The Ohio State football team used a strong second half start, led by RB TreVeyon Henderson, to pull away from the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Ohio State Buckeyes used a strong second-half performance to pull away from the Minnesota Golden Gophers 37-3 on Saturday afternoon in the final game at The Shoe in 2023. The Buckeyes improved to 8-0 in the Big Ten, setting up an undefeated matchup for The Game next Saturday against the undefeated TTUN.

Junior running back TreVeyon Henderson continued his elite running as he found the endzone early in the first quarter to get the scarlet and gray on the front foot. The bucks added two field goals in the second quarter and took a 13-0 lead to the locker room.

The second half saw more action and points, as Henderson found the endzone on a shifty 75-yard touchdown run just 12 seconds into the second half. After a forced fumble by the Silver Bullets, junior wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. made it look easy on a four-yard touchdown catch less than a minute after Henderson scored. Another field goal saw Ohio State’s lead grow to 30-0 through three quarters.

The fourth quarter featured another quick score as junior quarterback Kyle McCord helped senior tight end Cade Stover get in on the phone on a one-yard touchdown catch. Minnesota kicked a late field goal to avoid the shutout, but suffered a 34-point defeat to No. 2 Ohio State.

McCord continued to spread the ball around like he has the past couple of games, completing 20/30 passes for 212 passing yards and two touchdowns. He avoided a turnover yet again which will be crucial heading into Ann Arbor next weekend. Junior wide receiver Emeka Egbuka had his best came in a while leading the team in receptions with five and receiving yards with 83. Harrison Jr. added 30, while Stover added 26 through the air.

Henderson continued his strong play on the ground running 15 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns. His 9.7 yards per carry in this game will hopefully be a sign of things to come next weekend, as he will be leaned upon heavily to gain some chunk plays. He also added two catches for 23 yards, proving to be a viable option for McCord through the air as well. Sophomore running back Dallan Hayden got some good touches and ran for 34 yards.

The Silver Bullets gave up three late points but made plays throughout the game. They held Minnesota to just 89 passing yards and 70 rushing yards on there way to an easy victory. The Golden Gophers were just 3/12 on third down while Ohio State was an efficient 10/16. Minnesota threw an interception and had a fumble, while Ohio State took good care of the ball with zero turnovers.

Junior defensive end Jack Sawyer had an all-around great performance posting six tackles, three and a half tackles for loss, one sack and one fumble recovery. Six other Buckeyes found the backfield of the opposition and registered at least half of a tackle for loss. Junior cornerback Jordan Hancock earned another interception and returned it for 40 yards.

Ohio State used a nearly perfect balance of running and passing to wear down Minnesota and control the game. They won both the line battle and the turnover battle, and if they can manage to do that next week, they will have a great chance of beating the Wolverines. Kickoff for next week remains to be the usual noon timeslot. TTUN is currently favored by four points with the over/under hovering at 47.5 points.