Pryor leads Ohio State past Oregon 26-17 in Rose Bowl
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor of the Ohio State Buckeyes attempts a pass against the Oregon Ducks during the 96th Rose Bowl game. (Jan. 1, 2010) Credit: Getty Images
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Ohio State’s bowl woes are over, thanks to a sturdy defense and a quarterback who finally played up to his enormous potential.
Terrelle Pryor passed for a season-high 266 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 72 more and threw a 17-yard scoring pass to DeVier Posey with 7:02 to play, ending the No. 8 Buckeyes’ three-game BCS skid with a 26-17 victory over No. 7 Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Friday.
Posey had eight catches for 101 yards, and Brandon Saine caught an early TD pass for the Buckeyes (11-2), who put together a remarkably fluid offensive performance in their first trip to Pasadena since 1997.
That offense relied on Pryor, the sophomore quarterback who has had a hard time matching his enormous hype. With a Rose Bowl effort that evoked memories of Vince Young’s breakout performance in the same stadium four years ago, Pryor shook off his early mistakes and led the Buckeyes confidently through a tense fourth quarter.
Yet Ohio State’s defense did much of the work, largely reducing the Ducks’ high-flying, no-huddle offense to ineffectiveness.
Jeremiah Masoli passed for just 81 yards, while LaMichael James rushed for 70 — but a series of big plays and kick returns by Kenjon Barner kept the 96th Rose Bowl close until Pryor took control of the final minutes.
Oregon (10-3) made a remarkable comeback from its season-opening loss to Boise State, but it hasn’t won the Rose Bowl since the game’s third edition in 1917, back when the Granddaddy of Them All was a toddler.
