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Dwayne Haskins has set passing records galore this season, his first as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. But unlike recent Buckeyes QB starters Terrelle Pryor, Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett, Haskins has never been regarded as much of a threat to beat teams with his feet.
Until Saturday.
Haskins had 15 carries for 59 yards and three touchdowns — all career highs by a significant margin — and threw for three touchdowns to lead OSU to a 52-51 comeback victory at Maryland.
The sophomore has just four career rushing touchdowns. Three of them came against the Terrapins including the winning 5-yard score in overtime.
That type of clutch running almost makes one forget his performance as a passer. That would be unwise because Haskins threw for 405 yards, his fourth 400-yard game this season, and completed 28 of 38 attempts.
Was Saturday his best game as a Buckeye? The stats would indicate that it was. The plays he actually made against Maryland, and when he made them, indicate that even in the midst of a spectacular season it was his best game by some distance.
It was simply one of the best days during a crucial game in recent memory for an Ohio State quarterback. Haskins, who grew up near Maryland’s campus, had plenty of family members and friends in the stands to witness it.
And the Buckeyes needed every bit of it.
OSU scored touchdowns on its final four possessions including the OT drive, on which Haskins hit Rashod Berry to convert on fourth down and 1 to set up the winning score.
In this season’s loss at Purdue, Haskins broke OSU’s single-game records for completions, attempts and passing yards. Against Maryland he also broke single-season school marks for passing yards (3,685) and passing touchdowns (36).
But beyond the raw numbers, Haskins was at his best against Maryland in the most crucial moments.
To even put OSU in position to come back, Haskins had to overcome his lone interception, which was returned for a touchdown early in the third quarter to give Maryland a 31-17 lead.
Haskins helped OSU convert 5-of-5 third-down opportunities in the fourth quarter. The only one OSU missed in OT was the one when the Buckeyes converted on fourth down.
On his second rushing touchdown of the day he calmly fielded a bad snap and ran into the end zone to tie the score at 38-38.
And his best throw of the day might have been the one to Binjimen Victor to force overtime:
Haskins hit a perfect back shoulder fade, one of the toughest throws to execute, to a fairly well-covered Victor.
OSU set a school record for total yards against a Big Ten opponent with 688 (just 2 yards more than its total against Penn State in 2013) against the Terrapins. J.K. Dobbins had an enormous game, as the running back set career highs with 37 carries and 203 rushing yards. It would take an astonishing performance for anybody to beat Dobbins out as the best player on the OSU offense that day.
Dwayne Haskins did.
And because of that, the Buckeyes are still in contention for the Big Ten East title and a possible College Football Playoff berth.
Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.