No. 12 ranked Ohio State got all it could handle from California Saturday afternoon, hanging on for a 35-28 non-conference victory in front of 105,232 fans at Ohio Stadium.
California had 512 yards of offense compared to 412 for Ohio State, outgaining the Buckeyes both on the ground and through the air, but three missed field goals and some big plays by sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller and his receiving group doomed the Golden Bears in the end.
Miller accounted for all five scores on the day for Ohio State, including a personal-best four passing touchdowns. The game featured numerous big plays from both teams, with each squad having two touchdowns over 50 yards. Not one of the nine scoring drives took more than four minutes off the clock.
Following a turnover on downs forced by the Ohio State defense, Miller broke off a 55-yard touchdown run to put the Buckeyes out front with 5:11 to play in the first quarter. A failed point after attempt kept the score at 6-0.
California did not take long to respond as it marched 75 yards in just 2:38 on its next possession to jump ahead 7-6. Chris Harper hauled in a screen pass from quarterback Zach Maynard and took it 19 yards for the score.
Sophomore wide receiver Devin Smith beat his defender to bring in a 25-yard strike from Miller to put the Buckeyes back in the lead. Drew Basil’s point after made the score 13-7 with 1:11 to play in the first quarter. Miller hit senior Jake Stoneburner on a 40-yard pass down the middle of the field to set up the score on the next play.
The next drive by Ohio State put the Buckeyes up 20-7. This time they were set up by a 35-yard Smith reception and finished off by a Stoneburner touchdown, a 1-yard connection from Miller.
Brendan Bigelow dashed 81 yards for California to cut the Buckeye lead to six with 9:34 to play in the third quarter. The run was the third longest by an OSU opponent and the longest against the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium history.
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