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.
