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Ohio State vs. Maryland score: No. 4 Buckeyes surge past Terrapins late to avoid upset at home

The Buckeyes were shaky through most of the game but came alive in the fourth quarter to remain undefeated

By Will Backus

Oct 7, 2023 at 4:06 pm ET • 1 min read

No. 4 Ohio State avoided a midseason setback Saturday, slamming the door on an upset-minded Maryland team in a 37-17 win at home. The Terrapins had the Buckeyes staggering a bit early in the third quarter with a 17-10 lead after a long touchdown drive to open the second half, but Ohio State's depth took over from there.

After falling behind by a touchdown, the Buckeyes embarked on a 27-0 scoring run. Quarterback Kyle McCord, who finished the first half with seven incompletions, 126 passing yards and no touchdowns, came alive over the final 30 minutes. He fed the ball to wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Cade Stover, who combined for 229 receiving yards and had both of Ohio State's receiving touchdowns.

Despite the lopsided scoring total, it's Ohio State's defense that deserves most of the credit. The Buckeyes had one lackluster drive, allowing Maryland's nine-play, 75-yard scoring march to open the second half, but they were dominant outside of that.

Not counting drives that started in Ohio State territory, Maryland only crossed the 50-yard line once in the second half and four times the entire game. Defensive back Josh Proctor scored OSU's only first-half touchdown by returning a Taulia Tagovailoa interception for a pick six. Ohio State also held Maryland to 8 of 19 on third downs and 0 for 1 on fourth-down attempts. Maryland averaged just over 4 yards per play in the second half in the failed attempt at the upset.

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Ohio State slams the door

Late 4Q: Ohio State 34, Maryland 17

Ohio State is blowing the doors off this one now. The Buckeyes have clicked in every aspect of the game, despite an injury to star receiver Emeka Egbuka, here in the late third quarter to fourth quarter stretch. Ohio State is in the midst of a 24-0 run, and it slammed the door completely with its latest touchdown. On third-and-10 from Maryland's 17-yard line, quarterback Kyle McCord hit Marvin Harrison Jr. for a 17-yard score. Thanks to the three-score cushion, it's safe to say OSU has this one all but salted away.

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Buckeyes open their biggest lead

Early 4Q: Ohio State 27, Maryland 17

Ohio State has taken full control of this game. The Buckeyes opened up their largest lead Saturday early in the fourth quarter, as quarterback Kyle McCord hit tight end Cade Stover for a 44-yard touchdown. That came just one play after Ohio State converted on a second-and-33. OSU got backed up thanks to an 18-yard tackle for loss and then a delay of game penalty, but McCord got it all back in one stroke by throwing a beautiful ball to Marvin Harrison Jr., who made an over the shoulder catch while angling towards the sideline for a gain of 37 yards.

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Ohio State star shaken up

Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka suffered an apparent lower body injury early in the fourth quarter. Egbuka caught a quick out on second-and-8 and ran ahead for the first down, but he got tackled near the sideline by a Maryland defender that fell awkwardly on Egbuka's legs. Egbuka attempted to limp off the field before finally going down on the turf. Trainers were attending to him as the Fox broadcast cut to commercial.

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Ohio State battling against upset

Ohio State has the momentum, with a 20-17 lead entering the third quarter, but the Buckeyes still have some work to do to avoid upset-minded Maryland. Ohio State hasn't lost at home against an unranked opponent since 2014, when it dropped its second game of the season against Virginia Tech. OSU went on to finish the regular season undefeated, won a Big Ten title and then won the College Football Playoff national championship. So it wasn't all bad. Ohio State has won 45-straight games at home against unranked opponents since then.