Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Terrelle Pryor threw for two scores and rushed for another touchdown, as 10th-ranked Ohio State blew out Minnesota, 52-10, in the Buckeyes' eighth straight victory over the Golden Gophers.
Pryor completed 18-of-22 passes for 222 yards and was picked off once. Dan Herron carried the ball 17 times for a career-high 114 yards with a TD for the Buckeyes (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten), who have beaten Minnesota in 24 of the last 25 meetings. DeVier Posey caught six passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.
"I think the offense played great," Pryor said. "We needed the good start from an offensive perspective because we have not played very well on the road. We really needed this game to start early."
Adam Weber connected on 9-of-20 passes for 162 yards and was intercepted once for Minnesota (1-8, 0-5), which lost its eighth in a row.
"Obviously Ohio State was the dominating football team tonight," Minnesota interim head coach Jeff Horton said. "They beat us in all three phases of the football game."
Pryor scored on a one-yard run to cap the first drive of the game, but DeLeon Eskridge punched in a seven-yard rush to tie the game. Minnesota moved 74 yards on just four plays during its opening possession.
Pryor hit Brandon Saine with a three-yard TD pass later in the opening quarter and Eric Ellestad missed a 35-yard field goal early in the second for the Golden Gophers.
Devin Barclay's 23-yard field goal extended the lead to 17-7 with 8:24 left in the half. The Buckeyes drove into field goal range thanks to Pryor's 39-yard connection to Dane Sanzenbacher.
Jordan Hall returned a Minnesota punt 70 yards to the two later in the second, but Pryor was picked off on the ensuing play.
Despite OSU's misfortune, the Buckeyes were able to widen the gap to 24-7 on Herron's 10-yard run with 1:43 left in the half.
Pryor's 38-yard TD pass to Posey came with 24 seconds left in the second quarter.
Ellestad split the uprights from 33 yards out early in the third.
Barclay missed from 21 yards away, but OSU capitalized on a blocked punt from Dan Orseske that Zach Domicone recovered in the end zone for a 38-10 lead with 4:10 remaining in the third.
Hall scored on a 16-yard run early in the fourth and OSU came up with a defensive score two plays later. Weber fumbled after being sacked and John Simon rumbled 30 yards with the return to the end zone.
The Buckeyes lead the overall series by a 43-7 count. Minnesota's last victory over Ohio State came back in 2000. The Gophers' last win against OSU in Minneapolis was a 35-31 victory against the 18th-ranked Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 1981, in the next-to-the-last game played at Memorial Stadium...Weber made his 47th consecutive start, the longest such streak in the nation for a signal- caller...Pryor completed 10 consecutive passes in the game, the third time he has completed 10 or more in a row this season. He had 11 against Indiana and a school-record 16 against Eastern Michigan...Pryor threw the 49th and 50th TD passes of his career, tying him with Art Schlichter for fourth on Ohio State's all-time list.