Balanced Offense, Solid Defense Earns No. 1 Buckeyes 24-6 Win at Washington

Saturday, September 27

Seattle, Wash.

3:30 PM

Ohio State

4-0 , 1-0

Washington

3-1 , 0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Ohio St.

Washington

Balanced Offense, Solid Defense Earns No. 1 Buckeyes 24-6 Win at Washington

9/27/2025 6:00:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In the first road game of the season, No. 1 Ohio State (4-0, 1-0) went to the University of Washington (3-1, 0-1) and came away with a 24-6 win at Husky Stadium in Seattle. The Buckeyes used a balanced offense and steady defense to earn the road victory. The win stopped a 22-game home win streak by the Huskies. Julian Sayin threw for 208 yards while completing 22-28 passes and two touchdowns. Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 81 yards and a score. The ground game gained 149 yards with Bo Jackson leading the way with 17 carries and 80 yards. C.J. Donaldson added 39 yards on nine carries and a score. Caden Curry lead the Buckeye defense with 11 tackles including nine solo stops. He also recorded three sacks and five tackles for loss. Kayden McDonald added seven tackles with two sacks and three TFLs. Ohio State returns to Ohio Stadium next Saturday to host Minnesota. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. with NBC providing the national broadcast.

First Quarter

No. 1 Ohio State 0, Washington 0

After Ohio State won the pregame coin toss and deferred, Washington took possession at their 25 following a touchback. The Huskies did not gain a first down and then recorded a 17-yard punt out to the 50 where the Buckeyes took possession. A C.J. Donaldson rush for 4 yards led to a catch by Jeremiah Smith for a gain of 6 and a first down at the UW40. Another Donaldson carry gained 10 yards over the right side to the UW30. Donaldson rushed on the next two plays for gains of 5 and 11 yards to the UW14. The Buckeyes stayed on the ground for a gain of 3 by Bo Jackson to the UW11. After a Julian Sayin incompletion, the Ohio State quarterback rushed for 6 yards to the left sideline. The run was a yard short of a first down. The Buckeyes elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 but came up short, turning the ball over on downs to the Huskies at UW5. Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. rushed for 2 yards and then found Dezmen Roebuck for a gain of 16. After a penalty for sideline interference, the Huskies were moved back to their 12. Washington was moved back again after a couple penalties to their 4 on unsportsmanlike conduct and illegal snap penalties. The Huskies were forced to punt, this time a 42-yard effort out to the Ohio State 47. Brandon Inniss returned the kick 32 yards before a fumble gave the ball back to the Huskies at the UW21. After an incompletion, Jonah Coleman rushed the Huskies to the OSU45 following a 34-yard gain. After a short gain, Williams Jr. found Denzel Bosten for 17 yards to the OSU27. The Huskies were moved back 5 yards on a false start penalty before a 20-yard completion to Roebuck to the OSU12. Another completion, this time to Decker DeGraaf, gave Washington a first down at the OSU2 following a gain of 9. The Huskies lost a yard on a rush and then 5 more on a false start. The quarter ended when the Buckeyes tackled Jonah Coleman for a loss of 2 back to the OSU10.

Garrett Stover, Ohio State vs. Washington 09/27/2025

Second Quarter

No. 1 Ohio State 7, Washington 3

Washington did not gain a yard on its first play of the quarter before settling for a 28-yard field goal by Grady Gross to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead. The scoring drive covered 69 yards on 10 plays over 5:55. Following a touchback, Sayin started the Ohio State offense from the OSU25. The Buckeyes ran five plays for short gains before an incompletion led to a Joe McGuire punt for 35 yards to the Washington 25. The Huskies moved to their 43 where they faced a fourth-and-1. Washington went for it and gained 10 yards on a Williams Jr. rush over the right side to the OSU45. The next play gained 22 on a completion over the middle to Evans to the OSU27. Williams Jr. was sacked by Ohio State’s Kenyatta Jackson Jr. for a loss of 4 two plays later at the OSU22. The Huskies lost 5 more on a completion to Adam Mohammed at the OSU27. Grady then entered for a field goal attempt but the Buckeyes got the ball back after an attempt at a fake failed with an incompletion. Sayin completed passes to Jackson for 5 and then Inniss for 11 out to the OSU43. Smith then caught a pass for 9 before another to Inniss for 11 yards to the UW37. Just before the two-minute timeout, Jackson rushed up the middle for 8 yards to the UW29. After the break, Jackson gained 12 with a rush over the right side to the UW17. Washington called timeout after a Jackson gain of 2 to the UW15. Washington called timeout again after another Jackson gain of 2 to the UW13. On third-and-8 after the stoppage, the Buckeyes were called for a false start, moving the ball to the UW18. On the next play, Sayin found Smith over the middle for a catch and run for an 18-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead with 1:08 left in the half. The drive covered 73 yards on 10 plays while using 3:31. Washington returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to the UW41. The Huskies earned 5 yards on a completion before calling their final timeout. Ohio State’s Caden Curry then sacked Williams Jr. for a loss of 12 back to the UW34. The half ended at the UW41 after a 7-yard rush by Jonah Coleman.

Third Quarter

No. 1 Ohio State 14, Washington 6

Ohio State opened the second with the ball at its 25 following a touchback. Saying quickly got things going with completions to Smith for 13 and 9 yards to the OSU44. Rushes by Jackson for no gain and another for 3 yards by Donaldson gave the Buckeyes a first down at the OSU49. The chains moved again after catches by Smith for 6 and another to Jelani Thurman for 9 to the UW36. James Peoples got involved in the passing game with consecutive catches for 7 and 6 yards to the UW30. The drive stalled briefly on a hands-to-the face penalty called against the Buckeyes moving the ball back to the UW35. Washington was then called for a roughing the passer penalty to give Ohio State a first down at the UW18. Following an incompletion, Jackson ran for 7 yards and Sayin found Carnell Tate for 11 yards to the UW1. Donaldson then punched it in up the middle for the touchdown and a 14-3 lead. The drive covered 75 yards on 14 plays over 7:41. Roebuck picked up 18 yards down the middle on a completion before a 9-yard Coleman run over the right side to the OSU48. The Buckeyes were called for a facemask penalty to move the ball to the OSU30. Williams Jr. then hit DeGraaf for 23 yards for a first down at the OSU7. Ohio State’s defense then went to work moving the Huskies back to the OSU 10 on a Kayden McDonald sack of Williams Jr. The Huskies then kicked a 28-yard field goal to make it 14-6 with 3:49 left in the quarter. The drive covered 65 yards on eight plays while burning 3:30. Following a touchback, Sayin connected with Inniss for 12 yards to the OSU37. Sayin missed Tate down the left sideline but on the next play connected for 11 yards to the OSU48.

Julian Sayin , Ohio State vs. Washington 09/27/2025

Tywone Malone, Ohio State vs. Washington 09/27/2025

Fourth Quarter

No. 1 Ohio State 24, Washington 6

Ohio State opened with a holding penalty to move the ball back to the UW31. Peoples earned a 3-yard gain before an incompletion let do third and long. Sayin rushed for 12 to the UW16 before a Jayden Fielding 34-yard field goal for a 17-6 lead. The drive used 5:30 on 11 plays while covering 59 yards. A kickoff return of 18 yards placed the Huskies at their 19 to start the next possession. Washington used a series of short gains before a Curry sack of Williams Jr. for a loss of 7 move the ball back to the UW30. The Buckeyes were called for an unsportsmanlike penalty to give the Huskies the ball at their 45. Williams Jr. threw an incompletion and then on fourth down was sacked for a loss of 9 by McDonald to give the Buckeyes the ball at the UW44. Passes to Klare for 18 and Tate for 8 moved the Buckeyes to the UW16. Jackson carried over the left side for 3 and a first down at the UW13. Saying was sacked for a loss of 7 to the UW20 before a Huskies timeout with 5:43 to play. Washington called another timeout after stopping the Buckeyes for no gain with 5:37 left. On third with 17 to go for a first down, Jackson gained 16 yards down the left sideline that was just short of the first down. The Buckeyes elected to go for it and Sayin converted with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Donaldson to the right corner of the endzone. The score gave Ohio State a 24-6 lead with 4:56 left in the game. The drive covered 44 yards on eight plays while burning 3:48. The Huskies started from their 12 after a short return on the kickoff. After an incompletion, Williams Jr. found Coleman for 14 yards down the right side for a first down at the UW26. The Huskies earned a short gain before Curry earned another sack for a loss of 7. The Huskies were forced to punt after an incompletion. The Buckeyes took over at their 23 following a 56-yard boot. The Buckeyes stayed on the ground before the two-minute warning. Sayin came out of the break and connected with Smith for 19 yards to the OSU47. Ohio State ran out the remainer of the fourth-quarter clock to secure the 24-6 win.