Tulsa trailed just 27-20 late in the fourth quarter, but two Ohio State touchdowns in the final minutes gave the No. 9 Buckeyes a 41-20 victory in a game that was much closer than the final score indicates.
Tulsa was held to just 73 yards on the ground, but quarterback Davis Brin threw for a career-high 428 yards and the team’s first two passing touchdowns this season. Josh Johnson caught eight passes for a career-high 149 yards.
"I'm really proud of the way we played today," said Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery. "We did some good things and gave ourselves some good opportunities. We went toe-to-toe with an exceptional team."
Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson broke Archie Griffin’s 49-year-old freshman rushing record, running for 277 yards and three touchdowns
TU forced Ohio State’s freshman quarterback, C.J. Stroud, into mistakes. The Hurricane picked off a Stroud pass and also forced him to lose a fumble. He threw for just 185 yards but did toss a late touchdown to Garrett Wilson that gave the Buckeyes some breathing room at 34-20.
Ohio State's Cameron Martinez returned an interception for a 61-yard touchdown with 1:50 remaining to make the final score 41-20.
Tulsa struck first with a 22-yard field goal by Zack Long. The Hurricane led 6-3 in the second quarter after Long kicked a 31-yarder. Ohio State took a 13-6 lead into halftime after Henderson's first rushing touchdown, followed by a field goal.
Trailing 20-6 late in the third quarter, Brin found Cannon Montgomery for a 21-yard score. The Buckeyes pushed their lead to 27-13 at the end of the third on a 52-yard Henderson run, but TU struck back with 12 minutes to play, as Brin hit Josh Johnson in the back of the end zone from 22 yards out.
"It's been a tough start, but I am encouraged by the way we played today," said Montgomery. "We still have a lot of football ahead of us. We have a good football team, and now we have to focus on getting over the hump. We have to get back on the practice field and get back to work."
Tulsa hosts Arkansas State on September 25 at 4 pm.
