Late Goal-Line Stand Lifts Buckeyes to 20-13 Win at Penn State
11/2/2024 3:35:00 PM | Football
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania -- No. 4 Ohio State (7-1, 4-1) got a goal-line stand late in the fourth quarter and then used the run game to run out the clock in a 20-13 win at No. 3 Penn State (7-1, 4-1) at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, Saturday. Will Howard finished completing 16-of-24 pass attempts for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Eight receivers caught Howard tosses with freshman Jeremiah Smith leading with four catches for 55 yards. Emeka Egbuka had three receptions for 31 yards and a score. Brandon Inniss also had a scoring catch. Ohio State’s ground game was led by Quinshon Judkins with 14 carries for 95 yards. His effort down the stretch kept the clock running to help secure the win. Defensively, linebackers Cody Simon and Sonny Styles lead with 10 and 9 tackles, respectively. The Buckeyes will be back at Ohio Stadium next Saturday against Purdue. Game time and television designation have not been announced.
First Quarter
No. 3 Penn State 10, No. 4 Ohio State 7
Ohio State won the pregame coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Penn State chose to receive the opening kickoff. The Nittany Lions started the opening drive of the game from their 27 after a 25-yard return by Nicholas Fielding. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar rushed and passed the Nittany Lions to the OSU12 after a 19-yard pass play to Nicholas Singleton. After a 5-yard penalty for illegal receiver downfield, the Nittany Lions were moved back to the OSU17, Ohio State’s defense then held after two short runs and an incompletion at the OSU12. Penn State then converted on a 29-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. The drive covered 61 yards on 14 plays while using eight minutes of the first-quarter clock. After a touchback, quarterback Will Howard, a Pennsylvania native, started the first Ohio State drive from the OSU25. The Buckeyes rushed twice for 5 yards before Howard was intercepted by Zion Tracy for a 31-yard return for a touchdown to put Penn State up 10-0 with 5:37 remaining in the quarter. Ohio State started from its 26 after a Caleb Downs return of 16 yards on the next possession. After a completion for 9 yards to receiver Jeremiah Smith, running back Quinshon Judkins scampered for 11 yards around the right side to the OSU48. Judkins got the call on the next play as well and went right again for another 22 yards to the PSU30. TreVeyon Henderson then took a pitch right for 5 more before Howard connected with receive Emeka Egbuka for a 25-yard touchdown grab in the front right corner of the endzone. The drive covered 74 yards on seven plays over 3:31 to make it 10-7 Penn State with just under two minutes left. Penn State took the ensuing kickoff to its 20 after a return of 19 yards. The Nittany Lions were forced to punt, giving the ball back to the Buckeyes at their 29 following a 43-yard kick. The ball moved back 10-yards after a holding call on the Buckeyes. The quarter ended after a completion on second downs to Carnell Tate for 8 yards to the OSU27.
Second Quarter
No. 4 Ohio State 14, No. 3 Penn State 10
The Buckeyes got the first down to open the quarter on a 5-yard Penn State offsides penalty. Tate then caught a 7-yard pass to the OSU38 on third down that was 2-yards shy of the first down. Penn State was then called for unsportsmanlike conduct to give Ohio State the first down at the PSU47. After an incompletion and 5-yard Judkins catch, Howard connected on a pass for 20 yards to Henderson to the PSU22. Henderson rushed for a yard on the next play before the Buckeyes took the lead on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Howard to Inniss across the middle with 11:54 left in the half. The drive covered 81 yards on 10 plays over 3:42 to make it 14-10 Ohio State. Following a touchback, the Nittany Lions took over at their 25. The Ohio State defense forced a three-and-out and got the ball back after a Penn State punt of 33 yards to the OSU42. The Buckeyes got 9 yards to the PSU49 and faced a fourth-and-1. Ohio State called timeout with 9:25 left in the half. Ohio State came back from the break and completed a 19-yard pass to Jelani Thurman to the PSU30 for the first down. Judkins then gained 7 up the middle to the PSU23. Howard lost a yard on a keeper up the middle but on the next play Henderson gained a first down on a 11-yard rush up the middle to the PSU13. Howard called his number on the next play and rushed right but fumbled from the PSU2 out of the endzone before crossing the goal line to give Penn State the ball at its 20 after a touchback. The Nittany Lions moved to the PSU46 after three gains of 7 yards and a 5-yard offsides penalty on the Buckeyes. Penn State then had to punt to give Ohio State the ball back at their 20 following a 50-yard boot and a touchback. The Buckeyes had to punt it right back after Howard was sacked on third down back to the OSU15. After the two-minute timeout, Joe McGuire delivered a 41 punt to the OSU49 after 7 yards Penn State return. Ohio State called timeout after the Nittany Lions were a yard short after a Allar 3-yard rush to the OSU40. Penn State got the first down after the break on a 2-yard rush up the middle to the OSU38. The Nittany Lions called timeout and returned to get a 15-yard rush up the middle by Aller to the OSU23. The Nittany Lions took another timeout with 16 seconds left. Allar then connected with Harrison Wallace III for 21 yards to the OSU3. Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun then intercepted Allar in the endzone to earn Ohio State a touchback. Howard then took a knee to end the half from the OSU20.
Third Quarter
No. 4 Ohio State 17, No. 3 Penn State 13
Ohio State started the second half from its 25 after a touchback. Howard quickly moved the Buckeyes to the PSU29 after three plays of 11 or more yards, the longest a 16-yard rush right for 16 yards by Henderson. After a pair of 2-yard gains, Howard was sacked for a loss of 3 to the PSU28. Jayden Fielding then came in and booted a 46-yard field goal for a 17-10 Ohio State lead. The Buckeyes opened the half with an eight-play, 47-yard scoring drive over 4:20. After a 22-yard return on the kickoff, the Nittany Lions started from their 24. Penn State earned gains of 11 and 24 yards on its first three plays to the OSU41. After another first down to the PSU31, Penn State settled for a 44-yard field goal to make it 17-13 Buckeyes with 5:03 on the clock. The drive of nine plays covered 49 yards over 5:32. Howard and the Buckeyes took over at the OSU25 after a touchback but had to punt it away after a three-and-out. McQuire entered and delivered a 53-yard punt that was returned 14 yards to the PSU38 with 2:56 on the clock. Penn State entered Ohio State territory on its first play with a 13-yard completion to the OSU49. After a 2-yard gain, Allar was sacked for a loss of 9 to the PSU44. Cody Simon was credited with the sack before both JT Tuimoloau and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. sacked Allar again for a loss of 4 to the PSU40. Penn State then punted it back to the Buckeyes, a 45-yard kick to the Ohio State 15. The quarter ended when Howard found Smith for 18 yards to the OSU33.
Fourth Quarter
No. 4 Ohio State 20, No. 3 Penn State 13
Howard handed to Judkins for gains of 2 and 14 yards to start the quarter. After an incompletion, Inniss earned a gain of 12 yards on a completion to the PSU39. After a gain of 1 and an incompletion, Howard connected with Smith for 14 yards to the PSU24 for a first down. Henderson rushed for a yard and Howard added a 2-yard gain before an incompletion on third down from the PSU21. Fielding then connected on a 39-yard field goal to put Ohio State back up seven at 20-13. The drive covered 64 yards on 12 plays over 5:02. Following a touchback, Penn State started from its 25 and quickly moved inside Ohio State territory to the OSU40 on a 31-yard catch by Tyler Warren. Warren then added a 33-yard rush over the left side down to the OSU3. Ohio State held on the next three plays to force a fourth down from the OSU1. The Buckeyes then took over on downs when after an incomplete pass with 5:13 left in the game. Howard kept for 4 yards up the middle before a Judkins gain of 9 to give Ohio State the first down at the OSU14. Another Judkins rush up the middle for 6 put Ohio State at their 20. The Buckeyes stayed with Judkins for another gain, this time for 15 yards right up the gut to the OSU35. Henderson then got the call for a 6-yard gain over the left side to the OSU41 at the two-minute timeout. Judkins carried for 2 yards before a Penn State timeout with 1:54 on the clock. Howard carried next for a gain of 3 and a first down to the OSU46. The Buckeyes called timeout with 1:19 to go after running down the clock. Henderson got the call after the break for a gain of 7 up the middle. Penn State then called timeout with 1:15 left. After a rush for no gain, Penn State called its final timeout with 1:11 to go and Ohio State facing a third-and-3 from the PSU47. Ohio State then called its second timeout. Howard then kept for a 7-yard gain to the Penn State 40. Howard then took a knee to end the game in the 20-13 Ohio State win.
