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Ohio State’s hopes of a last-second comeback against Oregon ended on Saturday night as Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard ran out the clock in a 32-31 loss.
After wide receiver Jeremiah Smith took an offensive pass interference penalty earlier in the final drive, Howard slid into the 25-yard line to end the game.
Ohio native LeBron James did not seem happy with the final score.
Howard finished the game with 326 passing yards and three total touchdowns, all of which were overshadowed by the final play.
Hunter @HSquaredHartman
Will Howard showed you why he’s still in college. What a terrible way to end a great game. And leave it to Ryan Day to not know the rules lol #Ohiostate #OregonDucks
Saturday night’s back-and-forth Big Ten battle, which took place in front of 15 NFL scouts and the largest crowd in Autzen Stadium history, was wild from the start.
Ohio State pulled out to an early lead thanks in part to a controversial call on a throw from Howard to Will Kacmarek, which was ruled a catch and not reviewed.
Howard then finished off the drive by running in a game-opening touchdown.
Two drives later, Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins turned the ball over on the Buckeyes’ 28-yard line, and the Ducks scored on the ensuing possession.
But Oregon was unable to convert the extra point, and their attempt turned into a scramble to stop Ohio State from scoring.
NBC Sports @NBCSports
An absolutely chaotic extra point attempt from Oregon NEARLY turns into points for the Buckeyes. 😳
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/OoLOVGsbtR
In the second quarter, Oregon scored after recovering an onside kick that deflected off Ohio State’s Max Lomonico.
The chaos continued into the second quarter as Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden was ejected for spitting on Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun.
Oregon finished out the second quarter with a one-point advantage as both teams entered a second half marked by back-and-forth lead changes.
A 27-yard touchdown run by Gabriel in the fourth quarter ended up making the difference in the final score.
Gabriel recorded 341 passing yards and three total touchdowns on the same night his former team, No. 18 Oklahoma, was blown out 34-3 by No. 1 Texas.
Ohio State’s final drive of the game stagnated after a 15-yard penalty was called on Smith prior to Howard running out the clock.
The exciting battles between top AP-ranked opponents continue in two weeks as Howard and Ohio State are slated to take on No. 2 Penn State in a Week 8 conference matchup.
