Ohio State Hammers Boston College 38-6

A long kickoff return, an even longer scoring drive and the running of Eddie George helped No. 12 Ohio State rout No. 22 Boston College 38-6 Sunday in the Kickoff Classic.

Shawn Springs scored on a 97-yard kickoff return, the Buckeyes marched 99 yards for another touchdown and George ran for two TDs in the second game of the college football season.

It was a stark contrast to Saturday’s thrilling opener at the Pigskin Classic, where Michigan beat Virginia 18-17 with a touchdown pass on the final play.

This one was decided with 2:13 left in the third quarter, when George’s 9-yard TD run made it 31-6 one play after Ohio State recovered a fumble by Boston College’s Justice Smith.

But the key moments were Springs’ kickoff return and the Buckeyes’ 99-yard drive in the second period.

After BC’s Dan McGuire kicked a 24-yard field goal to make it 7-3, Springs took the ensuing kickoff and sprinted down the right sideline for the longest return in Kickoff Classic history. Springs, a sophomore whose father Ron was a running back for Ohio State and the Dallas Cowboys, was aided by crunching blocks by Jeff Wilson and Terry Glenn.

Boston College moved to the Ohio State 19 on its next possession, but the drive ended when quarterback Mark Hartsell was stopped short on a fourth-and-1 sneak.

Ohio State took a 21-3 lead with 37 seconds left in the half on a 12-yard TD catch by tight end Rickey Dudley, who took a short pass from Bobby Hoying and went in untouched.