JT Tuimoloau makes history with impressive game vs Penn State

J.T. Tuimoloau was a key part of Ohio State’s back-and-forth victory over Penn State on Saturday. In the process, he made some impressive history.

Tuimoloau’s final stat line included two sacks, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and two interceptions — including a pick-six. He’s just the third player FBS player in the last 15 years to do all that in one game, joining Demetrius Taylor at Appalachian State in 2019 and Keisean Lucier-South at UCLA in 2018, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

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Ohio State looked like it was going to be on upset alert in Happy Valley, trailing Penn State 14-13 at halftime. But the Buckeyes offense exploded for 28 points in the fourth quarter en route to the 44-31 victory over the Nittany Lions.

Ryan Day after Ohio State’s 44-31 victory over Penn State: ‘This is a great win’

With a little less than nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Penn State had a lead over Ohio State. The vibes were immaculate, and the Nittany Lions fans were going insane.

Then, the Buckeyes decided to show their strength.

A three-play, 75-yard touchdowns drive — capped by a 41-yard touchdown run by TreVeyon Henderson — gave the Buckeyes a lead, and they never looked back. The defense, headlined by JT Tuimoloau, stifled the Nittany Lions offense, and Ryan Day and company escaped Happy Valley with a victory.

“For whatever it is, when we play Penn State, it’s been that way. We talked about how you have to withstand the surge early. We all wish we could have done somethings early on better on offense. Defense played well, created some turnovers. And then we just talked about getting the game to the fourth quarter and winning,” Day told FOX’s Jenny Taft after the win. “Really proud of the way the guys played in the fourth quarter. They just played really hard and finished out the game.

“This is a great win and I thought our guys hung tough.”