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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- Defensive end Brent Johnson got his right hand on Travis Dorsch's 30-yard field goal attempt with 53 seconds remaining, preserving 19th-ranked Ohio State's 25-22 Big Ten Conference victory over No. 15 Purdue. The Buckeyes grabbed the lead with 4:13 left on Jonathan Wells' two-yard run, with Michael Wiley adding the two-point conversion for a 25-22 advantage. Drew Brees moved Purdue (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) into position for the tying score, but Dorsch's bid for a fourth field goal was blocked by Johnson, a junior from Kingston, Ontario. "I think it was a low kick. He did not get it up," Boilermakers coach Joe Tiller said. "They probably got a push inside. They had gotten penetration earlier in the day on us and cranked it up a notch on the kick." "We dodged some bullets and turned the ball over, but we played with our hearts today," said Ohio State coach John Cooper, who agreed to a five-year contract extension on Friday. "Brent Johnson made a great play for us. A lot of work needs to be done, but the effort was there." Wells' jaunt around right end capped a charmed drive for Ohio State, which moved 76 yards in 13 plays. Wells fumbled at his own 37 but offensive tackle Henry Fleming recovered. Seven plays later, Wiley coughed up the ball at the Purdue 20, but fullback Jamar Martin fell on it. Quarterback Steve Bellisari accounted for 270 total yards for the Buckeyes (4-2, 1-1), who stretched their winning streak over Purdue to seven games. He completed 10-of-26 passes for 174 yards and two interceptions while leading Ohio State's rushing attack with 96 yards on 17 carries. Bellisari's 68-yard keeper in the final minute sealed the victory, which gave the Buckeyes a 32-10-2 lead in the all-time series. "Steve Bellisari was struggling today," Cooper said. "He is young and we did tell Austin Moherman to warm up on the sidelines. Steve is our best quarterback. He is a young player and he will make the mistakes, but he is getting there." Brees was 24-of-39 for 205 yards but failed to throw for a TD for the first time in 19 games. After opening the season with four wins, the Boilermakers have lost two in a row and continue a nightmarish October schedule next week against first-place and unbeaten Michigan State. Coming off a 42-17 home loss to Wisconsin, Ohio State scored a touchdown on its first possession for the first time this season. Derek Combs went in from five yards to cap a 30-yard drive after Larry Shyne fumbled the opening kickoff and safety Gary Berry recovered. Bellisari was intercepted on the Buckeyes' next possession and safety Adrian Beasley returned it 19 yards to set up the tying score, a 12-yard toss from receiver Vinny Sutherland to Brees on a gadget play. Ohio State reached the Boilermakers 5 the next time it had the ball, but Bellisari was sacked on third down and Dan Stultz hit the left upright with a 33-yard field goal attempt. Dorsch converted from 40 and 32 yards to give Purdue a 13-7 halftime lead. The Buckeyes used some razzle dazzle to take the lead in the third quarter. Wiley took a handoff from Bellisari before finding tight end Darnell Sanders for a seven-yard TD. Stultz kicked a 45-yard field goal to make it 17-13, but Dorsch answered with a 22-yarder early in the fourth quarter. Bellisari was intercepted again by middle linebacker Willie Fells, whose 29-yard return set up Montrell Lowe's five-yard dash around left end for the go-ahead touchdown. Lowe finished with 153 yards on 25 carries. "The (rainy) weather was somewhat a factor," Tiller said. "It forces you to play with your feet under you. Ohio State had its back against the wall, but they played very well. We had a few negatives. We fumbled the opening kickoff and we didn't cash in when down low."
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