Will Howard threw for three touchdowns and Jeremiah Smith set a pair of team records as No. 2 Ohio State rolled past Purdue 45-0 in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.
Smith had a 17-yard touchdown catch late in the first half to up the lead to 21-0 for the Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten). The score was Smith’s ninth to pass Chris Carter’s Ohio State freshman record for TD catches set in 1984.
Smith needed three receptions to break Carter’s first-year mark of 41 and he surpassed that in the first half with six catches for 87 yards. He did not have a catch in the second half.
Howard was 21 of 26 for 260 yards and TreVeyon Henderson ran for 85 yards on six carries.
Purdue (1-8, 0-5) has lost eight straight games for its longest single-season streak since losing 10 in a row in 2013. The Boilermakers also lost eight consecutive games spanning the 2016-17 seasons.
Purdue quarterback Hudson Card was 9-of-19 passing for 108 yards and an interception and Devin Mockabee rushed for 73 yards on 13 carries for the Boilermakers.
The Buckeyes used a special teams play and a goal-line stand for a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.
Caden Curry’s blocked punt gave Ohio State the ball at the Purdue 8-yard line and Howard followed running back Quinshon Judkins through the line to score from the 1 on fourth down
After Ohio State stopped Penn State on four downs from the 3 to preserve a 20-13 win last week, the Buckeyes forced a field goal try by the Boilermakers after three unsuccessful tries to score from the 5 in the second quarter.
Purdue’s Spencer Porath missed the 21-yard attempt and the Buckeyes then moved 80 yards in 13 plays to go up 14-0 on a 15-yard catch by Gee Scott Jr. with 8:30 remaining before halftime.
It was 24-0 late in the third quarter when Ohio State scored twice in 8 seconds on a 19-yard TD run by Henderson and defensive end Jack Sawyer’s 15-yard scoop and score off a Reggie Love III fumble to make it 38-0.
— Field Level Media