No. 1 Football Cruises to Another Victory – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/17/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
October 17, 1998
By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Joe Germaine passed for two touchdowns and 339 yards and David Boston had 10 receptions for 191 yards as No. 1 Ohio State beat up on Minnesota and the record book with a 45-15 victory Saturday.
Michael Wiley added 119 yards on 12 rushes, including a 1-yard touchdown run, and Central McClellion picked off a fourth-quarter pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown for the Buckeyes (6-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten).
Minnesota (3-3, 0-3) hasn’t won at Ohio Stadium since 1949.
Ohio State, which occasionally came out with a four-receiver set, amassed 586 yards, 350 passing.
Germaine’s fifth career 300-yard game set an Ohio State record, and marked the first time that a Buckeyes quarterback has had back-to-back 300-yard passing games. He threw for 307 yards last week in a 41-0 beating of Illinois.
He completed 27-of-39 passes with two interceptions. His touchdown throws to Boston covered 6 and 53 yards.
The Buckeyes led 7-3 midway through the first quarter, then blew the game open by scoring on four straight possessions to build the margin to 31-3.
At halftime, Ohio State honored the 1968 national championship and 1973 Big Ten title teams. Boston’s 10 catches was one better than the Buckeyes’ leading receiver had for the entire 1973 season, tight end Fred Pagac. Pagaic is now the team’s defensive coordinator.
Minnesota coach Glen Mason was a freshman at Ohio State during that 1968 season, the last time the Buckeyes finished a year No. 1 in the country.
Matt Keller added an 8-yard run and Dan Stultz a 19-yard field goal for Ohio State, which came in averaging 37.4 points and 487.2 yards per game.
The Buckeyes had 402 yards by halftime, with Germaine throwing for 220, Boston catching five passes for 122 yards and Wiley totaling 115 yards.
Minnesota freshman Andy Persby was 19-of-42 for 213 yards in his first collegiate start.
He was replaced midway through the fourth quarter by Billy Cockerham. On his first play, Cockerham was hit by Buckeyes linebacker Jerry Rudzinski and Cockerham’s pass ended up floating into the right flat. McClellion picked it off and, behind a block by safety Gary Berry, returned it the 55 yards untouched.
Luke Leverson had 12 catches for 108 yards.
Minnesota’s points came on field goals of 24 and 32 yards by Adam Bailey and Persby’s 35-yard lob pass to Antoine Henderson.
Trevis Graham blocked a Brent Bartholomew punt in the fourth quarter, with the ball squirting through the end zone, resulting in an Ohio State safety.
