Ohio State Dominates UCLA, 48-10, to Improve to 10-0 in 2025

By Dan Hope on November 15, 2025 at 10:47 pm
Isaiah West running through the UCLA defense
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Despite being without its top two receivers for most of the game, Ohio State dominated UCLA to improve to 10-0 on the season.

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4  
#1 Ohio State 10 17 14 7 48
UCLA 0 0 7 3 10
NOV. 15, 2025 • OHIO STADIUM • COLUMBUS, OHIO

In a game that was highlighted by Lorenzo Styles Jr. scoring the Buckeyes’ first kickoff return touchdown since 2010 and a spectacular hurdle on a touchdown run by James Peoples, Ohio State rolled to a 48-10 victory over UCLA in a Saturday night game at Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State scored the first 34 points of the game as the Buckeyes scored all of their first five first-half possessions while their defense prevented UCLA from scoring on its first seven drives.

The Buckeyes cruised to victory despite being without Carnell Tate for the second game in a row and Jeremiah Smith leaving the game after three drives with an injury of his own, one that had him listed as questionable on Ohio State’s pregame injury report.

Scoring Summary
Qtr Time Team Result Play Details OSU UCLA
1 8:47 OSU TD 1-YARD RUN, BO JACKSON 7 0
1 0:04 OSU FG 41-YARD KICK, JAYDEN FIELDING 10 0
2 4:41 OSU TD 11-YARD PASS, JULIAN SAYIN TO BRYSON RODGERS 17 0
2 1:19 OSU TD 19-YARD RUN, JAMES PEOPLES 24 0
2 0:01 OSU FG 33-YARD KICK, JAYDEN FIELDING 27 0
3 2:27 OSU TD 1-YARD RUN, ISAIAH WEST 34 0
3 0:17 UCLA TD 18-YARD PASS, LUKE DUNCAN TO KWAZI GILMER 34 7
3 0:03 OSU TD 100-YARD KICKOFF RETURN, LORENZO STYLES JR. 41 7
4 8:49 UCLA FG 32-YARD KICK, MATEEN BHAGHANI 41 10
4 1:54 OSU TD 8-yARD RUN, JAMES PEOPLES 48 10

Key Moments

Q1: Jeremiah Smith sets up first TD with one-handed catch

Smith looked healthy early in the game as he made a one-handed catch for 18 yards on Ohio State’s fourth offensive play. That catch led to an opening-drive touchdown run for Bo Jackson.

Q2, 4:34: Sayin finds Rodgers on 4th-and-5 for 11-yard touchdown

After settling for a field goal on its second drive of the game, Ohio State opted to go for it on 4th-and-5 twice on its third drive of the game. The second one resulted in a touchdown as Julian Sayin found Bryson Rodgers on a long-developing play for an 11-yard score, the first of Rodgers’ career and Sayin’s only touchdown pass of the night.

Q2, 1:19: Peoples hurdles defender for 19-yard touchdown

James Peoples made the best play of his Ohio State career and one of the most exciting plays of the entire season as he hurdled UCLA safety Cole Martin on his way to the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown. He had another touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the first two-touchdown game of his career (and his first two touchdowns of the 2025 season).

Q2, 0:10: Curry blocks punt

Ohio State got the chance to add three more points to its total for a 27-0 halftime lead thanks to a shanked punt by UCLA’s Will Karoll, which Caden Curry blocked to give the Buckeyes the ball at the 14-yard line, setting up a 33-yard Jayden Fielding field goal before halftime.

Q3, 0:03: Styles returns kickoff for touchdown

For the first time since Jordan Hall’s 85-yard touchdown return against Michigan in 2010, Ohio State returned a kickoff for a touchdown as Lorenzo Styles Jr. raced for a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown that extended Ohio State’s lead to 41-7.

Ohio State Player Stat Leaders
Category Player Stats
PASSING JULIAN SAYIN 23-31, 184 YARDS, 1 TD
RUSHING BO JACKSON 15 carries, 112 YARDS, 1 TD
RECEIVING JEREMIAH SMITH 4 CATCHES, 40 YARDS
TACKLES SONNY STYLES 7 TACKLES, 1 TFL

Team Stats

OHIO STATE       UCLA
440 TOTAL YARDS 222
222 RUSHING YARDS 68
33 RUSHING ATTEMPTS 25
6.7 AVERAGE PER RUSH 2.7
4 RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS 0
218 PASSING YARDS 154
26-34 COMPLETIONS–ATTEMPTS 16-23
9.6 YARDS PER COMPLETION 8.4
1 PASSING TOUCHDOWNS 1
25 1st DOWNS 8
67 TOTAL PLAYS 48
6.6 YARDS PER PLAY 4.6
6-11 3RD DOWNS 5-13
3-20 PENALTIES 7-55
34:59 POSSESSION 25:01
0 TURNOVERS 0

What’s Next

Ohio State hosts Rutgers in its final home game of the season next Saturday, Nov. 22 at Ohio Stadium. The game will kick off at noon and will be televised by FOX.

Game Notes

  • Ohio State is now 5-4-1 all-time vs. UCLA.
  • The victory was the 1,000th win in Ohio State history, including the 12 wins in 2010 that no longer officially count in the record book due to NCAA sanctions.
  • Carnell Tate did not play for a second straight game. Other notable players who were out for Saturday’s game included rotational guard Joshua Padilla and running back CJ Donaldson, who was listed as questionable but did not play.
  • Jeremiah Smith was listed as questionable on the pregame injury report. He started the game at wide receiver, but did not play after the Buckeyes’ first three drives of the game.
  • Right tackle Phillip Daniels and defensive tackle Tywone Malone Jr. returned to the starting lineup after missing Ohio State’s previous game due to injury.
  • Julian Sayin went to the medical tent in the first quarter and had his left ankle wrapped, but did not miss any game time.
  • Caleb Downs did not play in the second half, though his early exit appeared to be precautionary.
  • 104,168 people attended the game.

Delivering dominant performances and carrying the torch for a legacy like no other: it’s an Ohio State thing. Cruise through the best season of the year, OSU football season, with expansions of iconic OSU logos, co-brand looks with some pop culture heavyweights (Bart x Buckeyes, anyone?) and more Scarlet and Gray garb.

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