TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Ohio St. back in control of conference race

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

Published: November 8, 2009

Updated: 11/08/2009 12:11 am

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Ohio State Buckeyes are back in control of the Big Ten title race.
Terrelle Pryor threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in his return to his home state, Ray Small burned No. 11 Penn State with two long punt returns and No. 15 Ohio State won a duel of the league's top two defenses in a 24-7 victory Saturday.

Left for dead in the Big Ten after a demoralizing loss at Purdue last month, Ohio State's hopes for a fifth straight league title look much brighter. A first-place showdown with Iowa at the Horseshoe awaits next week.

They'll head home to Columbus with a confident Pryor, the western Pennsylvania native who came up with several clutch plays in his first game against the team he turned down as a highly touted high school recruit. Thanks in large part to the dual-threat phenom, Ohio State scored the game's final 17 points to silence the crowd of 110,033, the fourth-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history.

Leading by three, Pryor connected with open receiver Devier Posey in stride down the left sideline for a 62-yard touchdown pass with 1:47 left in the third quarter to extend the lead to 17-7.

After another three-and-out by quarterback Daryll Clark and the Penn State (8-2, 4-2 Big Ten) offense, Small lit up the Nittany Lions' porous punt coverage unit for a 45-yard return to the Penn State 47 to end the third quarter.

Pryor converted two third downs before rolling right to hit Brandon Saine for a 6-yard touchdown pass on another third-down play to give Ohio State (8-2, 5-1) a 17-point cushion.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT