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After a rough start, Aron Cruickshank gave Rutgers a much-needed jolt, a long catch-and-run for his first touchdown catch of the season.
With 2:23 left in the first quarter, Rutgers got a much-needed big play as Cruickshank ran 75 yards on a pass over the middle from Noah Vedral. Down 24-0 after a first half where just about everything went wrong, the playmaker’s long touchdown breathed some life into the Scarlet Knights.
It was also important for Vedral after he threw his first interception of the season that resulted in Denzel Burke’s 23-yard return for a touchdown.
Running what looked to be a drag route, Cruickshank simply sped by the Ohio State defense, impressive considering the overall speed on the Buckeyes defense and in their secondary.
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— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) October 2, 2021
The ensuing extra-point was blocked by Ohio State.
Cruickshank came into the game off a solid performance last week with four catches for 32 yards as Rutgers lost 20-13 at then-No. 19 Michigan.
Ohio State raced out to a 24-0 lead as Rutgers was simply poor in the first quarter. After The Scarlet Knights got on the board, Ohio State then marched down the field on nine plays, going 75 yards to stake themselves to a 31-7 lead.