COLUMBUS – J.T. Barrett became Ohio State’s all-time leader in career touchdown passes as the Buckeyes dominated Rutgers, 58-0, in their Big Ten opener at Ohio Stadium Saturday.
The junior threw scoring pass No. 58 to tight end Marcus Baugh with 2:27 left in the second quarter to give the second-ranked Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0) a 22-0 lead over the Scarlet Knights (2-3, 0-2), replacing Bobby Hoying atop the list in 27 games.
“Despite everything I’ve been through it feels surreal,” he said. “That’s crazy that I was just trying to do my part and do my best for the team and then broke the record. I’m truly grateful for it.”
By the time he handed the reins to Joe Burrow with almost 4:00 to play in the third quarter, Barrett had completed 21 passes for 238 yards, four touchdowns, including No. 59 for the career, and an interception, in addition to 46 rushing yards.
“It doesn’t seem like he’s been playing that long for us,” head coach Urban Meyer said after the game. “He’s only been a starter for, I think, this is his second year, second — two and a half year starter at Ohio State. And a very good player. Very efficient player. That’s what I love about him.”
Ohio State’s offense amassed 669 total yards, 410 of them on the ground, while the defense held Rutgers to a scant 21 yards in the second half and remain the only FBS team not to give up a rushing touchdown this year.
Curtis Samuel caught 7 passes for 86 yards, including a 30-yard catch-and-run on the Buckeyes’ first scoring drive, and a touchdown, and rushed for another 68 yards.
Mike Weber finished with 144 yards on 14 carries including a 49-yard run in the first quarter where he hopped around a defender to get into the secondary, and a 49-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Altogether, eight Buckeyes found the end zone one way or another.
As in their first two home games of the 2016 season, the Buckeye offense was a little slow out of the gate, managing only a 9-0 lead 9:09 into the second quarter by virtue of a Barrett touchdown pass to Dontre Wilson, a failed PAT attempt and successful field goal try by Tyler Durbin.
They got some traction in the last 5:51 of the half, with Barrett finding Terry McLaurin, Baugh and Samuel on scoring passes of 14, 16 and 5 yards to give OSU a 30-0 lead.
Barrett and the Bucks shifted into high gear in the third quarter, outgaining Rutgers 202-5, and built a 51-0 lead on the Weber run, a 5-yard rush by Paris Campbell and 20-yarder by Demario McCall.
Johnnie Dixon capped the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
The Buckeyes host Indiana next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.