COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State didn’t bully Kent State around like it has every other team in Ohio Stadium this season, but one would not know it by the score: a 48-3 Buckeye win sparked by two return touchdowns, 263 passing yards and a defense that still has not surrendered a touchdown in Ohio Stadium this year.

“We are happy to have this delay in the Big Ten schedule by playing a non-conference game and turn it into a win,” Jim Tressel, Ohio State head coach said. “We had an opportunity to get a lot of guys some playing time. Now we’ve got to learn a lot from video and we know full well what is critical begins next Saturday.”

The win improved No. 3 Ohio State’s record to 7-0 heading into its Homecoming game next Saturday against Michigan State. The win also extended its school record winning streak in regular season games to 25-consecutive wins. Kent State dropped to 3-4.

Todd Boeckman threw two touchdowns in a little over two quarters of work and was on target with 13 completions in 16 attempts for 184 yards. He threw touchdown passes to Brian Hartline and Maurice Wells. Robby Schoenhoft, in his most extended playing time, was equally accurate, completing 7-of-9 passes for 79 yards. Ten different receivers had receptions on a day that the Ohio State running game netted just 130 yards.

Freshman Brandon Saine was the team leader in rushing – 69 yards – and receiving – 5 receptions for 76 yards.

Hartline produced the most electrifying play of the day. He took a second-quarter punt 90 yards for a touchdown, eclipsing Robert Demmel’s 57-year-old punt return record of 87 yards vs. Iowa in 1950 in the process.

Cornerback Donald Washington had a big play for the defense, returning an interception 70 yards for a score late in the first half. Vernon Gholston had two quarterback sacks and the Buckeyes had five on the afternoon, including Washington’s first career sack. 

“When you get returns like a punt and interception for touchdowns it is going to be hard for anybody to beat you,” Tressel said. “The interception return really was a back-breaker for Kent State.”

Kent State’s Eugene Jarvis, fifth in the nation in rushing with 142.3 yards per game, gained 84 yards on 16 carries. The Golden Flashes had 223 total yards of offense and only scored – with 3:32 to play in the game - by getting a possession that started at the Ohio State 31 due to a shanked punt. 

Ohio State scored a touchdown on its first series for the third consecutive game. Boeckman meticulously marched the team on an 8-play, 69-yard drive that was capped by his touchdown pass to Hartline covering 14 yards. Boeckman was 5-for-5 for 67 yards on the drive. It would be the only score of the first quarter. This season, the Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 70-2 in the first quarter.

Ohio State added a second touchdown on the second play of the second quarter. Hartline fielded a Jake Kilroy punt at the 10-yard line, beat a quartet of Kent State defenders to the right corner and then burst up the sideline behind a lead blocker untouched into the end zone for his first return touchdown.

Ohio State’s defense, balanced as usual with eight players having four or more tackles led by the freshman Brian Rolle’s seven stops, held on the next KSU possession, and Kilroy’s punt this time traveled only 15 yards before going out of bounds at the 50. Chris Wells capped a five-play drive by scoring from the 7 to increase the lead to 21-0 with 9:49 to play in the half.

Although trailing big, Kent State was by no means being dominated by the Ohio State defense as every other team has been this season. The Golden Flashes had 162 yards of total offense in the first half, but never could piece together enough plays in one series to reach the endzone.

Two Kent State turnovers turned a 21-0 game into a 35-0 game at the half. First, cornerback Washington stepped in front of an Anthony Magazu pass along the Kent State sideline and returned his first career pick 70 yards for the touchdown.

A Doug Worthington hit caused a fumble on Kent State’s next offensive possession and Shaun Lane recovered at the KSU 35. Three plays later Maurice Wells gathered in a short pass from Boeckman along the right sideline and galloped into the end zone from 15-yards out to extend the Buckeyes’ lead to 35-0 with just 21 seconds to play in the half.

The second half was much of the same. Kent State would gain small chunks of yardage but was unable to get close to the Buckeye red zone. Ohio State sat its entire first team offense for the second half but still scored 13 points. Schoenhoft had a 2-yard touchdown plunge and Ryan Pretorius kicked two field goals covering 49 and 31 yards, respectively.

Ohio State has won 15-consecutive games in Ohio Stadium. Kent State is now 0-20 all-time vs. ranked teams.