Flashback Friday 2005: Offensive Stars Shine under Metrodome Lights – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Troy Smith threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns, Ted Ginn Jr. scored on a 100-yard kickoff return and Antonio Pittman rushed for a career high 186 yards as the Buckeyes downed the Gophers 45-31. In addition to scoring the most points on the road since 1998, the Buckeyes rolled up 449 yard in total offense, including 216 on the ground.
Minnesota, which had entered the game averaging 299 yards rushing, finished with 182, including just 45 in the second half. The Gophers’ talented tailback Laurence Mauroney finished with 127 yards to become the first back this year to rush for 100 yards against the Buckeyes, but he was held to 13 yards on 11 carries in the second half.
Smith, who has had a hot hand of late, gave the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead on their first possession with a 41-yard scoring strike to split end Santonio Holmes, one of two TD receptions on the day for Holmes. With OSU leading 10-7, Ginn sprinted 100 yards untouched on a kickoff return to put the Buckeyes on top 17-7. Pittman snapped a 17-17 tie with a 67-yard run on the Buckeyes’ first possession of the second half that gave OSU the lead for good. Smith made it 31-17 on a 27-yard pass to Anthony Gonzalez on the Buckeyes’ next possession.
The Gophers, who threw for 396 yards and had 578 yards in total offense, closed the gap to 31-24, but a 4-yard Pittman run and a 30-yard Smith-to-Holmes pass salted things away.
Donte Whitner led the Buckeye defense with 10 tackles, one more than A.J. Hawk and Ashton Youboty.
The Buckeyes had no turnovers in the game and recovered a Gopher fumble that set up Pittman’s second score. Nate Salley forced the fumble which was recovered by Quinn Pitcock.
