Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate scores 2 touchdowns in his Chicago homecoming

CHICAGO (AP) — Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate celebrated his Chicago homecoming with two touchdown receptions against Northwestern on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

It was Tate’s first game in his hometown since his mother, Ashley Griggs, 40, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago in July 2023.

With the Buckeyes facing a second-and-8 at the Northwestern 25 late in the first half, Will Howard dropped back and lofted the ball in Tate's direction down the sideline. The 6-foot-3 sophomore made a diving grab in the end zone for his third TD of the season.

Tate added an 8-yard touchdown reception on Ohio State's first possession of the second half, capping a five-play, 90-yard drive and lifting the Buckeyes to a 28-7 lead. He also made a tough 14-yard catch over the middle that set up the Buckeyes' first TD in the second quarter.

Tate grew up in Chicago and played one year at Marist High School — about 25 miles south of Wrigley — before going to IMG Academy in Florida. He had 18 receptions for 264 yards and a touchdown in his freshman season at Ohio State.

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Jay Cohen, The Associated Press