Ohio State
5-0 , 2-0
Minnesota
3-2 , 1-1
Tate’s Career Highs Propels Buckeyes in 42-3 Win Over Gophers
10/4/2025 10:30:00 PM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Junior receiver Carnell Tate set career highs with nine receptions and 183 yards to help No. 1 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0) cruise to a 42-3 win over Minnesota (3-2, 1-1) Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Julian Sayin completed 23-of-27 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Jeremiah Smith complemented Tate’s effort with seven grabs for 67 yards and two scores. Freshman running back Bo Jackson carried 13 times for 63 yards and at score. James Peoples added 59 yards, all in the fourth quarter. After the Gophers scored a field goal on the opening drive, Ohio State scored the next 42 points in the win. Defensively, Ohio State held the Gophers to 68 yards rushing and 94 through the air. The Buckeyes travel to No. 22 Illinois next Saturday for a noon game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. The game will be televised by Fox Sports.
First Quarter
No. 1 Ohio State 7, Minnesota 3
Minnesota won the pregame coin toss and elected to receive. After a touchback, the Gophers took over on their 25. Before the first snap, Minnesota used its first timeout of the half. Quarterbacked by Drake Lindsey, the Gophers earned a first down on a pair of 5-yard completions. Minnesota moved to the OSU29 on a 25-yard completion to Jameson Geers. The Gophers stayed in the air, driving to the OSU10. Ohio State’s defense held and forced Minnesota to attempt a 27-yard field goal by Brady Denaburg. The kick was good for a 3-0 Gophers lead. The opening drive covered 66 yards on 13 plays over the first six minutes, 55 seconds of the game. Julian Sayin started Ohio State’s first drive from its 25 after a touchback. The freshman quarterback found receiver Carnell Tate for 6 yards to get things going for the Buckeyes. Bo Jackson then got the call from the backfield for gains of 10 and 5 yards up the middle. Receiver Jeremiah Smith then earned his first catch for 13 yards to the Minnesota 39. Ohio State moved to the UM35 before Jayden Fielding attempted a 53-yard field goal that missed right. Starting from their 35, Minnesota called their second timeout after two incompletions on their next possession. After the break, the Gophers were not able to get a first down and punted it away. The Buckeyes took over at their 9 after a Tom Weston punt of 48 yards. Tate started the possession with a 7-yard catch followed by a short Jackson rush to the OSU18. Jackson then got the first down on a 1-yard gain before Tate went down the left sideline for a 48-yard grab to the UM33. Smith then took a short pass to the right side and carried it 31 yards to the UM2. CJ Donaldson then carried to the UM1 before punching it on the next play for the touchdown and a 7-3 Ohio State lead. The drive covered 91 yards on seven plays over 3:41 to end the quarter.
Second Quarter
No. 1 Ohio State 21, Minnesota 3
After a touchback to start the quarter, Minnesota did not earn a first down and punted it away. The Buckeyes took over after a Weston punt of 53 yards to the OSU20. Tate started the drive with a 49 yard catch and run to the UM31. A few plays later, Sayin found tight end Max Klare for an 11-yard gain to the UM8. Two plays later Smith grabbed a 6-yard Sayin offering in the back left corner of the endzone for a 14-3 lead for the Buckeyes. The drive covered 80 yards on eight plays while using 2:56. From the UM25 after a touchback, Lindsey connected with Pierce Walsh for 10 yards to the UM35. With the Gophers facing fourth-and-1 at the UM44, Ohio State called timeout. After the stoppage, the Buckeyes stopped Minnesota short of the first down to take over the ball on downs at the UM44. Tate again went deep on Ohio State’s first play and scored on a 44-yard grab in the endzone for a 21-3 lead for the Buckeyes. Minnesota went three and out on the next possession after Ohio State’s Arvell Reece sacked Lindsey for a loss of six. After a 52-yard punt, Ohio State started from their 29. Sayin drove the Buckeyes to the UM48 on several short completions and a pair of short ground gains. The drive stalled and the Buckeyes were forced to punt. Joe McGuire delivered a 44-yard kick to the UM10. After the two-minute timeout, the Gophers moved to their 27 before the half ended.
Third Quarter
No. 1 Ohio State 28, Minnesota 3
Ohio State started the second half with the ball at their 25 after a touchback. The Buckeyes drove to the OSU40 before a McGuire punt of 42 yards put the Gophers at their 8 after a block in the back penalty on the return. The Gophers failed to gain a yard and punted it back to the Buckeyes. After a 48-yard effort that Brandon Inniss received and lateraled it to Lorenzo Styles who returned it 36 yards to the UM20. Three plays later Jackson scored on a 5-yard rush up the middle for a 28-3 lead for the Buckeyes. Minnesota started its next drive on their 25 after a touchback. The Gophers were again forced to punt after not earning a first down. Inniss returned the ensuing punt of 58 yards to the OSU28 after a return of 10 yards. Klare then grabbed a Sayin pass over the middle for 29 yards to the UM31. Jackson pickup up 9 over the right side before an incompletion. Sayin then rushed up the middle for 3 yards and a first down. The quarter ended on a 10-yard rush to the left by Jackson for a first down at the UM9.
Fourth Quarter
No. 1 Ohio State 42, Minnesota 3
Smith scored on the first play of the quarter on a 9-yard grab over the middle for a 35-3 lead. The Gophers put together a drive via the ground game inside Ohio State territory to the OSU41. Minnesota stalled at the OSU23 before missing on a 41-yard field goal attempt. Lincoln Keinholz entered at quarterback for the Buckeyes and moved Ohio State to the UM49 on a 13-yard rush by James Peoples and a 15-yard catch by Quincy Porter. Peoples then broke a 33-yard rush over the right side to the UM16. Peoples carried Ohio State to the UM5 on three-consecutive carries. Keinholz then called his own number for a 5-yard rush up the middle to the UM1 and then in for the score on the next play to make it 42-3. The game ended after Minnesota’s final drive stalled giving the Buckeyes the ball after a punt. Keinholz took a knee to end the game at the OSU19.
Team Stats
MIN 3, OSU 0
MIN - Denaburg,Brady 27 yd field goal 13 plays, 66 yards, TOP 06:55
MIN 3, OSU 7
OSU - Donaldson Jr,CJ 1 yd run (Fielding,Jayden kick), 7 plays, 91 yards, TOP 03:41
MIN 3, OSU 14
OSU - Smith,Jeremiah 6 yd pass from Sayin,Julian (Fielding,Jayden kick) 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 02:56
MIN 3, OSU 21
OSU - Tate,Carnell 44 yd pass from Sayin,Julian (Fielding,Jayden kick) 1 plays, 44 yards, TOP 00:08
MIN 3, OSU 28
OSU - Jackson,Bo 5 yd run (Fielding,Jayden kick), 3 plays, 20 yards, TOP 01:46
MIN 3, OSU 35
OSU - Smith,Jeremiah 9 yd pass from Sayin,Julian (Fielding,Jayden kick) 9 plays, 72 yards, TOP 04:14
MIN 3, OSU 42
OSU - Kienholz,Lincoln 1 yd run (Fielding,Jayden kick), 9 plays, 77 yards, TOP 05:37
