No. 3 Ohio State defeated Michigan State 38-7

East Lansing — No. 3 Ohio State continued its dominance over Michigan State under the lights of Spartan Stadium on Saturday night, overwhelming the home team with a lopsided 38-7 loss.

It's the Buckeyes' ninth straight win over Michigan State, which hasn't led Ohio State in a game since 2016.

This time was no different. Ohio State established its superiority early. While Michigan State played boldly and looked competitive for most of the first half, that intensity began to wane in the second half. It could be that the exhaustion of playing against a strong team sets in.

A lot of things didn't go right for the Spartans on Saturday.

Jack Velling and Aidan Chiles each had fumbles in the red zone, although officials missed an apparently eye-catching facemask grab by Ohio State's Tywone Malone on Chiles before he lost the ball. The defense made some really good plays, but in the end, Ohio State had way too much talent on offense to contain it.

Ohio State defeated Michigan State 483-246, holding the Spartans to 60 total yards in the second half. Michigan State's red zone issues continue, as the team only converted on one of its three trips there. And the ground game recorded just 47 yards.

By the start of the fourth quarter, after the game had been out of reach for some time, the majority of Michigan State students had left the stadium.

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard completed 21 of his 31 yards for 244 yards and two scores. He also recorded his second interception of the season when linebacker Jordan Turner picked him off and returned the ball 36 yards to the Ohio State 12-yard line for the Spartans' only score.

TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, arguably the best running back duo in the country, led the Buckeyes' ground game with 69 and 54 yards, respectively.

Howard hit returning receiver Emeka Egbuka seven times for 96 yards and a score. Freshman Jeremiah Smith had 83 yards on five catches. Smith's one-handed grab for a 17-yard score late in the second quarter was thrown by Ohio State backup quarterback Devin Brown, giving the Buckeyes a 24-7 halftime lead.

A week after a three-interception loss at Boston College, Chiles looked much more balanced against Ohio State. He was spot on with his first six passes and didn't throw an incompletion until 6:37 of the second quarter. Chiles completed 13 of 19 for 167 yards with a touchdown and an interception before Tommy Schuster took over early in the fourth quarter.

BOX SCORE: Ohio State 38, Michigan State 7

Michigan State's offense had several explosive plays. With 0:10 left in the second quarter, the Spartans' offense was in full swing. Chiles connected with tight end Jack Velling for a 26-yard gain, but Jordan Hancock ripped the ball free as he dragged Velling to the ground near the Buckeyes' 10-yard line. Ohio State's Sonny Styles recovered the ball and returned it 8 yards before being pulled to the ground.

Michigan State experienced wild momentum swings last week against the Eagles, which may have helped the team deal with the moment. Four plays later, Jordan Turner intercepted Howard's pass and returned it 36 yards to the Ohio State 12-yard line. This contributed to Chiles scoring a touchdown with Jaron Glover that cut the Buckeyes' lead to 10-7.

That would be the last time the Spartans would reach the end zone.

Ohio State scored 28 unanswered points.

A defeat can sometimes say more about a team than a win.

Michigan State said all week that it wasn't afraid of Ohio State coming to town.

Although the Buckeyes defeated each of their three previous opponents and had the Spartans' number in each of the previous nine meetings, Michigan State believed they could be competitive against one of the best teams in the country.

This confidence was clearly noticeable, at least in the first half. But in the second half, the Spartans' energy seemed to wane.

Chiles threw his eighth interception of the season after he outran Velling and the ball sailed into the hands of Denzel Burke, setting up the Buckeyes' sixth scoring drive. Chiles returned for another appearance before being substituted by Schuster.

The result was no surprise. The Buckeyes are a far more talented and experienced team than Michigan State, which has a new coaching staff and only half of last season's roster is here. But the Spartans showed some grit — and for a program in its first year under a new coach, that's something remarkable, even if the wound of another loss is still fresh.

Michigan State faces another tough opponent next week when it travels west to play near Smith and Chiles' old venues. The Spartans are scheduled to play at No. 8 Oregon on Friday, with kickoff at 9 p.m. ET.

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@madkenney

No. 3 Ohio State defeated Michigan State 38-7

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