No. 2 Ohio State holds off Terps 43-30, Michigan next

Associated PressNov 20, 2022, 12:15 AM EST

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – C.J. Stroud and Ohio State have waited a year for this.

Now it’s time to face Michigan – and after more struggles than usual this weekend, the Buckeyes and Wolverines will indeed be undefeated when they meet next weekend.

Dallan Hayden scored three touchdowns in the second half of No. 2 Ohio State’s 43-30 victory over Maryland on Saturday. The Buckeyes and No. 3 Michigan cleared their final hurdles, and now Ohio State will try to avenge last season’s loss to the Wolverines – its first in the series in a decade.

“We’ve been licking our wounds for 365 days, hearing all the laughing, everything that everybody’s been saying,” said Stroud, Ohio State’s star quarterback. “I definitely think that we’ve been preparing for it, not only on the field but in the weight room as well.”

Just before Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 2 CFP) and Maryland (6-5, 3-5) kicked off, Michigan edged Illinois on a late field goal. The Buckeyes then had plenty of problems of their own against the Terrapins. Ohio State trailed 13-10 at halftime, and the Buckeyes were up just 33-30 when they turned the ball over on downs at the Maryland 42 with 6:36 remaining in the game.

Ohio State forced a three-and-out, however, and then the Buckeyes ran out most of the remaining time. Noah Ruggles kicked a 45-yard field goal with 42 seconds left, and Steele Chambers added a defensive touchdown with 9 seconds to play.

“We’re never satisfied with a loss, obviously, but what you saw today is us go blow for blow with a team I consider to be one of the best in the country,” Maryland coach Michael Locksley said.

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, whose fumble Chambers scored on, was injured on that play and walked off very slowly.

Hayden finished with 146 yards on 27 carries.

TreVeyon Henderson returned after missing Ohio State’s previous two games while injured. He caught an early 31-yard touchdown pass from Stroud but managed only 19 yards on 11 carries.

“It got to the point where we just decided we weren’t going to put him in anymore,” coach Ryan Day said.

Day said Henderson had a great week of practice, and the team will keep evaluating him. Day is hopeful running back Miyan Williams will be back next week after leaving last weekend’s game with a leg injury.

Tagovailoa completed his first 11 passes, and although the Terps settled for a couple field goals in the red zone early on, they went ahead 13-10 on a 1-yard TD catch by CJ Dippre with 3:52 left in the half.

This was a far cry from the previous two Ohio State-Maryland meetings, which the Buckeyes won 73-14 and 66-17 – although it wasn’t quite as harrowing for them as their 52-51 overtime win over the Terps in 2018. That game also came the week before they faced Michigan.

A blocked punt set up an 8-yard touchdown run by Hayden and gave the Buckeyes a 17-13 advantage in the third.

“I love the way we competed tonight, even though it wasn’t pretty,” Stroud said. “I don’t think a lot of games today were pretty.”

Hayden’s second touchdown made it 27-13, but Maryland answered with Tagovailoa’s 5-yard scoring run, plus a 2-point conversion. After another TD run by Hayden, Jakorian Bennett returned a blocked extra point all the way for two points, making the score 33-23.

Tagovailoa threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jeshaun Jones to trim the lead to three with 9:49 to go.

THE TAKEAWAY

Ohio State: This was the second-most points allowed by the Buckeyes this season, surpassed only in their 44-31 win over Penn State, but Ohio State escaped on the road and showed it has enough depth at running back no matter how healthy Henderson is next weekend.

Maryland: The Terps’ improvement this year might not be reflected in their final record. They played Michigan tough in a 34-27 loss in September and were within a field goal of Ohio State with a minute remaining. It’s their two losses prior to this one – to Wisconsin and Penn State by a combined 53-10 – that will leave a sour taste.

MILESTONE

Tagovailoa become Maryland’s career leader with 7,316 yards passing. He passed Scott Milanovich (7,301) to take over the top spot.

He didn’t sound too concerned about his late injury.

“My knee is good,” he said. “Obviously, it’s been bothering me the whole season but I think it just hit the ground real hard. I think it’s just a bad bruise.”

UP NEXT

Ohio State: The Buckeyes host Michigan next Saturday, with the winner advancing to the Big Ten title game.

Maryland: The Terrapins host Rutgers to end the regular season.

Alabama suspends freshman defensive back after drug arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a drug charge.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday after the first practice of spring that Mitchell was suspended from the team “and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mitchell and another man, Christophere Lewis, last week on a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in. It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a five-star prospect rated the 34th-best player and No. 3 safety in the 247Composite rankings.

Mitchell was driving the vehicle during a traffic stop. After deputies smelled marijuana, Mitchell picked up a baggie of marijuana from the passenger floorboard, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Sheriff’s deputies found “an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” according to the department’s Facebook post.

Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey suspended after arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 12:05 PM EDT

Saul Young/News Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey was suspended from the team after he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, the team said.

The 23-year-old, who was a team captain last season, was booked at about 2:45 a.m. and released after posting $500 bond, according to online records from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are aware of the situation involving Chad Bailey,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a statement to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s been suspended according to Department of Athletics policy. We have high expectations for all of our student-athletes, on and off the field, and we will follow all departmental and campus policies.”

Bailey was Mizzou’s third-leading tackler with 57 stops last season. He started all 11 games he played, missing two with an injury. He’ll be a sixth-year senior this fall after opting to return for his final year of eligibility, the Post-Dispatch reported.

The Missouri student-athlete handbook says any athlete who is arrested must serve a minimum one-week suspension.

Bailey was pulled over at about 1 a.m. not far from the Columbia campus for an expired license plate and lane violation, a police statement said. Bailey told the officer he had consumed alcohol and then performed poorly on a field sobriety test, the Post-Dispatch reported.