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Barrett, No. 13 Ohio State top PSU in 2-OT

Oct 26, 2014 - 7:05 AM University Park, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - J.T. Barrett shook off a rough game through the air with a pair of critical touchdown runs in overtime.

Barrett and Ohio State's rejuvenated offense took a step back Saturday, but the 13th-ranked Buckeyes did just enough to escape Happy Valley with a 31-24 victory in double overtime.

Ohio State had scored 50-plus points in four straight games coming in but was shut down completely after taking a 17-0 lead late in the second quarter.

Barrett, who threw for just 74 yards and was intercepted twice, countered Bill Belton's touchdown run in the first extra session with one of his own, then called his number again for the eventual game-winning 4-yard score.

"He pulled through a couple plays and made some big plays for us," Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said of Barrett.

The Buckeyes (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) sacked Christian Hackenberg on fourth down on the ensuing possession to seal the team's fifth consecutive win.

Hackenberg threw for 224 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Nittany Lions (4-3, 1-3), who have dropped three in a row on the heels of a promising 4-0 start.

"I thought the second half on offense, we were able to make some plays, break some tackles, make people miss and get some YAC (yards after catch) yards and that was really the difference," PSU head coach James Franklin said.

Penn State's defense nearly made up for an offense that gained just 240 yards.

Anthony Zettel intercepted an ill-advised pass by Barrett on the first drive of the second half and returned it 40 yards the other way to pull the hosts within 17-7.

Mike Hull returned another Barrett interception to the Buckeyes 45-yard line early in the fourth, and Penn State's offense finally got moving -- albeit with the aid of a roughing the passer penalty.

On 3rd-and-6 from the OSU 24, Hackenberg threw a jump ball in the end zone that Saeed Blacknall came down with along the sideline with 11:08 to go.

Hackenberg led the Nittany Lions from their own 9-yard line into field goal range in the final three minutes.

Sam Ficken's 31-yard kick sailed through the uprights with nine seconds to go, and PSU took the ball on the first possession of OT and scored on Belton's touchdown run on 3rd-and-goal from the 1.

After Barrett kept it himself for a 5-yard score, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the extra point cut Ohio State's game-sealing drive in half.

Vonn Bell's interception at the PSU 39-yard line set up Ezekiel Elliott's 10- yard touchdown run just 4:45 into the game.

Sean Nuernberger got enough behind his 49-yarder early in the second quarter, though replay showed the snap came after the play clock expired.

The Buckeyes took over at the PSU 39 after the Nittany Lions punted out of their own end zone, and six plays later Barrett found Jeff Heuerman for a 1- yard score.

Game Notes

Ohio State has won 19 consecutive conference games, one shy of matching the Big Ten record ... The Buckeyes have won four straight trips to Beaver Stadium ... Elliott gained 109 yards on 26 carries ... Penn State's DaeSean Hamilton led all receivers with 14 catches for 126 yards.