Ohio State's defense dominated Minnesota from start to finish, intercepting three passes and forcing the Golden Gophers into a complete offensive breakdown. The Buckeyes scored on five of their first six possessions, with Antonio Pittman opening the game with a 9-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and adding another score in the third quarter, while Troy Smith contributed both a passing touchdown to Brian Robiskie and a rushing touchdown. Malcolm Jenkins' pair of interceptions, including one returned 29 yards to set up prime field position, helped Ohio State's defense strangle Minnesota's passing attack which managed only 149 yards. The shutout victory was never in doubt after Ohio State built a commanding lead by halftime, with the Buckeyes able to coast through the second half behind their dominant defense and efficient offensive execution.
Written by Claude from the box score and play-by-play on this page — a plain-English recap of the numbers below, not a substitute for them.