Pryor takes control to power Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Terrelle Pryor has done this before, just not in college.

“I’ve been making plays all my life,” Pryor said. “I’m not cocky. I’m just glad I can help out our seniors and get a win.”

The acclaimed freshman, who hasn’t even started classes, took charge of Ohio State’s offense with four touchdown passes to lead the sluggish No. 13 Buckeyes to a 28-10 victory over Troy on Saturday.

After an ugly 35-3 defeat at top-ranked USC, Coach Jim Tressel had said that the nation’s top quarterback recruit last spring and senior Todd Boeckman would split the job against Troy (2-1).

Instead, Pryor was the first non-redshirt freshman to start for the Buckeyes (3-1) in 30 years, since Art Schlichter in 1978, and he ran the show for all but two plays before the game was out of reach.

“Coming off the loss to USC, I think we took a half a step forward,” Pryor said.

Pryor’s touchdown passes covered 39 and 16 yards to Brian Hartline, 13 yards to Rory Nicol and 38 yards to Brian Robiskie. Pryor completed 10 of 16 passes for 139 yards with one interception. He also ran 14 times for 66 yards.

Boeckman, a fifth-year senior, played only two snaps, and the smallest crowd in Ohio Stadium in six years loudly booed him after an incompletion on one of those.

That prompted defensive lineman Lawrence Wilson to say: “Hey, we’re just kids. We’re not professionals. There’s no way that adults should treat us that way.”