Big Second Half Lifts No. 1 Ohio State over Rutgers, 42-9
11/22/2025 3:30:00 PM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio—A second-half offensive outburst led to No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0) defeating visiting Rutgers (5-6, 2-6) 42-9 Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Julian Sayin completed 13-of-19 pass attempts for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Max Klare was the top target with seven catches for 105 yards and a score. Bo Jackson rushed 19 times for 110 yards and two scores. The Buckeyes rushed for 254 yards and four touchdowns to finish with 430 yards of total offense in the win. Caden Curry led the Ohio State defense with six tackles, two sacks. The Buckeyes will travel to Ann Arbor next Saturday (noon/FOX) for the regular-season finale against Michigan.
First Quarter
No. 1 Ohio State 7, Rutgers 0
Ohio State won the pregame coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Rutgers opened with the ball at its 25 following a touchback. Athan Kaliakmanis opened at quarterback for the Scarlet Knights but managed just a short gain to force a punt by Jakob Anderson of 47 yards to the OSU27. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin took control for the Buckeyes behind center. Bo Jackson got the call from the running back spot on the opening two carries for a gain of 12 to the OSU39. Saying then connected with Bennett Christian and Max Klary, each for 5 yards, for a first down at the RU 49. Jackson then rushed for 12 and 14 yards to the RU 23. After a Klare catch for 8 and a Jackson rush right on a pitch play for 10 to the RU1, Ohio State fumbled in the endzone on the next play. Rutgers recovered for a touchback giving the Scarlet Knights the ball at their 20. Facing fourth-and-1 at their 29, Rutgers called timeout. The Scarlet Knights elected to go for the first down but were stopped to give the Buckeyes the ball inside Rutgers territory with a first down. Ohio State stayed with the ground game and were aided by a defensive holding call on Rutgers for a first down at the RU15. Jackson took the ball 15 yards up the middle for a touchdown on the first play after the Scarlet Knights penalty. The scoring drive to make it 7-0 covered 29 yards on four plays. Kaliakmanis produced a first down at the RU37 on a 3-yard rush over the left side. Rutgers earned another first down on a 12-yard catch by KJ Duff to the RU49. The quarter ended after Ohio State’s Caden Curry sacked Kaliakmanis on second down back to the OSU41 for a loss of 5.
Second Quarter
No. 1 Ohio State 14, Rutgers 3
Rutgers drove to the Ohio State 26 where Jai Patel connected on a 44-yard field goal to make it 7-3 Buckeyes. The drive covered 49 yards on 17 plays while using seven minutes, 11 seconds. Ohio State started at its 35 after the Rutgers kickoff went out of bounds. The Buckeyes were then forced to punt, a 44-yard Joe McGuire effort to the RU24. Rutgers was stopped just shy of a first down at its 33 on its next possession. Anderson entered to punt and delivered a 65-yard boot to the OSU2. Sayin found receiver David Adolph for a gain of 9 over the middle for some breathing room out to the OSU15. After an incompletion, Jackson caught a Sayin screen pass to the left for a gain of 14 to the OSU29. After a stoppage for a Rutgers injury, Sayin found Klare across the middle for a 39-yard gain to the RU32. Brandon Inniss and Klare added catches for a total of 8 yards to the RU24. Facing a fourth-and-2, Ohio State called timeout with Lincoln Keinholz in at quarterback. After an incompletion, Rutgers was called for roughing the passer to give Ohio State a first down at the RU12. With Sayin back in, Inniss caught an over-the-shoulder pass in the back right corner for a 7-yard touchdown grab for a 14-3 Ohio State lead. The drive covered 98 yards on 11 plays with 2:27 left in the half. Rutgers took over after a touchback at their 25. Antwan Raymond rushed for 12 yards to the RU37 just before the two-minute timeout. Two plays after the break, Ohio State was called for illegal hands to the face on a long pass attempt to move Rutgers to the OSU48. Ohio State forced a fourth-and-9 after Kaliakmanis was sacked for a loss of 7 back to the OSU33. The Scarlet Knights then punted it away, a 29-yarder to the OSU18. With 28 seconds left, Ohio State rushed once to run out the clock.
Third Quarter
No. 1 Ohio State 28, Rutgers 3
With the ball to open the second half, Ohio State started from its 9 after an Inniss fumble on a trick play was recovered by James Peoples and returned to the 9. Jackson then carried for 13 yards and then again for 3 to the OSU19. Adolph then added a 14-yard catch to the OSU33. Another Jackson rush for 8 gave the Buckeyes the ball at their 41. Klare then went for 12 yards before fumbling. Peoples recovered the ball at the OSU47 for a first down. Isaiah West carried for 4 yards before Kienholz entered at quarterback for a play, an incompletion. Sayin returned and after another incompletion, the Buckeyes punted it away, a 42-yard McGuire effort to the RU1. Rutgers moved to their 11 before Curry forced a Kaliakmanis fumble that he recovered at the RU1. The Buckeyes were called for holding on second down to move the ball to the RU11. Sayin responded two plays later with an 11-yard toss to Klare for a touchdown in the front left corner of the endzone for a 21-3 lead. Rutgers was not able to move the ball on its next possession. Ohio State got the ball back after a 43-yard punt to the OSU30. The Buckeyes responded with a 70-yard drive on eight plays over 3:36 to take a 28-3 lead after a Jackson 10-yard rush for a touchdown. The Scarlet Knights were forced back to their 17 after a Caleb Downs sack of Kaliakmanis. Rutgers punted it away to give Ohio State the ball at the OSU30 after a 53-yard kick. Kienholz returned to end the quarter with Ohio State in possession at its 45 after he rushed for 9 yards.
Fourth Quarter
No. 1 Ohio State 42, Rutgers 9
The Buckeyes started the final quarter with a Kienholz rush for 22 yards to the RU33. West followed with a 28-yard gain over the right side the Rutgers 5-yard line. Two plays later, C.J. Donaldson Jr., took the ball up the middle for touchdown and a 35-3 lead. Rutgers, aided by an Ohio State pass interference call, drove to the OSU5. Two plays later, the Scarlet Knights scored on a 1-yard Raymond rush up the middle. The score made it 35-9 Buckeyes with 6:43 left. Rutgers failed on a two-point conversion attempt intercepted in the endzone by Devin Sanchez. After a West rush for 4, Kienholz connected with Jelani Thurman for 19 yards to the OSU48. A couple plays later, Peoples rushed 49 yards over the right side for the final score of the game to give the Buckeyes a 42-9 lead. Rutgers moved to their 41 with the ground game before the two-minute timeout. After the break, the Scarlet Knights turned it over on downs at the RU48. Ohio State then ran out the clock.
