Ohio State-Purdue: Boilermakers crush No. 2 Buckeyes

The Boilermakers scored first and never trailed en route to a 49-20 victory Saturday night.

After controlling most of the first three quarters, they poured it on in the fourth.

The Purdue offense scored three times in the last stanza, then the defense got in the act.

Central Ohio native Markus Bailey returned a Dwayne Haskins interception 41 yards for a touchdown with 2:08 to go to set the final margin.

Ohio State struggled in the first half but entered the second with a chance to right the ship.

The Buckeyes never did.

They took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove to the Purdue 10-yard line.

The Buckeyes stalled there, though, with a pair of screen passes netting four yards before a fade pass to Binjimin Victor was incomplete in the end zone.

They settled for a 24-yard field goal by Blake Haubeil.

Purdue answered with another touchdown, driving 73 yards in 10 plays. The drive was extended by a roughing-the-punter penalty on Davon Hamilton, Ohio State’s ninth penalty.

D.J. Knox slammed in from a yard out to extend the Boilermakers’ lead to 21-6 with 8:36 left in the third quarter.

Ohio State put together an 11-play, 73-yard march on the ensuing drive but came away with no points when Haskins and Hill were unable to connect on a screen pass on fourth-and-2.

Purdue put the game away when D.J. Knox scampered 42 yards for a touchdown with 11:39 left in the fourth quarter. That gave the Boilermakers a 28-6 lead.

Ohio State responded with its first touchdown drive of the night, though Haskins’ 32-yard rainbow to Johnnie Dixon was too little, too late.

Undeterred, the Boilermakers answered right back with an easy five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by Knox’s 40-yard run right up the middle.

The Buckeyes scored their last points of the night on a 34-yard pass from Haskins to Terry McLaurin -- then gave up a 43-yard scoring pass from David Blough to Rondale Moore.

***HALFTIME***

Ohio State trails Purdue 14-3 after another sluggish first half by the Buckeyes.

The Boilermakers struck first on a 13-yard pass from David Blough to Isaac Zico.

They scored again late in the second quarter when Bough hit Rondale Moore from four yards out.

Ohio State’s only points came on a 24-yard field goal by Blake Haubeil early in the second quarter. Haubeil missed a 33-yarder with 1:51 left in the half, setting up Purdue’s second scoring drive.

Blough was 14 for 24 for 233 yards in the first half while Moore caught seven passes for 90 yards.

Dwayne Haskins was 20 for 26 passing for Ohio State for 173 yards.

The Buckeyes’ running game was nearly nonexistent, producing 34 yards on 15 attempts.

Ohio State also continued to be penalty-prone, having eight flags accepted for 56 yards.

Purdue averaged 16.6 yards per completion in the first half while Ohio State averaged 8.7.

***PREGAME***

No. 2 Ohio State is in West Lafayette, Ind., for a clash with a rising Purdue team.

The Boilermakers have won three in a row after an 0-3 start.

They are going with the all-black look for a prime-time Saturday contest with the Buckeyes, who are wearing their traditional white road jerseys.

A wind advisory is in effect for the area, and there is no doubt why for anyone who walked across campus.

The teams haven’t played since 2013, but they nearly had an incident prior to the game as they came to the field at the same time for warmups.

On the plus side for Ohio State, starting left tackle Thayer Munford is in uniform. He was among a handful of starters to miss the end of the Buckeyes’ win over Minnesota last week.

On the down side, cornerback Damon Arnette did not make the trip as he continues to deal with an undisclosed injury.

Ohio State will be off next week while Purdue has a trip to Michigan State on the docket for next Saturday.