Football Rolls Over Northwestern, 36-10 – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/24/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
October 24, 1998
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%^$By NANCY ARMOUR
%^$AP Sports Writer%^$
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EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) – First, Ohio State fans took over Northwestern’s%^$stadium, turning the usual purple haze into a sea of red. Then David Boston and%^$the No. 1 Buckeyes took over on the field.%^$
Looking very much at home on the road, Boston broke Cris Carter’s school%^$record with his 27th and 28th career touchdowns Saturday as the Buckeyes rolled%^$over Northwestern 36-10.%^$
Joe Germaine had his third straight 300-yard game, throwing for 342 yards%^$and three TDs. Germaine, whose five 300-yard games are an Ohio State record,%^$was 19-of-35 with one interception.%^$
The Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) continued to dominate on defense, holding%^$Northwestern (2-5, 0-5) to just 48 yards rushing and 11 first downs. Ohio State%^$has held its last four opponents to 80 yards rushing or less.%^$
Northwestern’s Gavin Hoffman was 15-of-39 for 173 yards and was intercepted%^$twice. D’Wayne Bates was the lone bright spot for the Wildcats, catching seven%^$passes for 95 yards and Northwestern’s only touchdown.%^$
Ohio State has now won its last 21 games against Northwestern, with its last%^$loss in Evanston coming in 1958.%^$
The Buckeyes have been No. 1 since the preseason, and except for the final%^$game against Michigan, can likely coast with no more ranked teams to play. But%^$despite coach John Cooper’s promise that there wouldn’t be any letdowns, his%^$offense struggled midway through the game.%^$
After taking a 17-7 lead into the second quarter, Germaine seemed rattled by%^$Northwestern’s pesky defense. He repeatedly overthrew his receivers and%^$completed just three of eight passes in the period.%^$
Ohio State punted on its first three possessions, and turned the ball over%^$on downs on its fourth. Northwestern, meanwhile, cut the lead to 17-10 on Brian%^$Gowins’ 39-yard field goal.%^$
After his sixth incompletion, Germaine settled down and threw a 35-yard%^$scoring pass to John Lumpkin. But Lumpkin cost the Buckeyes by taunting%^$Northwestern cornerback Josh Barnes after the score, drawing the penalty for%^$unsportsmanlike conduct. Backed up 15 yards, Dan Stultz missed the extra point%^$and Ohio State settled for the 23-10 lead with 1:46 left in the half.%^$
Boston tied Carter with a 38-yard score with 2:31 left in the third quarter.%^$As Northwestern cornerback Gerald Conoway turned around to look for the ball,%^$Boston scooted by him on the right and caught the ball as he crossed the goal%^$line. The two-point conversion attempt failed, giving Ohio State a 29-10 lead.%^$
Boston scored again on a 31-yard pass with 8:11 left in the game for the%^$final margin.%^$
Northwestern’s only touchdown came on Hoffman’s 60-yard pass to Bates.%^$Hoffman rolled right and threw to his star receiver, who ran straight up the%^$middle, bobbing and weaving around the Ohio State defense until he reached the%^$end zone.%^$
The Northwestern fans, who looked like the visitors in a stadium filled with%^$red, stood and cheered, and the Wildcats piled on Bates as he ran back to the%^$sidelines. It was the longest play from scrimmage against the Buckeyes this%^$year, and the first touchdown given up by the Ohio State in the first quarter.%^$
But that was about the only letdown by Ohio State’s punishing defense. The%^$Buckeyes let Northwestern into Ohio State territory just once in the third%^$quarter, and have now held their opponents scoreless in the second half for%^$eight quarters.
