Ezekiel Elliott had a big day on the ground in Ohio State's big win over Michigan State. (Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports)
EAST LANSING, Mich. — J.T. Barrett threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores as No. 14 Ohio State avenged its loss in the Big Ten title game last season with a 49-37 thumping of No. 8 Michigan State on Saturday night at Spartan Stadium.
Barrett, a redshirt freshman quarterback, completed 16 of 26 passes for 300 yards and rushed for 86 yards on 14 carries for the Buckeyes (8-1, 5-0 Big Ten), who took sole possession of first place in the East Division.
Sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 154 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. Senior receiver Devin Smith caught six passes for 129 yards, including a go-ahead 44-yard score in the final minute of the first half.
Ohio State has won 21 straight regular-season conference games, breaking its own Big Ten record set in 2005-07. Michigan State (7-2, 4-1) saw its streak of 13 straight Big Ten victories snapped.
The Spartans, who also saw their hopes of reaching the inaugural college football playoff dashed, snapped Ohio State’s school-record 24-game winning streak in last season’s Big Ten championship game with a 34-24 victory.
Quarterback Connor Cook passed for two touchdowns and running back Jeremy Langford extended his streak of 100-yard rushing games against Big Ten opponents to 13 with 137 yards and three touchdowns.
Elliott’s 1-yard run late in the third quarter gave the Buckeyes a 35-24 lead. Barrett’s 7-yard strike to H-back Dontre Wilson extended the lead to 18 points. Michigan State responded with a 16-yard scoring pass from Cook to tight end Josiah Price to make it 42-31.
Elliott’s 17-yard touchdown run with 7:12 remaining finished off the Spartans.
The Buckeyes emerged from a wild first half with a 28-21 lead.
Cook hooked up with receiver Keith Mumphrey on a 15-yard scoring pass for the game’s first points. Mumphrey, who bowled over freshman cornerback Gareon Conley en route to the end zone, set up the score with a 44-yard reception.
The Buckeyes responded with Barrett’s 5-yard scoring run on their next possession. The Spartans regained the lead at 14-7 after the game’s first turnover, a muffed punt recovered by linebacker Chris Frey. Langford sped through a big hole for a 33-yard touchdown run on the next play.
Barrett’s 1-yard plunge with 12:27 left in the half tied it. Once again, the Spartans answered on their next drive, a punishing 14-play, 66-yard journey that ended with Langford’s 1-yard run for a 21-14 lead.
After a missed Spartans field-goal try, the Buckeyes needed only one play to even the score. Barrett hit sophomore receiver Michael Thomas 10 yards down the field and when Thomas slipped away from cornerback Darian Hicks, he broke free for a 79-yard touchdown.
Smith’s 44-yard touchdown reception with 56 seconds left in the half put Ohio State on top. Lined up in the slot, Smith zipped past safety RJ Williamson and gathered in Barrett’s perfectly thrown pass.
NOTES: The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 29-14 and have not lost in East Lansing since 1999. … Michigan State is 5-3 coming off bye weeks under coach Mark Dantonio. … The Spartans scored a school-record 364 points in their first eight games. … Michigan State QB Connor Cook has now thrown a touchdown pass in 16 consecutive games, tying the school record held by Kirk Cousins and Drew Stanton. … Ohio State sophomore RB Ezekiel Elliott had a 47-yard run in the first quarter, lifting him over 1,000 yards for his career.
