C.J. Stroud threw for 367 yards and five touchdowns in less than three quarters as No. 3 Ohio State rolled to a 77-21 victory over visiting Toledo in Columbus on Saturday.
The Buckeyes (3-0) and Stroud had a game’s worth of offense by halftime, piling up a 42-14 lead on the Rockets (2-1) by scoring on all six possessions and generating 441 total yards. In the opening half, Stroud completed 18 of 20 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns apiece to Marvin Harrison Jr. and Julian Fleming.
Stroud finished 22 for 27 with 367 yards while Emeka Egbuka led the Ohio State receivers with seven catches for 116 yards and a score. Harrison added 102 yards on six catches.
Ohio State’s 762 total yards were the second-most in program history to 766 vs. Bowling Green on Sept. 3, 2016.
Toledo quarterback Dequan Finn tried his best to keep the game close. He threw a 50-yard scoring strike to Thomas Sziros to make it 7-7. After the Buckeyes jumped to a 28-7 lead, Finn ran for a 23-yard score.
But the Buckeyes had too much firepower. Miyan Williams rushed for 77 yards after starter TreVeyon Henderson left the game with an injury following his 7-yard run to make it 7-0.
Freshman Dallan Hayden contributed 108 yards on 17 carries and a TD. He had a 45-yard run to the Toledo 3 to set up a 1-yard plunge by Mitch Rossi on the Buckeyes’ first series of the second half to make it 49-14.
Finn responded on the next series with a 40-yard TD pass to Jerjuan Newton to cut the deficit to 49-21. Stroud then threw his fifth TD, a 7-yarder to Egbuka.
Finn was 10 of 19 for 153 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He carried seven times for 70 yards and a TD.
When Kyle McCord threw a 72-yard TD to Jayden Ballard with 11:45 left in the game, it marked the first time Ohio State reached 70 points since a 73-14 win over Maryland on Nov. 9, 2019.
— Field Level Media