Ohio State Survives Road Trip To Nebraska, 26-17

The Buckeyes handed the Cornhuskers their seventh loss of the season by nine points or less.

Ohio State escaped Nebraska with a tougher-than-expected 26-17 win in Lincoln on Saturday afternoon to improve to 8-1 on the season.

The Buckeyes were led offensively by wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught a school single-game record 15 passes for 240 yards and one touchdown. The Cornhuskers, meanwhile, lost their seventh game of the fall by nine points or less.

How It Happened

• The Buckeyes got the ball first but turned the ball over on downs when quarterback C.J. Stroud couldn’t connect with tight end Jeremy Ruckert on 4th-and-1 at the Nebraska 43-yard line.

• The Cornhuskers moved into Ohio State territory when quarterback Adrian Martinez connected with wide receiver Samori Toure for 24 yards. They missed a 45-yard field goal four plays later, though.

• Ohio State was driving thanks to a pair of passes to Smith-Njigba, but Stroud was picked off at the 9-yard line. It was his first interception since the win over Tulsa on Sept. 18.

• The Buckeyes were held scoreless in the first quarter, something that hadn’t happened since the Week 2 loss to Oregon.

• The teams traded punts until Ohio State finished off an 11-play, 57-yard drive with a 26-yard field goal from kicker Noah Ruggles.

• The Buckeyes got the ball back near midfield following a 13-yard punt from the Cornhuskers. They capitalized seven plays later when Stroud found senior wide receiver Chris Olave for a three-yard touchdown pass at a 10-0 lead.

• Nebraska finally got on the board with a 39-yard field goal from Chase Contreraz with just under four minutes left in the second quarter.

• Ohio State quickly responded when Smith-Njigba took a simple six-yard hitch route 75 yards for a touchdown. He juked a defender and was sprung by a key downfield block by Olave.

• The Cornhuskers closed the gap two plays later with a 72-yard touchdown pass from Martinez to Toure to make it a one-score game at the half.

• Nebraska got the ball to open the second half, but back-to-back sacks from defensive ends Zach Harrison and Javontae Jean-Baptiste.

• Ohio State once again extended the lead to two scores when Ruggles hit a 46-yard field goal to finish off a five-play, 23-yard drive. The Buckeyes initially converted on third down but a holding penalty on right tackle Dawand Jones halted the drive.

• The Buckeyes ratcheted up the pressure on Nebraska’s ensuing drive and forced the Cornhuskers to punt. A question kick catch interference penalty put offense on the field at the 27-yard line rather than at the 12-yard line.

• Ohio State’s subsequent drive was marred by penalties, including holding and an ineligible player downfield on a pass, the second of the day. The Buckeyes then punted to the Nebraska 4-yard line, though the Cornhuskers were unable to put anything together deep in their own territory.

• A 35-yard field goal made pushed Ohio State’s lead to 23-10.

• Nebraska responded with a five-play, 75-yard drive, which was capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Martinez to cut the lead to six.

• Stroud threw his second interception of the game while under pressure on the first play of the fourth quarter.

• The Cornhuskers were unable to capitalize despite reaching the red zone, as they missed a 31-yard field goal. It was Contreraz's second miss of the game.

• Nebraska had a chance to take the lead, but went three-and-out before punting the ball back to Ohio State.

• The Buckeyes had an opportunity to run out the clock, but a fumble on a passing attempt by Stroud put them in 2nd-and-long. They ultimately kicked a field goal to go up by nine points with 1:29 to go in the game.

• The Cornhuskers' last-ditch effort ended when linebacker Steele Chambers picked off Martinez with just under one minute remaining.

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