Buckeyes Win Under the Lights in Columbus – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/11/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 11, 1999
By Rusty Miller
%^$Associated Press%^$
%^$
Stats
%^$ Notes and Quotes%^$
%^$ COLUMBUS, Ohio – Michael Wiley rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns%^$and Ken-Yon Rambo caught two scoring passes as 13th-ranked Ohio State climbed%^$out of a 10-0 hole to beat No. 14 UCLA 42-20 Saturday night.%^$
%^$ It was the first time in 27 games that UCLA (1-1) had not scored at least 24%^$points.%^$
%^$ Ohio State (1-1) won its 21st straight home opener before 93,283 in only the%^$fourth night game in Ohio Stadium’s 78 seasons.%^$
%^$ Rambo caught both of his touchdown passes from Steve Bellisari, who came off%^$the bench to complete 11-of-16 for 159 yards without an interception. Starter%^$Austin Moherman was 10-of-19 for 107 yards with one interception.%^$
%^$ UCLA was playing without nine starters and four backups who received%^$two-game suspensions for illegally obtaining and using handicapped-parking%^$placards%^$
%^$ Less than 2 minutes after the opening kickoff, UCLA quieted the crowd with a%^$quirky touchdown pass that appeared to be intercepted twice.%^$
%^$ Quarterback Drew Bennett’s pass in the left flat for Brad Melsby slipped%^$through the hands of Ohio State safety Percy King and squirted to cornerback%^$Ahmed Plummer. But Plummer ran into linebacker Courtland Bullard and the ball%^$popped loose. It was plucked off Melsby’s back by UCLA’s Matt Stanley who%^$lumbered the rest of the way to complete the 67-yard touchdown play.%^$
%^$ Both teams experimented with a quarterback platoon. Ohio State’s worked and%^$UCLA’s didn’t.%^$
%^$ Moherman led the Buckeyes into Bruins territory on three straight%^$possessions. He completed 3-of-5 passes – one was dropped – for 51 yards on an%^$81-yard drive capped by Wiley’s 3-yard sprint around right end.%^$
%^$ After a UCLA punt, Ohio State coach John Cooper inserted backup quarterback%^$Bellisari and he connected on three consecutive passes for 44 yards, including%^$a 2-yard touchdown toss to Rambo.%^$
%^$ Wiley went the last five yards to finish a 58-yard scoring drive to make it%^$21-10.%^$
%^$ Meanwhile, UCLA’s offense sputtered after its quick start.%^$
%^$ Bruins coach Bob Toledo pulled starting quarterback Bennett after he had%^$completed 7-of-8 passes for 117 yards and UCLA had built a 10-0 lead on Chris%^$Griffith’s 35-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Bennett’s%^$replacement, Cory Paus, misfired on four of his six attempts as the Bruins were%^$forced to punt on their next two possessions.%^$
%^$ Bennett was reinserted and led UCLA to a TD at the outset of the third%^$quarter, Freddie Mitchell going 33 yards on an end-around to set up DeShaun%^$Foster’s 7-yard scoring run.%^$
%^$ Ohio State scored twice in the span of 3 1/2 minutes to pull away.%^$
%^$ Bennett fumbled without getting hit, Jason Ott recovering for the Buckeyes%^$at the UCLA 30. Bellisari tossed a 22-yard pass to tight end Steve Wisniewski%^$that set up Jamar Martin’s 3-yard touchdown run.%^$
%^$ Nate Clements’ 18-yard punt return on UCLA’s ensuing possession gave Ohio%^$State the ball at the 48. After Wiley picked up 21 yards on first down, Rambo%^$gained eight yards on an end-around – Bellisari adding a jarring blindside%^$block, then jumping in the air to celebrate. Then Bellisari flipped an 8-yard%^$TD pass to Rambo to make it 35-17.%^$
%^$ Jerry Westbrooks’ 8-yard run closed the scoring for Ohio State, which%^$totaled 489 yards of offense after mustering just 220 in its 23-12 loss to%^$Miami in the Kickoff Classic two weeks ago.%^$
%^$
-GO BUCKS!-
