Kent State Defeated By No. 3 Ohio State
10/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Just like the last time they met, Ohio State hopes Kent State is a steppingstone to a national championship.
Brian Hartline returned a punt a school-record 90 yards and Donald Washington brought back an interception 70 yards to lead the third-ranked Buckeyes past the Golden Flashes 48-3 on Saturday.
It was the second meeting between the teams. The Buckeyes rolled 51-17 in 2002 on the way to a 14-0 record and their first national title since the 1968 season.
The game was little more than a tuneup for the Buckeyes (7-0) for the Big Ten stretch drive. They play Michigan State, at Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois and at Michigan in the final five games -- all teams with winning records.
Ohio State dominated every aspect: shutting down the Golden Flashes (3-4) on defense, constantly moving the ball on offense and making big plays on special teams.
The biggest was Hartline's return. With the Buckeyes ahead 7-0 two plays into the second quarter, he grabbed a punt by Jake Gilroy at the 10. Kent State's Kirk Belgrade had a clean shot, but slipped and fell as Hartline pivoted and cut to the right sideline. Hartline picked up blockers along the way while outrunning the coverage, with Ohio State defenders Doug Worthington and Vernon Gholston shielding him from tackles as he went the distance untouched.
The return erased the previous mark of 87 yards set by Robert Demmel in 1950 against Iowa.
Later in the quarter, Washington stepped in front of a sideline pass from Julian Edelman and scored easily to make it 28-0. It was Washington's first college interception.
The offense had supplied the other two scores to that point, with Todd Boeckman hitting Hartline on a 14-yard strike on Ohio State's first possession and Chris Wells adding a 7-yard run.
Late in the half, the Buckeyes turned another Kent State turnover into points. The Golden Flashes were seemingly killing the final seconds off the clock when Eugene Jarvis was hit hard on a run up the middle by Worthington and Shaun Lane fell on the loose ball.
Three plays later, Boeckman tossed a pass into the right flat to Maurice Wells, who was all alone and could have walked in from 15 yards out.
Boeckman finished 13-of-16 for 184 yards, two scores and no interceptions.
Kent State coach Doug Martin said earlier in the week that one of his major concerns was an injury to a key player, which could derail the rest of the Golden Flashes' season.
He didn't have to worry. Both sides made wholesale replacements early in the third quarter, about the time when many of the 105,051 spectators were heading for the exits for some tailgating.
Jarvis acquitted himself despite the fumble, rushing for 84 yards on 16 carries. The 5-foot-5, 170-pounder came in fifth in the nation in rushing, averaging 142 yards a game.
Edelman completed 3-of-9 passes for 38 yards.
What was left of the crowd booed loudly when Kent State followed a short Ohio State punt with Nate Reed's 34-yard field goal with 2:36 left to spoil the shutout. The Buckeyes held Purdue scoreless until 10 seconds remained a week ago in a 23-7 victory.
In the second half, Rob Schoenhoft replaced Boeckman and capped a 50-yard drive with a 2-yard keeper. Ryan Pretorius field goals of 49 and 31 yards.
Brandon Saine, in just his second game back since missing two weeks due to arthroscopic knee surgery, rushed for 69 yards on nine carries and added five receptions for 76 yards. Schoenhoft was 7-of-9 passing for 79 yards without an interception.
The Associated Press News Service
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