Ohio State Beats Nebraska, 52-17: Recap and Inside the Box Score

Buckeyes pull away in season opener behind Heisman contender Justin Fields, who was near-perfect throwing the football.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- Both teams went right down the field on their opening possessions. Nebraska’s featured a long run by backup QB Luke McCaffrey, who lined up at running back and ripped a 47-yard scamper down near the goal line.

- Ohio State began with scoring drives of 75 and 76 yards, the second culminating on a 42-yard pass from Justin Fields to Garrett Wilson. Fields scrambled on the previous play and, although his knee touched the turf, the play continued and he picked up eight additional yards.

- The Cornhuskers tied the game, 14-14, midway through the second quarter but OSU carried a 24-14 lead into the break. Blake Haubeil nailed a short field goal after a Buckeye penalty on 4th and inches, then Master Teague scored his second TD of the half.

- Ohio State opened a 38-17 lead early in the third, getting a shifty run from Fields and then a defensive scoop-and-score touchdown from Sevyn Banks after Adrian Martinez fumbled. Nebraska later decided to kick on 4th and Goal from the 4-yard line, and couldn’t do much else offensively moving forward.

- Freshman wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba made a toe-touching grab for his first college touchdown shortly thereafter, while classmate QB Jack Miller III replaced Fields late and guided one last scoring drive. He finished it himself with a 1-yard score on fourth down.

Garrett Wilson

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

- Fields was near-perfect throwing the football, completing 20 of 21 passes 276 yards and a pair of scores. He also led the Buckeyes with 54 rushing yards and a third TD.

- Ohio State went a combined 10 of 15 on third and fourth down and had 33:14 time of possession.

- Linebacker Pete Werner led a balanced defense with seven tackles, including one for a loss.

- McCaffrey showed nice versatility for the Cornhuskers. He threw for 55 yards, ran for 80 yards and even caught a pass receiving.

- There were multiple targeting reviews in the game, with Nebraska defensive backs Cam Taylor-Britt and Deontai Williams receiving ejections in the second half.

Stay tuned to BuckeyesNow and all of our social media outlets (@BuckeyesNowSI) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for continued coverage!