No. 5 Ohio State rallies, beats Navy 34-17

8/30/2014
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Ohio State linebacker Curtis Grant (14) celebrates with teammates after tackling Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds, bottom right, and forcing Navy to punt.
Ohio State linebacker Curtis Grant (14) celebrates with teammates after tackling Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds, bottom right, and forcing Navy to punt.

BALTIMORE — Freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett and Ohio State rallied late to help lift the fifth-ranked Buckeyes to a 34-17 victory over Navy in today's season opener at M&T Bank Stadium.

Trailing 7-6 after an ugly first half, OSU scored four times after intermission.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here for more photos from the game

In order, linebacker Darron Lee returned a fumble 61 yards for the touchdown, Barrett threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith, running back Ezekiel Elliott ran for a 10-yard score, and Barrett connected with Michael Thomas for a 9-yard TD.

Barrett, a redshirt freshman who was thrust into the starting role after star Braxton Miller suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, had a mixed debut. Barrett struggled in the first half — his missteps including a mindless interception in the red zone — but rallied late. In all, he completed 12 of 15 passes for 226 yards and two TDs.

3rd quarter

BALTIMORE — Ohio State leads Navy 20-14 after a third quarter filled with wild swings.

The fifth-ranked Buckeyes appeared to swipe momentum early in the half when defensive end Joey Bosa sabotaged an option pitch and Darron Lee returned a fumble 61 yards for the touchdown. OSU went ahead 13-7.

Yet on Navy’s next play from scrimmage, Ryan Williams-Jenkins gashed OSU for a 67-yard run and quarterback Keenan Reynolds soon punched it in for a one-yard touchdown to push the Midshipmen back ahead 14-13.

Ohio State then answered with an 80-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett to Devin Smith.

2nd quarter

Ohio State trails Navy 7-6 at halftime of today's season opener as its offense continued to labor under redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett.

In his first start in place of injured star Braxton Miller, Barrett completed 8 of 11 passes for 96 yards and an interception.

Navy went ahead early in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by DeBrandon Sanders.

First quarter

Fifth-ranked Ohio State leads Navy 3-0 after the first quarter of today's season opener at M&T Bank Stadium.

Redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett debuted to mixed results. Thrust into the starting role after Braxton Miller suffered a season-ending injury, he has completed 3-of-4 passes for 38 yards. But undermined in part by a key drop and a shaky offensive line, the Buckeyes' offense had little to show for the opening 15 minutes.

They went ahead 3-0 on a 38-yard field goal by freshman kicker Sean Nuernberger.