth-and-2 from the Ohio State 46-yard line to keep the drive alive and Thorson connected with Austin Carr on a 35-yard pass for a first-and-goal at the 5.
Thorson completed 22 of 42 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score. Austin Carr, the Big Ten’s leading receiver, had eight catches for 158 yards.
Ohio State scored a touchdown on its first possession for the first time this season, marching 94 yards in nine plays. Running back Mike Weber capped the long drive with a 1-yard plunge to give the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead.
Northwestern gave the ball right back to Ohio State when Thorson’s pass was tipped by linebacker Raekwon McMillan and intercepted by cornerback Damon Arnette at the Buckeyes’ 49-yard line.
Ohio State’s short drive stalled and Tyler Durbin kicked a 35-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 6:36 left in the opening quarter.
Northwestern responded with an impressive 16-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard run by Thorson — only the third rushing touchdown allowed by Ohio State’s defense this season — that made it 10-7 early in the second quarter.
Barrett took Ohio State down the field on its next possession, completing five passes on the drive before Mike Weber, who led the Buckeyes in rushing with 87 yards on 14 carries, bolted 23 yards to the end zone to restore its 10-point lead with 6:17 to go in the second quarter.
In a first half that produced long drives by both teams, Northwestern went 82 yards in 12 plays and settled for a 23-yard field goal by Mitchell after stalling at the Ohio State 6 with 1:43 left before halftime.
Weber rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries and Barrett completed 12 of 21 passes for 129 yards in the first half.
Thorson passed for 103 yards and had the rushing touchdown in the opening two quarters. The two teams were nearly even statistically at halftime, with Ohio State totaling 218 yards and Northwestern finishing with 203.
NOTES: Ohio State WR Parris Campbell left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury. … Northwestern last won in Columbus in 1971, a 14-10 victory. The Wildcats’ only win in the series since then came in 2004 in Evanston, a 33-27 victory in overtime. … The two teams last met in Columbus in 2007. … Northwestern opened the season with losses to Western Michigan and FCS Illinois State. … Northwestern came into the game with the Big Ten’s leading rusher (RB Justin Jackson) and receiver (WR Austin Carr) and third-leading passer (QB Clayton Thorson).
