TreVeyon Henderson started the scoring when took a handoff to the left, got blocks from tight end Jeremy Ruckert and pulling guard Parris Johnson Jr. and went untouched 44 yards for a touchdown.
Three plays later, the Buckeyes scored again as freshman cornerback Denzel Burke snagged a high throw from Rutgers quarterback Noah Vedral and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.
The visitors extended the lead to 17-0 on a 23-yard field goal by Noah Ruggles with 5:45 left in the first quarter.
They made it 24-0 with a 32-yard catch-and-run by Garrett Wilson, but Rutgers (3-2, 0-2) answered on the first play of the ensuing possession as Aron Cruickshank took a short pass over the middle and outraced the Buckeyes for a 75-yard score.
The extra point kick was blocked, leaving Ohio State ahead 24-6.
Who had @mitch_rossi5 scoring a TD early in the 2Q? 😍 pic.twitter.com/Ru76ZCPbiG
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) October 2, 2021
The Buckeyes wasted little time answering as Stroud hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba over the middle and the sophomore weaved his way down the field for 38 yards.
Four plays later, Stroud faked a handoff then found Mitch Rossie in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 31-6.
After stopping Rutgers on a fourth down at midfield, the Buckeyes turned around and put the ball in the end zone again with a four-play drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to Ruckert.
They added another score late in the second quarter when Stroud dodged a pass rusher and found Chris Olave down the field. Olave then weaved his way through the Rutgers defense for a touchdown that covered 56 yards.
Wow. All of this. 👀
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 2, 2021
No. 11 @OhioStateFB leads 45-6 in the 2Q. pic.twitter.com/weJp3Doj7W
The Buckeyes put up 395 yards in the first half and allowed 142, more than half of which came on one play.
Ohio State kept coming in the third quarter, opening the half with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that culminated with Stroud hitting Olave for an 11-yard score.
That moved Olave into a tie for third-most touchdown catches all-time at Ohio State with 27. He shares the spot with Middletown High School great Cris Carter, a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Rutgers got a score back in the fourth quarter when Joshua Youngblood scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Cole Snyder.
Stroud completed 17 of 23 passes for 330 yards and five touchdowns while Henderson ran for 71 yards on eight carries.
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