NIU’s final chance to topple Ohio State on Saturday ended when Huskies quarterback Drew Hare rolled right and fired to Tommylee Lewis. But the pass fell incomplete, allowing Ohio State to escape with a 20-13 victory. Next up — a trip to Boston College.
Offense
C. The Huskies scored their only touchdown after taking over at the Ohio State 22. They managed just 190 yards and gave up four sacks. Quarterback Drew Hare (14-for-31, 80 yards, 2 interceptions) had to run for his life. But we’re grading on a curve because of the Buckeyes’ superb defense.
Defense
A. Shawun Lurry intercepted Cardale Jones — twice. Sean Folliard snatched a J.T. Barrett pass. Boomer Mays forced a fumble against star tailback Ezekiel Elliott. The effort was outstanding all game.
Special teams
B. What was with Josh Orne sending three kickoffs out of bounds? No, that was not the strategy. Christian Hagan managed to nail both his field-goal tries (38 and 31 yards) and Jake Ambrose averaged 44.9 yards on 10 punts.
Coaching
B+. The Huskies took the proper mindset into the Horseshoe: Win the game, don’t be a tourist. The defense was clearly prepared, allowing no play longer than 25 yards while forcing four turnovers. It would have been nice to see the players enjoy their success a little, but as coach Rod Carey put it: “They’d rather play terrible and get a win than play great and get a loss.”