SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

After a slow start in the first half, No. 9 ranked Ohio State road the coattails of freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson – who broke Archie Griffin’s freshman single-game rushing record – en route to a 41-20 victory over Tulsa Saturday in Ohio Stadium.

Henderson racked up 277 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns, including scoring sprints of 48 and 52 yards in the first and last drives of the third quarter.

The Buckeyes overcame a slow start in the first half as Tulsa opened the scoring with a field goal on its first drive, which covered 16 plays, and held a 6-3 advantage well into the second quarter before the Buckeyes took the lead for good.

Henderson accounted for a pair of TDs, adding the 48-yard jaunt to a plunge from the five in the second quarter.

The Buckeyes held a tight 27-20 advantage midway through the fourth quarter before Henderson ripped off another big run of 31 yards to set Ohio State up deep in Tulsa Territory. Quarterback C.J. Stroud found Garrett Wilson for a 12-yard TD and Cameron Martinez returned an interception 61 yards to the end zone on the ensuing Golden Hurricane possession to seal the win.

FIRST QUARTER

Tulsa opened the scoring Saturday with a Zack Long 32-yard field goal following a 16-play, 81-yard drive that gobbled up 6:31 off the first quarter clock. Golden Hurricane QB Davis Brin completed a pair of big third down passes (11 yards to Sam Crawford, Jr. and 18 yards to JaunCarlos Santana) on the possession.

The Buckeyes leveled the game at 3 a piece with a Noah Ruggles 43-yard field goal. Ohio State covered 47 yards on a dozen plays in just more than four and a half minutes. Stroud completed a 20 yard pass to Wilson to get the drive started and then the Buckeyes kept the ball on the ground the rest of the way on gaining 27 yards on eight carries.

SECOND QUARTER

Tulsa opened the second quarter nearly the same as the first with a long, 14-play drive that ended in three points. Long split the uprights from 31 yards away to complete a 62-yard possession. Brin completed 6-of-8 passes on the drive for 43 yards.

The Buckeyes answered quickly with an inspired drive for the game’s first touchdown. Henderson rolled in from five yards out to put the Buckeyes ahead for the first time Saturday. Ohio State covered 64 yards in six plays in less than two minutes. Stroud found his rhythm as well, connecting on all four of his pass attempts for 47 yards.

Ruggles booted his second field goal (44 yards) as the half neared conclusion with Ohio State ahead 13-6. Master Teague was the workhorse on the nine-play, 53-yard drive, toting five times for 33 yards and adding a seven-yard reception.

THIRD QUARTER

The Buckeyes set the tone to start the second half, forcing a three and out by Tulsa and then capitalizing with a 48-yard sprint for six by Henderson for his second TD of the day. The scoring run topped off a five-play, 72-yard drive that took just 1:46 off the clock.

Tulsa closed out the quarter by closing to within a touchdown on a Brin completion to Cannon Montgomery from 21 yards out. The Golden Hurricane covered 48 yards in five plays in just more than a minute and a half.

Henderson finished the quarter like he started it, darting off the end for a 52-yard touchdown and topping the 200-yard mark for the day. The run put him at 243 yards on the day, breaking Archie Griffin’s freshman single-game rushing record of 239 yards (North Carolina, 1972). The run finished off a 72-yard, 3-play drive that covered :55.

FINAL

A Tyleik Williams sack on third and seven from the Ohio State 43, thwarted a potentially game-tying Tulsa drive. Henderson struck again on the very next play, heading off the right side for a 31-yard gain inside the Tulsa 35.

Stroud finished off the drive with is first TD strike of the day, a 12-yard dart to Garrett Wilson. The drive covered 65 yards on seven plays in 3:42.

COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS