Ohio State Buckeyes rout Tulsa to go 2-0

Ohio State’s Mike Weber carries the ball in the second quarter. David Jablonski/Staff

Ohio State’s Mike Weber carries the ball in the second quarter. David Jablonski/Staff

The Ohio State Buckeyes suffered their only loss in 2015 on a cold, wet night at Ohio Stadium, but they turned a wet Saturday afternoon in their second game of 2016 to their advantage.

No. 4 Ohio State scored four touchdowns in the second half to rout Tulsa 48-3 in the first of two straight games against teams from Oklahoma. The Buckeyes play the Sooners in week three in their biggest non-conference regular-season game in years.

Star of the game: Cornerback Marshon Lattimore picked off two passes and returned one for a touchdown in the first half to give Ohio State a 20-3 halftime lead.

Stat of the game: The Buckeyes rushed 44 times for 258 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

Heisman watch: J.T. Barrett followed his seven-touchdown performance in the season opener with two rushing touchdowns in this game. He threw for 149 yards but no touchdowns.

FIRST-HALF RECAP

Two interceptions returned for touchdowns and two field goals gave Ohio State a 20-3 halftime lead.

Weather situation: Rain started to fall late in the second quarter, and all halftime activities were cancelled. Ohio State then announced the game has been suspended. It restarted after an extended halftime at 6:30. Fans were told they could leave the stadium and return with their tickets.

Stars of the half: Hooker returned an interception 26 yards for the first touchdown of the game with 3:02 left in the second quarter. Then with 33 seconds left in the half, Lattimore returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown.

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Key stat: Wind has conspired to limit the passing game for both teams. Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans has completed 8 of 18 passes for 79 yards. Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has completed 8 of 14 passes for 69 yards.

Local impact: Wayne grad Robert Landers saw early action on Ohio State's defensive line and had a tackle for a loss of nine yards.

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