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Boeckman, Ohio State hammer Kent State

Oct 13, 2007 - 9:51 PM COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- Once again, Ohio State's offense had a field day facing Kent State.

Todd Boeckman threw for two touchdowns and 184 yards in playing just one half as the third-ranked Buckeyes rolled to a 48-3 victory over the Golden Flashes on Saturday.

Brian Hartline caught the opening touchdown and also returned a punt for a score while Chris Wells and Rob Schoenhoft both rushed for the TD for Ohio State, which rolled up 401 yards of total offense en route to scoring more than 45 points for the second time this season.

It was not the first time that the Buckeyes (7-0) feasted on a matchup with the Mid-American Conference squad, as they pounded the Golden Flashes, 51-17, in the only previous meeting in 2002.

The rout extended Ohio State's school record for consecutive regular-season wins to 25. The Buckeyes, who return to Big Ten conference play next Saturday against Michigan State, have not lost in the regular season since a 17-10 setback at Penn State on October 8, 2005.

Coming off an effort where he unleashed three interceptions in a big 23-7 win at Purdue last week, Boeckman was much more efficient against Kent State (3-4), completing 13-of-16 passes for 184 yards in the first half.

On the opening drive, the junior completed all five of his passes, including a 14-yard score to Hartline.

Overall, Boeckman completed his first six attempts and 11 of his first 12. His final completion percentage was the highest since Craig Krenzel went 12-of-14 in the previous win over Kent State.

"Yeah, I thought Todd knew exactly what we prepared for," Tressel said. "He was able to adjust and understand what they were doing and adjust what we needed to run and so forth, but I thought he threw the ball effectively and I think he keeps getting a little bit better every week."

A sophomore, Hartline also came up with a stellar play at the start of the second quarter, taking a punt at the Ohio State 10-yard line and racing down the field for a record-setting 90-yard return and a 14-0 lead.

Hartline's effort eclipsed the 87-yard return by Robert Demmel vs. Iowa in 1950.

"I didn't find out about it until the end of the game," Hartline said. "It is really exciting to have my name in the record book. Hopefully this will not be the last one I break."

Along with his stellar play on special teams, Hartline finished with three catches for 47 yards.

The nation's leader in scoring defense, the Buckeyes kept the onslaught going when sophomore cornerback Donald Washington intercepted Julian Edelman and rambled 70 yards for a score and a 28-0 advantage with 2:47 before the half.

"The interception return really was a back breaker for Kent (State)," Tressel said.

It was the first career interception for Washington.

"Knowing that it was my first one ever, it was extra exciting," Washington said. "They ran the play a couple of times and that time I jumped on it. I had a good burst and was able to jump the route and take it for six."

The defense, which entered the contest yielding just 7.2 points per game, missed out on a shutout when Kent State's Nate Reed was successful on a 34-yard field goal with 2:36 remaining in the fourth.

Despite the late field goal, the Buckeyes still have not allowed an offensive touchdown in four home games this season. Ohio State, which stopped Kent State on 12-of-16 third-down opportunities, has also yielded just two offensive TDs in its last 16 quarters.

Edelman was just 3-of-9 for 38 yards, was intercepted once and was sacked five times before being replaced for the Golden Flashes.

The dominant win could not come at a better time for Ohio State, as the first rankings for the Bowl Championship Series are released on Sunday and the Buckeyes have made a strong case for one of the top spots.

"It's a reality, if you've earned the right to be considered by winning your games, it's going to happen, and the first rankings come out and I'm sure we'll be up there somewhere," Tressel said. "And we know next Sunday when the next rankings come out, if we win, we'll be up there again and if we don't, we'll be elsewhere, so I think our guys understand the task at hand."