No. 1 OSU Crushes Toledo

Joe Germaine threw three scoring passes and Michael Wiley ran for a career-high 151 yards and two touchdowns as No. 1 Ohio State scored early and often to beat turnover-prone Toledo 49-0 Saturday.

In

It was 42-0 by halftime, with Ohio State piling up huge advantages in almost every statistical category. The Buckeyes had a 371-32 edge in yards and 16-1 in first downs.

Toledo quarterback Chris Wallace completed just 3-of-18 passes for 7 yards with three interceptions in the opening half. He finished 12-of-34 for 73 yards with five interceptions.

Meanwhile, Ohio State's quarterbacks were the picture of cold efficiency. Germaine was 13-of-21 for 150 yards, Mark Garcia 5-of-11 for 83 yards and a touchdown and freshman Steve Bellisari 3-for-5 for 24 yards -- all without an interception.

Ohio State, which won its 20th consecutive home opener, is 13-1 against current members of the Mid-American Conference. The only loss was to Akron in 1894.

The Big Ten went into Saturday's four matchups with MAC schools with a record of 79-17-2 against the conference.

In the opening half, Toledo (1-1) ran 34 plays and only 10 gained yardage.

The Rockets advanced a yard on their first three plays before punter Gabe Lindstrom's 62-yard punt was downed at the Ohio State 2.

Five

Wiley (5) was hardly touched en route to a career-high 151 yards and two touchdowns. (AP)

After anther Lindstrom punt, Ohio State needed three plays before Germaine found flanker Dee Miller alone at the right sideline and he sidestepped one defender on a 37-yard scoring strike.

Two plays later, Wallece's pass was intercepted by Ohio State strong safety Damon Moore, who returned it to the Toledo 18. Germaine hit David Boston on a 5-yard fade pattern to cap the four-play drive that made it 21-0 with more than seven minutes left in the opening quarter.

After Joe Montgomery opened the second quarter with an 11-yard touchdown run, Ohio State linebacker Na'il Diggs picked off Wallace's pass and returned it 26 yards to the Toledo 6. Sophomore Reggie Germany then caught his first-career touchdown pass from Germaine.

Garcia replaced Germaine and on his first play lofted a perfectly thrown 47-yard touchdown pass to Germany on a post pattern to make it 42-0.

Germany had 63 yards on three catches, Boston had five receptions for 55 yards and Miller had 54 yards on four catches.

Wiley capped the scoring on the first series of the second half when he went untouched around right end for a 4-yard touchdown.

Wasean Tait gained 59 yards on 14 carries and Dwayne Harris, also a 1,000-yard rusher for Toledo, was held to zero yards on seven carries.

Ahmed Plummer, Tim Cheatwood and Percy King also had interceptions for the Buckeyes.

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