A sloppy start couldn't deter Ohio State from notching a victory in its home opener Saturday, as the Buckeyes shook off ill-timed penalties and missed assignments to push past Hawai'i, 38-0 at Ohio Stadium.
Cardale Jones won the starting quarterback job out of fall camp and led the Buckeyes to a win against Virginia Tech Labor Day Night, but was replaced by J.T. Barrett midway through the second quarter Saturday after the Buckeye offense stalled ahead 7-0.
Jones finished 6-of-9 passing for 82 yards in the opening half, while Barrett completed only 5-of-12 passes for 41 yards before heading to the locker room. Ezekiel Elliott scored twice in the first half give the Buckeyes a 14-0 lead at the break, while the Rainbow Warriors offense struggled mightily, gaining just 89 yards in the first 30 minutes.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 7 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 38 |
| HAWAI'I | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hawai'i quarterback Max Wittek was under pressure most of the afternoon, tossing a pair of interceptions, losing a fumble and succumbing to three sacks. He completed 7-of-24 passes for 67 yards.
Following halftime, Jones took over the reins of the offense for the bulk of the second half and finished the game 12-of-18 passing for 111 yards.
Braxton Miller tallied 73 total yards in his first game at Ohio Stadium since November 2013, taking snaps from the shotgun and catching two passes.
The Buckeye defense harassed the Rainbow Warriors all afternoon, pitching a shutout and allowing just 165 total yards. As good as that unit performed though, an at times anemic offense left plenty to be desired against an overmatched opponent on a day where the 2014 national title banner was unveiled.
Elliott totaled 101 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns, and a late fumble recovery for a touchdown by Vonn Bell made the deficit larger than the game indicated.
Ohio State hosts Northern Illinois Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
