Will Howard leaves at the end of the second quarter at Michigan State

Spartans linebacker Jordan Turner tackled Howard as he attempted a pass to Carnell Tate that fell incomplete.

Trainers tended to Howard on the Spartan Stadium field before Brown came in for him.

Facing a third-and-10 from the Michigan State 17-yard line, Brown hit freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on his first attempt. Smith made a one-handed touchdown catch that gave the Buckeyes a 24-7 lead with 29 seconds left until halftime.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or send an email to [email protected].