Braxton Miller dazzles as Buckeyes rally past Hokies

BLACKSBURG, Va. The drama that dragged on for months was all about who should be Ohio State’s starting quarterback.

But it was the man who held that job before J.T. Barrett or Cardale Jones who dazzled as No. 1 OSU opened defense of its national championship with a 42-24 victory over Virginia Tech in a nationally televised game Monday night before a sellout crowd of 65,632 at Lane Stadium. The Hokies handed the Buckeyes their lone loss in 2014.

Braxton Miller, who felt his shoulder wasn’t strong enough after two surgeries to battle Jones and Barrett in the most hyped competition in college football, put on a performance in his first game at wide receiver/H-back.

Miller nearly finished the Hokies by himself in the second half.

On OSU’s first possession, he caught a 54-yard TD pass from starter Jones. That play put Ohio State back on top 21-17 less than two minutes into the third quarter.

Then with 2:05 left in the same period, Miller drew oohs and aahs with a stunning spin move on a 53-yard touchdown run that gave the Buckeyes a 28-17 lead.

Even Miller’s first catch was above average, as he dove for a low pass from Jones for a 24-yard gain.

With Miller’s passing ability limited, his appearance in the Wildcat formation seemed predictable, at least until his 360-degree whirl into YouTube infamy.

Virginia Tech’s attack suffered a major blow when senior quarterback Michael Brewer was knocked out of the game with 11:36 left in third quarter.

On the Hokies’ first possession of the second half, the OSU defense made Brewer pay for a comment shown by an ESPN camera in the locker room at halftime.

“It’s going to take a helluva lot more than that to get me out,” Brewer said, presumably referring to the two sacks OSU notched in the first half.

On a third-and-4, Brewer was hit head on by 290-pound OSU defensive tackle Adolphus Washington as he let go an incomplete pass intended for tight end Ryan Malleck. Brewer was taken to the locker room and emerged minutes later with his arm in a sling. Brewer told ESPN sideline reporter Heather Cox that he suffered a broken left collarbone that will require surgery.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer surprised some by electing to start Jones over Barrett. Barrett led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record and set or tied 17 school records before breaking his ankle against Michigan. Under Jones, OSU went 3-0, beating Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game, No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Oregon in the College Football Playoff.

But Meyer also stuck to his promise from last week that both would play this season, inserting Barrett with 10:43 remaining.

If part of Meyer’s rationale in going with Jones against the Hokies was Jones’ success in big games, he kept alive his magic from January. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 14-0 lead with 6:39 remaining.

The Buckeyes marched 64 yards on their first series and Jones hit Curtis Samuel for a 24-yard scoring pass.

The next time the Buckeyes touched the ball, running back Ezekiel Elliott repeated his dazzling run against Alabama, dashing 80 yards for a touchdown. The big block was by right guard Pat Elflein 10 yards downfield as Sullivan Award winner Elliott had to elude only one defender, then angled left toward the end zone.

In the first quarter, Jones completed 6-of-9 passes for 95 yards and ran five times for 29 yards.

But the Hokies, who came in with an .820 winning percentage at home dating back to 1995, refused to be buried by the onslaught.

Virginia Tech drove 74 yards in six plays, with Brewer tossing a 51-yard TD pass to fullback Sam Rogers, who juked cornerback Eli Apple near the 15-yard line. On its next possession, Virginia Tech’s Joey Slye connected on a 46-yard field goal to cut the gap to 14-10 with 7:05 left in the half.

Ohio State’s ongoing search for a punt returner for the past two years continued to be an issue. Elliott fumbled one away with 1:30 remaining in the second quarter and Anthony Shegog recovered at the OSU 38. The Hokies scored in four plays, with Brewer finding Malleck for a 1-yard scoring pass that gave them a 17-14 halftime lead.

(c)2015 Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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