Will Howard tosses 3 TDs as No. 4 Ohio State tops Nebraska

Will Howard had three touchdown passes, including a late go-ahead score, as No. 4 Ohio State rallied to defeat Nebraska 21-17 in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.

Howard's 9-yard pass to Quinshon Judkins with 6:04 to play gave the Buckeyes (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) the lead after the offense had stalled in the third quarter with 23 total yards and no first downs.

Jordan Hancock sealed the win with an interception at the OSU 45 with 1:16 left.

Nebraska (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) had gone ahead 17-14 with 10:47 remaining on a 1-yard run by Dante Dowdell and a two-point conversion catch by Nate Boerkircher.

The Cornhuskers went 74 yards in nine plays for their first fourth-quarter lead against a top-5 team since playing Texas in 2009.

Despite a perfect half of throwing by Howard, the Buckeyes held just a 14-6 lead after Nebraska's John Hohl hit a 54-yard field goal as time expired.

Hohl also made a 39-yard field goal early in the second quarter to make it 7-3. He entered the game 1 for 5 with a long of 21 yards this season.

Howard went 9 for 9 for 167 yards, two touchdowns and a 329.2 quarterback rating in the first half.

He opened the scoring with a 40-yard strike to Carnell Tate on a post pattern to complete a 91-yard drive with 29 seconds left in the first quarter.

After Hohl's first field goal, Howard led the Buckeyes to a 14-3 lead on the next possession when he connected with Jeremiah Smith for a 60-yard score.

Howard's first pass of the third quarter went for 5 yards before he threw an incompletion to Smith at the right sideline.

Hohl then cut the deficit to 14-9 with a 47-yarder.

Each team was coming off a disheartening defeat. The Cornhuskers were routed 56-7 at Indiana; Ohio State lost at current No. 1 Oregon 32-31 on Oct. 12.

On Nov. 2, the Buckeyes play at No. 3 Penn State while Nebraska hosts UCLA looking for a win to be bowl eligible.

--Field Level Media