Rutgers blown out by Ohio State once again despite positive start

COLUMBUS, Ohio — For brief periods throughout its latest trip to Ohio Stadium, Rutgers looked like it could break its blowout tradition against Ohio State.

The Scarlet Knights led the No. 3 Buckeyes for the first time ever, taking a 7-0 advantage that may have become the most screen-shotted score in college football history four minutes into the contest. Just before halftime, they made five consecutive defensive stops with Ohio State four yards outside the end zone. Just after the break, they intercepted Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud and gave themselves a chance to come within two touchdowns of the Buckeyes in a second half for the first time ever.

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But in the end, Ohio State found a way to dominate as usual en route to a 49-10 blowout that marked its ninth win in as many games against the Scarlet Knights.

The Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0) outscored their visitors 49-3 over the final 56 minutes of the game, outgained the Scarlet Knights (3-2, 0-2) by 226 yards, had six plays of 20 or more yards and saw running back Miyan Williams tie a school record for most touchdowns in a single game with five. Rutgers has now been outscored 477-98 in those nine meetings against the Buckeyes and has still never hold them to less than 49 points.

The Buckeyes poured it on, too. Leading 49-10 early in the fourth quarter, they faked a punt inside their own territory. Rutgers wide receiver Aron Cruickshank hit punter Jesse Mirco while out of bounds, causing an eruption on the Ohio State sideline. The brouhaha led to a heated confrontation between Rutgers coach Greg Schiano and Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, and Cruickshank was subsequently ejected for the hit.

Rutgers was without two defensive starters in cornerback Robert Longerbeam and safety Desmond Igbinosun, along with key backup safety Shaquan Loyal, but their inclusion would likely not be enough to bridge the talent gap.

The Scarlet Knights could not keep pace with the Buckeyes’ elite offense on the other end, either. Quarterback Evan Simon struggled with turnovers once again, throwing an interception and fumbling the ball while throwing for just 74 yards and a touchdown on 10-of-19 passing.

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Another strong performance from true freshman running back Samuel Brown, who led the Scarlet Knights in rushing (79 yards on 15 carries) and had his team’s longest run of the day for the third consecutive game, was just about the only positive for the Scarlet Knights to take away from the contest.

Rutgers now turns its attention to a pivotal meeting with Nebraska (1-3, 0-1) on Friday night, a game the Scarlet Knights need to win to remain on pace to reach a second consecutive bowl game.

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Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.

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