COLUMBUS: The Buckeyes ran for 221 yards and Devin Smith caught a pair of touchdown passes in Ohio State’s 37-17 victory over Colorado on Saturday to make a winner out of freshman quarterback Braxton Miller in his first game as the starter.
Miller took every snap until late in the fourth quarter on a day the Buckeyes stressed the running game, as expected. Miller was just 5 of 13 passing for 83 yards and two touchdowns, while Jordan Hall made his first start at tailback and had 84 yards and a touchdown.
Coach Luke Fickell had said all week he wanted to find snaps for Joe Bauserman, but Bauserman didn’t play until the Buckeyes led by 20 and only 3:30 remained in the game.
Miller, who had been sloppy with the ball in his two previous games, did not turn the ball over despite fumbling a shotgun snap on the Bucks’ first possession. He had touchdown passes of 32 and 17 yards to the freshman Smith, who has three touchdowns in his seven catches this season.
