Ohio State survives scare from Maryland to set up unbeaten battle with rival Michigan

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The last time Ohio State played at Maryland the Buckeyes barely survived, 52-51 in overtime.

Few expected a similar scare like four years ago on Saturday against a Terrapins team that was a 27-point underdog. But the Buckeyes got it before surviving 43-30 in front of a largely pro-OSU crowd at SECU Stadium.

Perhaps No. 2 Ohio State was looking ahead to next week's showdown against No. 3 Michigan.

Certainly, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa's brilliance can't be overstated. The Terrapins (6-5, 3-5) looked nothing like the team that lost 30-0 to Penn State last week.

Tagovailoa threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns on 26-of-36 passing to become Maryland's career passing yardage leader.

But Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) had its own ace in the hole in freshman running back Dallan Hayden. He replaced an ineffective TreVeyon Henderson and ran for three touchdowns and gained critical first downs on Ohio State's final possession to milk the clock.

Hayden finished with 27 carries for 146 yards.

"We played well in the second half," said OSU coach Ryan Day. "The first half, that wasn't the case. ... We were gutsy. We did a good job of finishing the game."

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Ohio State led 27-13 after a Lathan Ransom punt block sparked a third-quarter awakening by OSU, which trailed 13-10 at halftime. After a Maryland touchdown and two-point conversion, the Buckeyes answered with a touchdown on a 13-yard run by Hayden. Ohio State opted to go for a two-point conversion but a delay-of-game penalty caused them to kick the extra point. That was blocked and Maryland returned it all the way to make it 33-23.

Tagovailoa then led the Terrapins to another score. After a 49-yard completion, Maryland faced fourth-and-goal from the 1. The Buckeyes flushed Tagovailoa from the pocket. Just before he was forced out of bounds, he threw to the end zone to Jeshaun Jones for a touchdown to make it 33-30 with just under 10 minutes left.

Ohio State forced a three-and-out on Maryland's next possession, giving the Buckeyes the ball at their 12 with 5:54 left. Hayden carried the ball on the next six snaps. C.J. Stroud then converted a third-and-7 pass to Emeka Egbuka for 11 yards.

Stroud finished 18 of 30 for 241 yards and one touchdown.

The drive then stalled, but Noah Ruggles kicked a 45-yard field to push OSU's lead to 6 with 42 seconds left.

Zach Harrison made sure there was no Maryland miracle. He sacked Tagolaivoa on first down. On the next play, he popped the ball free from the quarterback, and linebacker Steele Chambers caught it in the air for a clinching touchdown.

Ohio State trailed at halftime 13-10, only the third time this season the Buckeyes have been behind at the half. It was a well-deserved deficit.

Ohio State needed only 92 seconds to take a 7-0 lead on a 31-yard pass from Stroud to Henderson. The Buckeyes wouldn't reach the end zone for the rest of the half.

Penalties and an ineffective running game kept the Buckeyes stuck in neutral. Henderson gained only 19 yards in 11 first-half carries in his return to the lineup after a foot injury.

Even the passing game was out of sync. Stroud completed only 9 of 18 passes in the first half.

Maryland's run game was also ineffective – 31 yards in 18 carries – but Tagovailoa was razor-sharp in the first half. He broke out of his late-season slump by completing 16 of 18 passes for 180 yards.

Ohio State's defense held the Terrapins to short field goals after long drives, but the Terrapins took the lead with a 14-play, 75-yard drive with 4 minutes left in the first half. Tagovailoa completed a 34-yard pass to Dontay Demus against Jordan Hancock on third-and-11. On third-and-goal just inches from the goal line, Tagovailoa threw for a touchdown to tight end C.J. Dippre.

Ohio State managed only one first down on its last drive of the first half. Henderson limped off the field after he was tackled for a 1-yard loss on the possession.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: No. 2 Ohio State survives challenge from Maryland, moves to 11-0