No. 1 Buckeyes on road vs. Northwestern – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/18/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
October 18, 1998
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 1 Ohio State (6-0, 3-0) vs. Northwestern (2-4, 0-4)
%^$Game Facts: Saturday, Oct. 24, 1998, 12:10 EDT (11:10 CDT)%^$Ryan Field (47,129; Grass), Evanston, Ill., ESPN2 Television
%^$The Broadcasts
%^$TV – ESPN2 will broadcast the game nationally with Rich Waltz, play-by-play; Rodney Gilmore, color analyst and Holly Rowe, sideline reporting.
%^$Radio – Sports Radio 1460 (AM) The Fan and Oldies B97 (97.1 FM). Paul Keels, play-by-play; Jim Lachey, color analyst and Jim Karsatos, sideline reporter.
%^$KICKOFF AT RYAN FIELD
%^$The No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes make their first visit to Evanston, Ill., in four years for a Saturday morning game against the Northwestern Wildcats. Kickoff at Ryan Field is set for 11:10 a.m. CDT (12:10 p.m. EDT). ESPN2 will carry the game to a national television audience with Rich Waltz, Rodney Gilmore and Holly Rowe describing the action. The Buckeyes, withstanding opponents’ best shots six straight weeks as the nation’s top-ranked team, are 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten after last weekend’s 45-15 homecoming win over Minnesota. Northwestern is 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big Ten after coming out on the short end of a 12-6 score with Michigan in a game that was played in torrential rain.
%^$OHIO STATE’S 6-0 START
%^$The Buckeyes’ 6-0 record includes road wins at No. 11 West Virginia to open the season (34-17) and 41-0 over Illinois two weeks ago. Ohio State’s four home wins, each played before a sellout in Ohio Stadium with an average crowd of 93,270 fans, includes victories over No. 21 Missouri (35-14), No. 7 Penn State (28-9), Toledo (49-0) and Minnesota last week. Coach John Cooper’s 11th Ohio State team is combining a balanced offense that produces 222.2 rushing yards per game and 281.5 passing yards per game with a rock-solid defense that allows just 227.7 total yards per game and has given up only five touchdowns. Both sides of the football feature multiple All-America candidates: QB Joe Germaine, WR David Boston and OG Rob Murphy on offense and LB Andy Katzenmoyer, CB Antoine Winfield and SS Damon Moore on defense. In addition, the Buckeyes’ attack features a nice mix of offensive and defensive rising stars, most notably sophomore LB Na’il Diggs, junior TB Michael Wiley and junior CB Ahmed Plummer.
%^$THE NO. 1 NATIONAL RANKING
%^$It’s been Ohio State’s all season. The Buckeyes were the No. 1 choice in the preseason in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 coaches poll, and they have solidified that hold each week with a vast majority of first-place votes in each. This week, Ohio State received 64 first-place votes and totalled 1,743 points in the AP poll, out-gaining second-ranked UCLA by 96 total points. In the coaches poll, Ohio State received 58 of the 62 first-place votes and totalled 1,546 points. No. 2 UCLA totalled 1,452 points and received one first-place vote. No. 3 Kansas State picked up the other three first-place votes.
%^$RADIO COVERAGE
%^$The game will be broadcast around the state on the 73-station Ohio State Buckeyes Radio Sports Network with Sports Radio 1460 (AM) The Fan the flagship station. Calling the action is first-year play-by-play announcer Paul Keels. He is assisted in the broadcast booth by second-year analyst Jim Lachey. Jim Karsatos will provide sideline commentary.
%^$OHIO STATE vs. NORTHWESTERN
%^$The game Saturday will be the 66th football meeting between Ohio State and Northwestern. The Buckeyes have won all seven games against Northwestern under coach John Cooper, and they are currently working on a 20-game win streak over the Wildcats, dating back to the 1971 season (a 14-10 Northwestern win at Ohio Stadium). OSU, which leads the all-time series 51-13-1, including a 21-5-1 record in Evanston, has not lost in Evanston since a 21-0 NU win in 1958. The Buckeyes have won 11 in a row in Evanston since that loss. This will be the first action on Ryan Field for all 64 members of the team travel party.
%^$FIRST GLANCE: FOUR STARS
%^$Quarterback Joe Germaine and flanker David Boston were the offensive stars and linebacker Na’il Diggs and cornerback Ahmed Plummer stood out on defense as Ohio State rolled to its sixth-consecutive win last week, 45-15, over Minnesota. Germaine established school records for career, season and consecutive 300-yard passing games with his 339-yard, two touchdown performance. Boston set a career high with 191 receiving yards off 10 catches. Diggs, for the second year in a row against Minnesota, recorded three quarterback sacks while finishing with eight solo tackles. Plummer recorded his team-best third interception of the season and led the team with nine tackles, including a career-best eight solo stops. He also had a personal best four pass break-ups, tieing Antoine Winfield’s team high for 1998. The Buckeyes had a season high 586 yards of offense. The defense held Minnesota to 46 rushing yards, but did allow 225 passing yards as the Gopher QBs went to the air 49 times.
%^$BUT THERE WERE MORE STARS
%^$Linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer played one of his best games of the season, according to the coaches, in collecting six solo tackles and seven total, including his 40th career tackle for loss. Antoine Winfield closed in on 200 career solo tackles – only four Buckeyes have ever achieved that total – with seven more against the Golden Gophers. He now has 194. Central McClellion made his first career interception a memorable one: he took it into the end zone from 60-yards out. Brent Johnson had a career-best five tackles from his defensive end position. Offensively, Michael Wiley recorded his fourth 100-yard day of the season with 119 yards rushing and a touchdown off only 12 carries. Back-up Joe Montgomery had a two-year best 30-yard run on his way to 67 yards and one touchdown. Matt Keller scored his first TD of the season and nearly had a second in his best statistical game of the season: 17 rushing yards and three receptions for 29 yards. Left tackle Tyson Walter was seen blocking 40 yards downfield on Wiley’s long rush of the day. Dee Miller secured the 100th reception of his career, part of a five-catch afternoon.
%^$OSU’S WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
%^$Joe Germaine and David Boston were chosen as Ohio State’s offensive players of the game, and for the fifth time this season the defense was cited by the coaching staff. The starting five offensive lineman – Tyson Walter, Rob Murphy, Kurt Murphy, Ben Gilbert and Brooks Burris – were chosen as co-linemen of the week. Four special teamers – Steve Bellisari, Reggie Germany, Nate Clements and David Mitchell – were honored for their all-out work on coverage units. Cie Grant was defensive special team p.o.w.
%^$503.7 YARDS OF OFFENSE PER GAME
%^$Ohio State has topped 500 yards of total offense five times already this season which ties the 1969 and the 1995 teams for most 500-yard games in a season. The Buckeyes are coming off a season-high 586-yard afternoon against Minnesota. Ohio State’s 503.7 yards per game average leads the Big Ten and is sixth nationally.
%^$INSIDE THE OFFENSE
%^$Ohio State is 16th nationally in passing (281.5 ypg) and 18th nationally in rushing (222.2 ypg) and is scoring 38.7 points per game which ranks 10th nationally. In the Big Ten, Ohio State leads in pass efficiency, scoring, third down conversions and first downs (per game), it is second in passing yards and third in rushing. Quarterback Joe Germaine is having a delightful time as a first-year starter. He has completed 63-pct. of his passes for 1,521 yards with 11 TDs and only three interceptions. He gets to throw to the best pair of receivers in the country: junior David Boston and senior Dee Miller, a duo that has combined for 67 receptions, 1,083 yards and seven TDs on the year. The backfield presents speed and power headaches at tailback with Michael Wiley (speed), Joe Montgomery (power), Jonathan Wells (power) and Derek Combs (speed) a most formidable foursome. FB Matt Keller and TE John Lumpkin have combined for 13 receptions and both know how to block. The offensive line: it features just one senior and it has 96 combined starts.
%^$IT’S CALLED TEAM DEFENSE
%^$Ohio State’s “Silver Bullets” defense is the nation’s No. 2-ranked unit in total defense, allowing 227.7 yards per game. (Florida State leads at 214.1 ypg.) The Buckeyes are the top defense in pass efficiency, with a rating of 77.6 points (OSU has given up just three TD passes, has intercepted nine balls and is allowing opponents a completion rate of 47.8 pct.). The Buckeyes are No. 9 against the run, allowing just 90.5 ypg, and they are second in scoring defense at 9.2 ppg. Additionally, the Bucks lead the Big Ten in total defense, passing efficiency and passing yards, and scoring. Major reasons: “11 Silver Bullets running toward the ball,” as defensive coordinator Fred Pagac likes to say. The Buckeyes are led by a trio of All-America candidates – linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer, cornerback Antoine Winfield and strong safety Damon Moore – and the unit is blessed with terrific team speed throughout.
%^$ANDY K.: ON BUTKUS & LOMBARDI LISTS
%^$Ohio State’s outstanding junior linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer has been named a semifinalist for both the 1998 Lombardi Award and Butkus Award. Last year he became just the second sophomore – and the first Buckeye – to win the Butkus Award. He was a Lombardi finalist.
%^$NEVER BEFORE ACCOMPLISHED
%^$Joe Germaine’s 339-yard passing performance against Minnesota lifted him to heights that no other Ohio State quarterback has achieved. That effort established Ohio State records for career 300-yard games (Joe now has four), single season 300-yard games (three so far this year) and consecutive 300-yard games (two in a row; it had never been done before). The yardage total also lifted Germaine to over 4,500 for his career – he is currently sixth at OSU with 4,561 yards – and two touchdown passes bumped his career total to 42, third-best all-time. He also completed 27-of-39 attempts which only added to his career percentage record of .600.
%^$BOSTON CLOSING IN ON THEM ALL
%^$David Boston’s superb 10-reception, 191-yard, two-touchdown afternoon against the Golden Gophers placed him into the school record books. The 191 yards – the fourth-best single game effort at OSU – was Boston’s eighth game with over 100 yards receiving, tieing him with Cris Carter for the all-time mark. The yards also moved Boston over 2,000 for his career (he has 2,040), only the fourth time in school history that has been accomplished. The two touchdowns left him one shy of Carter’s school record of 27. Boston enters the Northwestern game with 134 career receptions, just 34 away from Carter’s school record of 168. Gary Williams had 154.
%^$ANOTHER DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN
%^$Ohio State’s defense has recorded a touchdown in three-consecutive games. Saturday vs. Minnesota, Central McClellion returned a fourth-quarter interception 60-yards for a score. Two weeks ago at Illinois, end James Cotton rocked UI quarterback Kurt Kittner, forcing a fumble that Na’il Diggs scooped up and scored from 47-yards out. The key play in OSU’s 28-9 win over Penn State was Jerry Rudzinski recovering a fumble in the end zone after he had surprised quarterback Kevin Thompson.
%^$WHAM & BAM!
%^$Michael Wiley and Joe Montgomery averaged a combined 10.9 yards per carry against Minnesota. Wiley’s 119 yards came on 12 carries (9.9 avg.) while Montgomery’s 67 yards came on just five carries (13.4 avg.). Both players scored. The two have stoked the rushing game by combining for 179.1 ypg and 6.9 ypc. Wiley’s 124.8 ypg average is 12th-best nationally.
%^$SOME SECONDARY
%^$Are there a better pair of cornerbacks in college football than Thorpe Award candidate Antoine Winfield (36 tackles; 10 pass break-ups) and Ahmed Plummer (23 tackles; nine pass break-ups)? Strong safety Damon Moore, an All-America candidate, leads the team in tackles (37) and Gary Berry has 21. The four have started in the secondary together 18 times the last two years.
%^$DAVID & DEE: NONE BETTER
%^$The nation’s best pair of receivers, Biletnikoff Award candidates David Boston and Dee Miller, continue to shine for the Buckeye offense with 38 and 29 receptions and 1,083 total yards
%^$D-LINE MAKES 13 STOPS
%^$OSU’s young and talented defensive line players combined for 13 stops against Minnesota. Not bad considering the Gophers only rushed the ball 27 times. The line features three sophomore starters – ends Rodney Bailey and Brent Johnson and tackle Joe Brown – and one true freshman, Ryan Pickett.
%^$BUCKEYE LEAVES
%^$Jerry Rudzinski has officially been nominated for a National Football Foundation Scholarship. Ohio State leads the nation with 17 NFF Scholarship recipients…. Ohio State’s last three opponents have rushed for 79, 43 and 46 yards, respectively….The Buckeyes have not fumbled the last two games after fumbling 16 times and losing four the first four games….The Buckeyes have allowed just 55 points this season (six in the first quarter and only 15 in the second half) in registering two shutouts and allowing just eight scores….The defense has also limited the opponents to a Big Ten-best 20 percent on third down plays (19-of-93)….The Buckeyes are first in the Big Ten in third-down conversions (48 pct.; 47-of-98)….The offense has 15 drives of 70 yards or more, including three of over 90 yards (OSU went 96 yards for a TD vs. WVU, 98 yards for a TD vs. Toledo and 92 yards for a TD vs. Missouri)….The Buckeyes are averaging a Big Ten-best 24 first downs per game, and of the 147 total first downs, 73 have been rushing and 72via the pass….Andy Katzenmoyer leads the team in solo tackles with 31….True freshman Jonathan Wells is third on the team with 28 rushing attempts….Four receptions vs. Minnesota boosted Michael Wiley into third on the team with 13 receptions….David Boston has caught a pass in 26-consecutive games….Dee Miller has caught a pass in 21-consecutive games….Cheers to Kevin Griffin, who returned after getting stitches above one eye to make his first reception of the season vs. Minnesota….Ahmed Plummer’s eight career interceptions is second-best on the team. Damon Moore has 11.
%^$IN THE RED ZONE
%^$Ohio State is converting on 88 percent of its trips inside the red zone. The Buckeyes have made 26 trips and have come away with 18 TDs and five field goals. Opponents have managed eight trips in the red zone, and have scored six times (75.0 pct.).
%^$ COOP’S AMONG BIG TEN’S BEST
%^$John Cooper is fifth on the Big Ten’s all-time win list. Coop’s .722 Big Ten winning percentage (58-21-4) trails only Bo Shembechler (.850; 143-24-3 at Michigan), Fielding Yost (.796; 42-10-2 at Michigan), Woody Hayes (.785; 152-39-7) and Fritz Crisler (.777; 42-11-3 at Michigan).
%^$SMASHING SENIOR SUCCESS
%^$The senior class has a chance to become the third-consecutive senior class to break or tie a four-year Ohio State record for wins. This year’s class now has a four-year record of 38-6 with sights set on smashing the 1996 seniors’ mark of 41 wins. Their 32-6 mark entering the season was the fifth-best record in Division IA football over the last three years, trailing only Nebraska (36-2), Florida (34-4), Florida State (32-4) and Tennessee (32-5).
%^$PLAYMAKERS
%^$Ohio State now has 36 passing or running plays of 20 yards or more this season. Eight of the plays came against Minnesota. David Boston has the team single game high with four plays of 20-or-more yards against West Virginia. Michael Wiley’s 76-yard run from scrimmage, vs. Toledo, is the longest. Eight different players have taken part. %^$
%^$20-YARD RECEPTIONS (23)%^$ 13 David Boston – 53TD, 39TD, 38, 38, %^$ 30TD, 29, 29, 27, 24, 23, 23, 22, 21%^$ 5 Dee Miller – 42, 40, 37TD, 34, 33%^$ 2 Reggie Germany – 47TD, 37TD.%^$ 1 John Lumpkin – 28%^$ 1 Michael Wiley – 20TD%^$ 1 Ken-Yon Rambo – 39
%^$20-YARD RUSHES (13)%^$ 7 Michael Wiley – 76TD, 59, 40, 37, 36, %^$ 29, 21TD%^$ 5 Joe Montgomery – 30, 24, 22, 20, 20%^$ 1 Joe Germaine – 22
%^$********************
%^$
The Scoop on Coop
%^$Twelve Buckeyes have been first round NFL draft picks under John Cooper.
%^$THE COACH
%^$John Cooper, now in his 11th season as head coach of the Ohio State University Buckeyes and in his 22nd season overall, is building as fine a collegiate coaching resume as any active coach in the business. Period. And the resume is getting better every year. Cooper, the second-winningest coach in OSU history – behind Woody Hayes’ 205 victories – and with the third-longest coaching tenure behind Hayes (28 seasons) and John W. Wilce (16), has guided four- consecutive Ohio State teams into New Year’s Day bowl games and each of his last three Ohio State teams to at least 10 victories. The former is part of nine-consecutive bowl appearances for the Buckeyes under Cooper. The latter is an accomplishment only three other current head coaches can match (Bobby Bowden at Florida State, Steve Spurrier at Florida and Phillip Fulmer at Tennessee).
%^$THE 1990’s
%^$Cooper’s Buckeyes have won 57 games since 1993 and in the decade of the 1990s, Ohio State has amassed an 80-22-3 record, the ninth-best record in the decade among all Division IA schools. These streaks of successes has positioned Cooper with an Ohio State record of 92-32-4 and an all-time mark of 174-72-6.
%^$THE AWARDS
%^$Regarding student-athletes, the honors, awards and accomplishments Ohio State student-athletes have garnered under Cooper is matched by no other active coach. Consider, under John Cooper 15 Buckeyes have won first-team All-America honors, 12 have been first-round NFL draft picks, six have won National Football Foundation Scholarships, five have been named first-team Academic All-Americans and eight have won major athletic and academic awards in the last three years alone.
%^$THE MAN
%^$Away from football, Cooper likes any outdoor activities such as golf, fishing and lawn work and hates being confined to a desk and being in the office. As for dining, he says he has never had a bad meal and still loves an old fashioned home-cooked meal of beans, potatoes and cornbread. He enjoys oldies and country music and truly enjoys relaxing with his family.
%^$********************
%^$
NORTHWESTERN
%^$The Wildcats went 2-1 in their first three non-conference games, but have dropped four straight in the Big Ten Conference since then.
%^$CONFIDENCE BOOST
%^$After coming within a touchdown of defeating defending national champion Michigan in a muddy mess last weekend, the Northwestern Wildcats (2-5, 0-4) will undoubtedly enter this weekend’s game against Ohio State with as much confidence as they’ve had all year.
%^$LAST WEEKEND
%^$A quote from Northwestern defensive lineman Jeff Dyra sums up the Wildcats’ game against Michigan last weekend: “It was like a pigpen – a bunch of fat pigs rolling around in mud.” Northwestern led 6-0 with just one minute remaining in the first half of the rain-soaked game, but a slip by cornerback Harold Blackmon allowed Michigan’s Tai Streets to catch a 30-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Wolverines added a field goal and a safety in the second half for a 12-6 win. Northwestern could muster only two Brian Gowins field goals on offense. The Wildcats were outgained 257-191. The sloppy conditions caused 10 fumbles in the game. “Michigan just made enough plays to win that game,” NU head coach Gary Barnett said. “We made one short. That’s who we are – one play short.”%^$ %^$AIR IT OUT OFFENSE
%^$Northwestern has favored the passing game in the first half of the season. Quarterback Gavin Hoffman has thrown for 1,212 yards, completing 103-of-183 attempts. He has been intercepted seven times and has thrown for six scores. Hoffman connected on 13-of-23 attempts for 156 yards against Michigan in a game where Northwestern was forced to use the run due to the weather conditions. A redshirt freshman, Hoffman saw no live game action last season, but has an impressive list of credentials from high school in Minnesota. Another redshirt freshman, Damien Anderson (414 yards on 116 carries) leads all NU rushers. A high school All-American out of Wilmington, Ill., Anderson is known as a physical, pounding ball-carrier. Northwestern’s offense is highlighted by 1996 Biletnikoff Award semifinalist D’Wayne Bates. After missing most of last season with a broken leg, Bates leads the Wildcats with 49 catches for 696 yards. The sure-handed, athletic wideout has amassed over 2,000 career receiving yards at NU. Bates, who was drafted out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays, also played a series at quarterback against Michigan, running three option keepers for a net gain of two yards.
%^$SHOWING PROMISE
%^$Led by all-Big Ten linebacker Barry Gardner, the Northwestern defense has been stingy at times this season. The unit has held four teams to 14 points or less. Gardner leads the team with 108 total tackles – 58 more than any other Wildcat defender. Northwestern is surrendering an average of 319 yards per game this season (158 rushing, 161 passing). Three-year starter Mike Nelson has been a mainstay for the Wildcats at free safety, and ranks second on this year’s squad with 50 tackles. Thor Schmidt will start at right end for NU, and leads the team in both sacks (five) and tackles for a loss (11). Seven starters return on defense from last season, but gone are NFL picks Casey Dailey and Keith Lozowski.
%^$1998 NORTHWESTERN STATISTICAL LEADERS%^$
%^$RUSHING Att. Yards Avg. TD%^$Damien Anderson 116 414 3.6 4%^$Brian Marshall 41 180 4.4 0
%^$PASSING Att. Co. Yds. TD Int.%^$Gavin Hoffman 183 103 1212 6 7
%^$RECEIVING No. Yards Avg. TD%^$D’Wayne Bates 49 696 14.2 4%^$Jay Tant 12 123 10.3 0%^$Sean Bennett 11 132 12.0 0
%^$TACKLES Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks%^$Barry Gardner 75 33 108 0%^$Mike Nelson 38 12 50 0%^$Preston Letts 24 21 45 1
%^$Facts & Figures%^$Location Evanston, Ill%^$Enrollment 7,400%^$President Henry S. Beinen%^$Athletic Director Rick Taylor%^$Nickname Wildcats%^$Colors Purple and White%^$1998 Record 2-5, 0-4 (Big Ten)%^$Head Coach Gary Barnett%^$Alma Mater Missouri ‘69%^$NU Record 34-41-1 (seventh year)%^$Career Record 42-52-1 (ninth year)%^$Record vs. Ohio State 0-4%^$Offensive Coordinator Greg Meyer%^$Co-Def. Coord. Vince Okruch, Jerry Brown%^$Letterman Returning/Lost 34/19%^$Offensive Starters Returning 5%^$Defensive Starters Returning 7%^$Specialists Returning 1%^$Offensive Formation Multiple%^$Defensive Formation 4-3
%^$1998 Schedule/Results%^$Sept. 5, UNLV W 41-7%^$Sept. 12, DUKE L 44-10%^$Sept. 19, at Rice W 23-14%^$Sept. 26, at Wisconsin L 38-7%^$Oct. 3, ILLINOIS L 13-10%^$Oct. 11, at Iowa L 26-24%^$Oct. 17, MICHIGAN L 12-6%^$Oct. 24, OHIO STATE%^$Oct. 31, at Michigan State%^$Nov. 7, PURDUE%^$Nov. 14, at Penn State%^$Nov. 21, at Hawaii
%^$********************
%^$
OSU LAST WEEK
%^$The Buckeyes put a strangle hold on the No. 1 spot in the land led by Joe Germaine’s and David Boston’s record setting afternoon. %^$ %^$COLUMBUS – An all-out offensive attack along with the usual solid play of the “Silver Bullets” defense led No. 1 Ohio State over Minnesota, 45-15. The Buckeyes did basically whatever they wanted offensively against the Golden Gopher defense. For the first time this season, OSU opened the game in a four-receiver set featuring David Boston, Dee Miller, Reggie Germany and Ken-Yon Rambo. On its second series of the game, Joe Germaine found Boston in the back of the endzone to give OSU an early 7-0 lead. Minnesota answered right away with a nine play, 48-yard drive which resulted in an Adam Bailey field goal. The Buckeyes increased their lead to 14-3 with 43 seconds remaining in the first quarter off Matt Keller’s eight-yard touchdown scamper. The score was the first of the season for the OSU fullback. Ohio State tacked on another score with 11:35 left in the first half when Germaine found Boston again this time on a 53-yard score. Germaine finished the game with 339-yards passing setting a new school record with four career 300-yard plus passing games. He also became the first OSU quarterback ever to throw for over 300-yards in back-to-back games. The Buckeyes mixed things up later in the second quarter with tailback Joe Montgomery running over the Golden Gopher defense. Montgomery set up his 12-yard touchdown run with a 30-yard rush up the middle. The first half onslaught continued with Dan Stultz’s 19-yard field goal to give OSU a commanding 31-3 lead. Minnesota went into halftime down 31-13 off Andy Persby’s 35-yard pass to Antoine Henderson with 2:27 remaining in the half and Bailey’s 32-yard field goal with 41 seconds left in the half. The second half proved to be all Ohio State again. Michael Wiley punched in a one-yard run with 8:31 remaining in the third quarter. The junior finished the afternoon with 118-yards rushing, his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Minnesota recorded a safety with 8:21 left in the game for its final score of the afternoon. The Buckeyes would cap off their scoring with Central McClellion’s 60-yard interception return for a touchdown. The score marked the third consecutive game the OSU defense has scored a touchdown. Linebacker Na’il Diggs had a big afternoon recording three sacks for minus-14-yards. Cornerback Ahmed Plummer led the defense with nine total tackles. %^$ %^$
GAME NOTES AND GOOD STUFF
%^$ %^$AERIAL ASSAULT
%^$Boston finished the afternoon with a career high 191-yards receiving. He has now gone over the 100-yard mark three times this season and eight times in his career. His eight career 100-yard games ties him with Cris Carter for the OSU all-time career record.
%^$THE OHIO STATE 500
%^$Ohio State’s 586-yards of total offense marked the fifth time this season OSU had eclipsed the 500-yard plateau.
%^$MASON’S A BUCKEYE
%^$Minnesota coach Glen Mason lettered as a junior at Ohio State in 1970. He was a 6-2, 218-pound linebacker/middle guard and was listed as wearing jersey numbers 36 and 69. He was part of Ohio State’s 1970 Big Ten championship team that lost to Stanford in the Rose Bowl, 27-17.Michigan State last season.
%^$REUNIONS AND MORE
%^$In addition to festivities surrounding the Homecoming game, Ohio State University celebrated the 30th anniversary of its 1968 national championship football team and the 25th anniversary of the 1973 team which finished 10-0-1 and arguably should have been national champions. %^$
%^$Minnesota 15%^$No. 1 Ohio State 45%^$Oct. 17, Ohio Stadium; ESPN
%^$Scoring%^$Minnesota 3 10 0 2 15%^$Ohio State 14 17 7 7 45
%^$First Quarter%^$OSU – Boston 6 pass from Germaine (Stlutz kick), 6:46%^$MINN – FG Bailey 24, 3:48%^$OSU – Keller 8 run (Stultz kick), 0:43
%^$Second Quarter%^$OSU – Boston 53 pass from Germaine (Stultz kick), 11:35%^$OSU – Montgomery 12 run (Stultz kick), 6:57%^$OSU – FG Stultz 19, 4:35%^$MINN – Henderson 35 pass from Andy Persby (Bailey kick), 2:27%^$MINN – Bailey 32 field goal, 0:41
%^$Third Quarter%^$OSU – Wiley 1 run (Stultz kick), 8:31
%^$Fourth Quarter%^$MINN – Team safety, 8:21%^$OSU – McClellion 60 interception return (Stultz kick)%^$Attendance – 93,183
%^$Team Statistics MINN OSU%^$First downs 16 26%^$Rushes-yards 27-46 40-236%^$Passing yards 225 350%^$Return yards 165 95%^$Comp.-Att.-Int. 22-49-2 28-43-2%^$Sacked-yards lost 3-14 4-19%^$Punts 8-46.0 4-26.0%^$Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0%^$Penalties-yards 3-21 7-74%^$Time of possession 28:41 31:19
%^$Individual Statistics%^$Rushing – Minnesota, Cockerham 6-22, Evans 4-21, Hamner 10-20, Bruce 3-2, Persby 4-(-19). Ohio State, Wiley 12-119, Montgomery 5-67, Wells 5-20, Keller 5-17, Germaine 6-14, Combs 4-3, Martin 2-2, Garcia 1-(-5).
%^$Passing – Minnesota, Persby 19-42-1 213, Cockerham 3-7-1 12. Ohio State, Germaine 27-39-2 339, Garcia 1-4-0 11.
%^$Receiving – Minnesota, Leverson 12-108, Henderson 4-54, Johnson 3-43, Hamner 1-9, Evans 1-9, Bruce 1-2. Ohio State, Boston 10-191, Wiley 4-27, Keller 3-29, Germany 2-19, Rambo 2-16, Girffin 1-14, Wells 1-11.
%^$Missed Field Goals – Ohio State, Stultz 19.
