With Ohio State facing a third-and-4 on its opening drive against Maryland Oct. 7, Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett fired to his right to receiver Johnnie Dixon. Terps senior safety Josh Woods saw the play develop and broke toward Dixon, nearly intercepted the ball and might've returned it for a touchdown had he corralled it.
"I actually tipped that ball," Woods said. "It was something that I knew it was coming, but the ball kind of got up on me quicker than I thought. But, yeah, that was something that we watched on film. It was the perfect call against what they were doing. I just missed it."
Dixon made the catch and ran 35 yards to the Terps' 9-yard line, but Woods' nose for the football was rewarded later in the half. With Ohio State up, 20-7, and the Terps' offense desperately needing a short field, Woods forced a fumble by Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins that gave Maryland the ball near midfield early in the second quarter.
