The Ohio State Buckeyes made sure head coach Ryan Day will remain undefeated in Big Ten play as they came from behind to defeat the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 45-31, in their season opener on Thursday night with freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud playing a starring role.
The Buckeyes produced a second-half masterclass, outscoring the Gophers, 35-17, to turn a four-point halftime deficit into a 14-point victory in the end. Day improved his overall record as Ohio State's coach with the win to 24-2, including 16-0 in conference games.
Stroud finishes strong after a shaky start
Stroud inspired the Buckeyes during that second-half turnaround, passing for 246 yards in the game's final two quarters. Even though his collegiate debut started a bit shaky, Stroud still managed to produce outstanding numbers, completing 13 of 22 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns.
In the third quarter, Stroud opened his touchdown account when he connected with Chris Olave for a 38-yard score to give Ohio State a 17-14 lead. After the Gophers answered back with a touchdown of their own to regain the advantage, Stroud went to work again, throwing a 56-yard pass to Garrett Wilson to give the Buckeyes the lead for good.
Stroud's third touchdown pass was a thing of beauty, with true freshman TreVeyon Henderson sprinting away on a third-down screen for a marvelous 76-yard score. Olave then put the icing on the cake, recording a 61-yard touchdown reception in the closing minutes for the 45-31 final score.
Stroud showed he is a worthy successor to Justin Fields' throne as he established a quick rapport with the Buckeyes' talented wide receiver corps. Olave finished the game with four catches for 117 yards while Wilson caught five passes for 80 yards. Henderson's only catch of the game also went for at least 75 yards.
Ohio State's ground game was in fine form as well, with running back Miyan Williams getting the party started with a long 71-yard touchdown run in the opening quarter. Williams finished the contest with 125 yards on nine carries.
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Ibrahim goes down injured for Gophers after a two-touchdown performance
The Buckeyes' victory spoiled a huge performance by Minnesota star running back Mo Ibrahim. He gave Ohio State quite a fright, carrying the ball 30 times for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both of which gave the Gophers unlikely leads in the opening half.
However, Ibrahim's dream night came to an abrupt end when he suffered a lower left leg injury late in the third quarter. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck gave no updates on Ibrahim's status after the game, but he left the field in a walking boot. Ibrahim's absence proved too much to overcome for the Gophers, who have now lost each of their last 12 meetings with the Buckeyes.
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