Ohio State escapes Maryland with 52-51 overtime victory

COLLEGE PARK, Md.--No. 10 Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) escaped with a big 52-51 overtime win over Maryland (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) Saturday at Maryland Stadium in College Park, Maryland.

It was a dog fight to the very end and a dramatic bout throughout the course of the game, but it was a very special game for quarterback Dwayne Haskins coming home to his home state of Maryland coming out with the win and in the fashion that he did it.

Haskins finished the game going 28-for-38 with 405 yards passing, three passing touchdowns and an interception. With those numbers, Haskins set new all-time single season passing yards and passing touchdown records passing Joe Germaine and J.T. Barrett in that record. Haskins also surprisingly ran for three scores as well, but the most important thing to him was he did all of that in front of the people that he cares about.

"Whether we win or lose, we got to remain strong in what we do as a group and as a team," Haskins said. "Just being able to play in front of my family, friends and of course, people that I grow up with and played against in high school, same class together and all of that. I knew a lot of kids on the team, so I meant a lot for me to go there and play the game."

As the game continued on, and J.K. Dobbins continued to get the bulk of the carries with no signs of Mike Weber to be found. After the game, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer disclosed that Weber had a quad bruise which explained the vacancy on the field.

The Buckeyes leaned on Dobbins heavily as he had a career-high 37 carries for 203 yards and a touchdown. Despite fumbling the ball earlier in the game close to the goal line, Meyer continued to send Dobbins out and Dobbins loved getting the bulk because he loves the responsibility and the contact.

"I knew Mike wasn't going to play, I know I was going to have to take all the carries; most of them," Dobbins said. "I had myself mentally prepared for that. I kind of like that, I like getting hit a little bit. I like the roughness and knew I had to carry the load."

The run defense in this game for the Buckeyes was absolutely a sore spot and something that an Ohio State defense had never really seen before. In the first five minutes, Maryland's Anthony McFarland had touchdown runs of 81 and 75 yards gashing the Buckeye defense early.

Although, McFarland was limited in the second half, he still went off for 21 carries, 298 yards and two touchdowns. Meyer called it unacceptable and odd considering last week at Michigan State, they were so solid in stopping the run and will be something they must get corrected in time for their rivalry game against Michigan next weekend.

"I thought we broke the rock a little bit the last couple of weeks with the limitation on big plays," Meyer said. "I think against Michigan State we gave up other than the quarterback run, I think the whole day 18 or 20 yards rushing for the whole day. Alarming is the right word, but we won and let's go back to work and get ready for the next one."

The Terrapins started the game off quick with an 81-yard run to the house by McFarland to give Maryland the early 7-0 lead 50 seconds into the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, Maryland recovered an onside kick, but fumbled on the following offensive play. The Buckeyes then marched down the field and got on the board with a 36-yard field goal by Blake Haubeil.

Maryland's McFarland answered back with another long run to the end zone, this time a 75-yard scamper to the end zone to put the score at 14-3 with 9:05 left in the first quarter.

Maryland extended its lead to 14 with a 36-yard field goal from Joseph Petrino to end the scoring in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Haskins pulled the Buckeyes to within a touchdown throwing a 68-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin and in the process, sets a new record for all-time single-season passing yards passing Germaine.

Maryland answered on the ground yet again with Javon Leake getting a 16-yard touchdown putting the score at 24-10 midway through the second quarter.

Ohio State continues the back-and-forth play with Dobbins stretching the ball at the goal line for a one-yard touchdown run to make the score 24-17 going into the second half.

The Buckeyes started the second half with the ball, but Haskins' first pass went for a pick-six to extend Maryland's lead to 31-17 just 45 seconds into the half.

On the following offensive drive, Haskins kept the ball on a read-option run to score two yards out and pull the Buckeyes to within seven points yet again with 11:45 left in the third quarter.

With 12:25 left in the fourth quarter, Haskins throws a six-yard touchdown pass to K.J. Hill tying the game at 31.

After capitalizing on a fake punt, Tyrrell Pigrome connected with Jeshaun Jones for a 27-yard touchdown to take the lead back at 38-31 with 7:50 left in the fourth quarter.

Ohio State would answer once again with a one-yard rushing touchdown from Haskins, his second of the day, to tie the game at 38 with 3:41 remaining in the game.

Maryland scores with 1:41 left in the game when Chigoziem Okonkwo recovers his own team's fumble in the end zone to take the lead 45-38.

Ohio State would then tie the game with 40 seconds left on a three-yard pass from Haskins to Binjimen Victor for his third of the day and a new all-time single-season passing touchdown record passing former quarterback Barrett as Ohio State and Maryland head to overtime.

In overtime, five-yard touchdown run by Haskins, his third of the day gives the Buckeyes a 52-45 lead.

It took two plays for Maryland's Tayon Fleet-Davis to punch it in from the one-yard line to bring the score to 52-51.

The Terrapins tried to win the game with a two-point conversion, but the attempt was off target as Ohio State escapes Maryland with a 52-51 win.

The Buckeyes will wrap up their regular season schedule next week when they play host to arch rival Michigan at Ohio Stadium with a noon kickoff.