Ohio State turned to a power-running game in the second half Saturday, and it paid off for senior tailback Carlos Hyde and junior quarterback Braxton Miller in a 34-24 win over Iowa.
Hyde rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, with 106 yards and both scores coming in the second half. Miller finished with 102 yards on 18 carries for the Buckeyes, who trailed 17-10 at halftime.
Hyde's second TD gave Ohio State the lead for good at 31-24, and it will go on his career highlight film. With the Buckeyes facing a first-and-10 on Iowa's 19, Hyde took a handoff and ran right. At about the 7, Iowa free safety Tanner Miller knocked him off-balance and Hyde stumbled back to the 11, where he regained his footing and ran to the 3 before going airborne for the score.
Hyde (6-foot-0, 238 pounds) is built like a fullback, but he has deceptive speed and can turn the corner; still, he is at his best running between the tackles. He rushed for 970 yards and 16 TDs last season despite missing two games with a minor knee injury. He has 443 yards and five TDs this season despite missing three games because of a suspension. He seems a certain third-day pick and could climb up draft boards with continued high-level production.
Durability isn't an issue. He had 24 carries Saturday, the sixth time in his past 11 games he has had at least 20 carries. In addition, he has had 10 games with at least 17 carries in his past 14 outings.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
