C.J. Stroud threw for five touchdowns and Miyan Williams ran for 147 yards before becoming the latest running back casualty when No. 2 Ohio State defeated Indiana 56-14 in Columbus on Saturday.
Stroud was 17 of 28 for 297 yards as the Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) defeated Indiana (3-7, 1-6) for the 27th straight time.
The victory came at a cost for the Buckeyes as Williams suffered a right foot or ankle injury and was helped off the field, leaving the Buckeyes with one scholarship running back, Dallan Hayden. TreVeyon Henderson, who has split starting roles with Williams, is injured as are backups Chip Trayanum and T.C. Caffey.
However, wide receiver Xavier Johnson took a handoff and raced 71 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter to make it 49-7.
The Buckeyes led 21-7 after the first quarter, the same score as the final of their previous game at Northwestern.
Stroud had touchdown passes of 6 yards to Emeka Egbuka and 58 to Marvin Harrison Jr., augmented by a 14-yard run by Hayden for the three-score lead.
Harrison made seven catches for 131 yards and Hayden rushed for 102.
Indiana backup quarterback Dexter Williams II replaced ineffective starter Conor Bazelak and led the Hoosiers to within 21-7 on his first series, with the help of his 16-yard run and a 49-yard catch by Andison Coby before tossing a 7-yard TD to AJ Barner.
Dexter Williams was 6 for 19 for 107 yards and two TD passes for the Hoosiers, losers of seven straight.
Miyan Williams extended the lead to 28-7 less than five minutes into the second quarter on a 48-yard run.
A blocked punt by Lathan Ransom in the third quarter set the Buckeyes up at the Indiana 2 and Stroud had a 1-yard pass to Cade Stover to make it 35-7 and Stover’s 12-yard reception made it 42-7 two minutes later.
Stroud’s last touchdown was to fifth-year senior Kamryn Babb, for the oft-injured receiver’s first career catch in his first game of the season to make it 56-14. His teammates poured onto the field to celebrate with him, drawing a delay of game penalty.
–Field Level Media