COLUMBUS, Ohio — All-American Marvin Harrison made all the difference for No. 3 Ohio State in a pivotal Big Ten match-up, making 11 catches for 162 yards and a late touchdown as the Buckeyes beat No. 7 Penn State 20-12 on Saturday.
The Buckeyes’ defense smothered Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten), extending Ohio State’s winning streak in the series to seven games.
Penn State needed 58 minutes to convert a third or fourth down and didn’t get into the end zone until 29 seconds were left in the game. Penn State failed to convert on its first 15 third down attempts.
Kyle McCord was 22 for 35 for 286 yards and the Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0) put up 367 total yards, a season-high against Penn State’s stingy defense.
The biggest moment for Penn State was fleeting.
Nittany Lions linebacker Curtis Jacobs stunned the Ohio Stadium crowd in the first half when he knocked the ball loose from McCord, scooped up the fumble and galloped 60 yards the other way for an apparent touchdown. However, the play nullified because of defensive holding penalty.
Five plays later, Miyan Willams plunged in from 2 yards out to give the Buckeyes the lead. Williams had 56 of Ohio State’s 79 rushing yards, an average of fewer than 2 yards per carry.
Harrison was the one reliable offensive weapon for either team. He caught a pass crossing the middle and went 18 yards for a score that made it 20-6 with 4:07 left.
The Nittany Lions managed only field goals of 40 and 41 yards from Alex Felkins in the first half and were shut out in the second until Allar found Kaden Saunders for an 8-yard TD.
The Nittany Lions came in with the top defense in the nation. The unit bent and finally broke, unable to contain Harrison. The offense never got on track against the Buckeyes, gaining only 49 rushing yards.
The Buckeyes defense was outstanding, in its own right, and it was a good thing on a day when the offense stumbled for much of the day. Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, who had one of the best defensive games in Ohio State history last year against Penn State, was a force again against the Nittany Lions.
