No. 11 Ohio State looks to remain perfect against Rutgers

No. 11 Ohio State (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) at Rutgers (3-1, 0-1), Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT (BTN).

Line: Ohio State by 15, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Ohio State 7-0

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Ohio State puts a 19-game winning streak in the conference on the line against Rutgers. The Buckeyes have never scored fewer than 49 points in the seven meetings with Rutgers, although the 22-point margin of victory last year was the smallest. Ohio State also needs the win to stay close in the Big Ten East, where No. 4 Penn State, No. 14 Michigan, No. 17 Michigan State and Maryland also are undefeated in league play.

KEY MATCHUP

Ohio State’s offense against Rutgers’ defense. The Buckeyes come into the game ranked second nationally on offense, averaging 559.2 yards. In the second half against Michigan, Rutgers forced four straight three-and-outs, allowed 42 yards (35 rushing, seven passing) and two first downs. The Wolverines led the nation in rushing entering the game with an average of 350.3 yards. They finished with 112.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson. The true freshman has an easy week in the 59-7 blowout win over Akron last week. He had eight carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns, including a 35-yarder. For the season, Henderson has rushed for 439 yards on 46 carries, a 9.5 yard average. He has six runs of more than 30 yards.

Rutgers: QB Noah Vedral. Now playing in his second senior as a super graduate transfer, Vedral has hit 76 of 112 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns. That’s roughly a 68% completion percentage. The Nebraska product has not thrown an interception and has rushed for 117 yards.

FACTS & FIGURES

The Buckeyes had 12 tackles for losses against Akron, their most since 2019. … OSU defensive tackles had eight sacks against the Zips, including three by Haskell Garrett. … Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson leads the team with 23 catches for 391 yards and three TDs. He has caught a pass in 25 straight games. … Rutgers WR Bo Melton leads the team with 24 catches for 253 yards and two TD. LB Olakunle Fatukasi has a team-high 36 tackles.

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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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