Ohio State’s Major Awards Candidates – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/5/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
November 5, 1998
COLUMBUS, Ohio – %^$
Ohio State’s Major Awards Candidates
%^$Updated notes and statistics on Joe Germaine, Andy Katzenmoyer, Antoine Winfield and David Boston.
%^$*************************
%^$
#7 Joe Germaine
%^$Heisman Trophy Candidate
%^$Davey O’Brien Award Candidate
%^$Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Candidate
%^$Team Offensive Notes: Joe Germaine has captained and quarterbacked the Ohio State Buckeyes to the No. 1 ranking in the land in both major polls the entire season. He has sparked the offense to national rankings of 5th in total offense (512.1 ypg), 11th in passing (302.6 ypg), 19th in rushing (209.5 ypg) and 10th in scoring (38.3 ppg). Clearly, the Buckeye offense presents major problems for opponents with a nice blend of passing and rushing. Ohio State’s offense has already established two single season records: seven games with at least 500 yards of total offense and a current string of four-straight games with 500 or more.
%^$Joe Germaine’s Individual Game-by-Game Statistics
%^$
Att. Cmp. Pct. Int. Yds. TDs Lng Final Score%^$West Virginia 32 18 56.3 0 301 2 42 OSU 34-17%^$Toledo 21 13 61.9 0 150 3 37 OSU 49-0%^$Missouri 25 19 76.0 0 211 0 43 OSU 35-14%^$Penn State 30 16 53.3 1 213 1 34 OSU 28-9%^$Illinois 28 17 60.7 0 307 3 40 OSU 41-0%^$Minnesota 39 27 69.2 2 339 2 53 OSU 45-15%^$Northwestern 35 19 54.2 1 342 3 38 OSU 36-10%^$Indiana 45 31 68.9 0 351 3 33 OSU 38-7%^$Totals 255 160 62.7 4 2,214 17 53 8-0
%^$Joe Germaine’s 1998 Notes: Germaine is quietly and quickly establishing himself as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks with 2,214 passing yards, 17 TDs and only four interceptions. He ranks 1st in the Big Ten and 9th nationally in passing efficiency (154.5 rating). He is second in the Big Ten and 12th nationally in total offense (276.5 ypg). He is coming off his finest statistical game of the season with a 31-for-45 effort for 351 yards with three TDs and no interceptions in the win over Indiana. He is reaching quarterback heights that no other Ohio State quarterback has achieved. His latest 300-yard passing game extended his own school records for 300-yard games to four consecutive, five in a season and six for a career. Germaine’s three TD passes against the Hoosiers – the fourth time this season and the eighth time in his career he has thrown for three or more – bumps his career total to 48 and within striking distance of Bobby Hoying’s school record of 57. Germaine has directed the Buckeyes to 19 scoring drives of 70 yards or more. His passing yards and touchdown total this season each rank fifth in school history.
%^$*************************
%^$
#45 Andy Katzenmoyer
%^$Butkus Award Candidate
%^$Lombardi Award Candidate
%^$Bronko Nagurski Award Candidate
%^$Team Defensive Notes: Ohio State’s “Silver Bullets” defense is the No. 3 defense in the nation, allowing just 237.4 total yards per game. The Buckeyes are the top defense in the nation against the pass, with a rating of 80.3 points. The unit has given up only five TD passes, intercepted 13 passes and allows opponents to complete only 46 percent of their throws. The defense has given up only seven touchdowns all season, just 15 points in the second half and it ranks third nationally in scoring defense (9.3 ppg). Five straight games of holding the opponent to less than 80 net rushing yards has vaulted the Buckeyes’ rushing defense to No. 5 nationally, allowing 83.5 yards per game. Ohio State leads the Big Ten in total defense, pass efficiency defense, passing yards and scoring.
%^$Katzenmoyer’s Individual Game-by-Game Statistics
%^$
Solos Assts. Total TFLs Yds Final Score%^$West Virginia 3 1 4 – – OSU 34-17%^$Toledo 2 0 2 – – OSU 49-0%^$Missouri 10 2 12 1 – 2 OSU 35-14%^$Penn State 4 1 5 2 – 2 OSU 28-9%^$Illinois 5 1 6 – – OSU 41-0%^$Minnesota 6 1 7 1 – 2 OSU 45-15%^$Northwestern 5 2 7 2 – 9 OSU 36-10%^$Indiana 5 1 6 3 -14 OSU 38-7%^$Totals 41 8 49 9 -29 8-0
%^$Katzenmoyer’s 1998 Notes: Andy Katzenmoyer is coming off a terrific effort against Indiana and its elusive Antwaan Randle El. Katzenmoyer had six tackles and three were on Randle El behind the line (a sack for -8, and two TFLs for -5 and -1). He finished with three TFLs for -14 yards. Katzenmoyer ranks second among Buckeyes in solo tackles with 41 and tackles for loss with nine. He is third with 49 total tackles. He has recorded 20 tackles the last three weeks, but more importantly, he has played assignment football and that is freeing up outside linebackers Na’il Diggs (10 TFLs) and Jerry Rudzinski (4 TFLs) to make plays. Andy now ranks fourth at Ohio State with 45 TFLs.
%^$*************************
%^$
#11 Antoine Winfield
%^$Thorpe Award Candidate
%^$Team Defensive Notes: Ohio State’s “Silver Bullets” defense is the No. 3 defense in the nation, allowing just 237.4 total yards per game. The Buckeyes are the top defense in the nation against the pass, with a rating of 80.3 points. The unit has given up only five TD passes, intercepted 13 passes and allows opponents to complete only 46 percent of their throws. The defense has given up only seven touchdowns all season, just 15 points in the second half and it ranks third nationally in scoring defense (9.3 ppg). Five straight games of holding the opponent to less than 80 net rushing yards has vaulted the Buckeyes’ rushing defense to No. 5 nationally, allowing 83.5 yards per game. Ohio State leads the Big Ten in total defense, pass efficiency defense, passing yards and scoring.
%^$Antoine Winfield’s Individual Game-by-Game Statistics
%^$
Solos Assts. Total TFLs Yds PBUs Final Score%^$West Virginia 8 0 8 1 – 4 2 OSU 34-17%^$Toledo 0 0 0 – – 0 OSU 49-0%^$Missouri 5 4 9 1 – 6 0 OSU 35-14%^$Penn State 4 2 6 – – 1 OSU 28-9%^$Illinois 6 0 6 1 – 5 4 OSU 41-0%^$Minnesota 7 0 7 – – 3 OSU 45-15%^$Northwestern 4 1 5 1 -11 0 OSU 36-10%^$Indiana 7 3 10 – – 1 OSU 38-7%^$Totals 42 9 51 4 -26 11 8-0
%^$Antoine Winfield 1998 Notes: From the first game of the season, when West Virginia’s Don Nehlen stated that “Antoine Winfield is the best football player I have ever seen on Mountaineer Field,” Winfield has been the No. 1 player for the widely considered No. 1 secondary in the country. He simply makes plays. Coming off a 10-tackle game against Indiana, Winfield ranks second on the team with 51 tackles and he leads the Big Ten Conference with 11 pass break-ups. He has two quarterback sacks. He has been rarely challenged deep this season and as a result he simply hasn’t had many opportunities to record an interception. Winfield has become the fifth Buckeye to establish 200 career solo tackles. He now has 203. The previous four were all linebackers. Winfield was a Football Coaches Association and a Football Writers first-team All-American in 1997. He led the Buckeyes in tackles and became the first defensive back to ever be named Ohio State’s MVP.
%^$*************************
%^$
#9 David Boston
%^$Biletnikoff Award Candidate
%^$Team Offensive Notes: David Boston is a major reason why Ohio State’s offense presents major problems for opponents with its nice blend of passing and rushing. Ohio State is currently ranked 14th nationally in passing (290.1 ypg), 18th in rushing (216.4 ypg) and 7th in scoring at 38.3 ppg. OSU’s 506.6 total yards per game ranks fifth nationally. In the Big Ten, Ohio State ranks 1st in pass efficiency, scoring and first downs per game, and 2nd in passing yards and third down pct. The Buckeyes have established a school records with seven games of 500 or more yards of total offense and four consecutive.
%^$David Boston’s Individual Game-by-Game Statistics
%^$
Rec. Yds. Avg. TDs Lng. 20+ Final Score%^$West Virginia 7 129 18.4 1 39 4 OSU 34-17%^$Toledo 5 55 11.0 1 23 1 OSU 49-0%^$Missouri 9 112 12.4 0 43 1 OSU 35-14%^$Penn State 2 37 18.5 0 29 1 OSU 28-9%^$Illinois 5 96 19.2 1 38 3 OSU 41-0%^$Minnesota 10 191 19.1 2 53 3 OSU 45-15%^$Northwestern 8 171 21.4 2 38 5 OSU 36-10%^$Indiana 9 110 12.2 2 30 2 OSU 38-7%^$Totals 55 901 16.4 9 53 20 8-0
%^$David Boston’s 1998 Notes: Record-breaking receiver David Boston has been un-controllable the last three games with 27 receptions, 472 yards and six touchdowns. His efforts have vaulted him into fifth place nationally in receiving yards per game (112.6) and 13th in receptions (6.9 per game). He is coming off a his first three-touchdown game of his career (included was a 70-yard punt return). He is working on a string of three-straight games with at least eight catches, 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He has set this season school career records for 100 yard receiving games (10) and touchdown passes (30), and he needs just eight more receptions to break Cris Carter’s school record of 168 receptions.
