It’s The Buckeyes vs. The Bobcats on ABC – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/13/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Two-Deep Chart
Top 25 Polls
Sept. 13, 1999
ON THE GRIDIRON
The Ohio State University Buckeyes and the Ohio University Bobcats meet in a 3:30 p.m. game Saturday, Sept. 18, at Ohio Stadium in the first meeting between the two schools since the 1902 season. The Buckeyes are ranked 12th in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ poll this week and are extremely confident after evening their record at 1-1 with a 42-20 victory over 13th-ranked UCLA last week. The Bobcats are 0-2 on the young season after opening with a 33-7 loss at Minnesota and then dropping a 36-21 decision to Northern Iowa last week in Athens. ABC Sports will televise the game to a regional audience with Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Lynn Swann calling the action from Ohio Stadium for the second-consecutive week.
RADIO COVERAGE
The game will be broadcast around Ohio on the 71-station Ohio State Buckeyes Radio Sports Network with Sports Radio 1460 (AM) The Fan the flagship station. Calling the action and in his second year as play-by-play announcer is Paul Keels. He is assisted in the broadcast booth by third-year analyst Jim Lachey. Jim Karsatos, in his 11th season on the broadcasts, will provide additional commentary.
ALUMNI BAND GAME
“The Best Damn Band in the Land” and its alumni will be performing this week and that means: another version of quadruple Script Ohio. Ohio’s band, known as The Marching 110, also will be in attendance.
OHIO STADIUM HISTORY
Ohio State is playing its home games in grand Ohio Stadium, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, for the 78th season. The team has an all-time record of 322-95-30 at Ohio Stadium. All four previous games between Ohio State and Ohio have been played in Columbus, but they were all played at University Field and prior to the construction of Ohio Stadium.
THE OHIO STADIUM RENOVATION
Ohio Stadium is in the midst of a four-year, $157 million renovation that will improve aisle widths, seating for the disabled, escalator and elevator services, as well as increase seating capacity to about 97,000 fans. This project, which will be completed in time for the 2001 football season, is the first extensive renovation of Ohio Stadium since it was built in 1922. Last summer construction crews removed the track that surrounded the field for 77 years and completed one of the most crucial aspects of the project: the building of a slurry wall of impermeable concrete around the field, two-to-three feet wide and from ground level to bedrock (approximately 40 feet). East and west side foundations also were built this summer, about 40 feet from the outer wall of the stadium, and demolition began inside of the west side. Aside from a few less parking spaces and a black-top surface over what once was the track, the stadium won’t look much different to the fans in the stands.
BUCKEYES vs. BOBCATS
John B.C. Eckstorm was Ohio State’s coach during the first three meetings between Ohio State and Ohio in 1899, 1900 and 1901, and following his unexpected resignation after the 1901 season, he was replaced by Perry Hale, who coached the Buckeyes against Ohio in 1902. The two universities, located an hour apart, have not met in football since. Ohio State has won all four previous meetings and by a combined score of 95-0. The Buckeyes’ 41-0 win in 1899 was part of an undefeated, 9-0-1 season for Ohio State, the first in the school’s history.
OSU vs. OHIO. . .
Oct. 21, 1899 – OSU 41, Ohio 0 (Cols.) Oct. 6, 1900 – OSU 20, Ohio 0 (Cols.) Oct. 12, 1901 – OSU 17, Ohio 0 (Cols.) Oct. 4, 1902 – OSU 17, Ohio 0 (Cols.)
GAME NOTES. . .
• Ohio marks the 75th school John Cooper, in his 23rd year as a head coach, will coach against as a head coach. This will be Cooper’s first game coaching against Ohio.
• Cooper is 3-0 coaching against teams from the Mid-American Conference with wins over Bowling Green in 1992 (17-6) and 1997 (44-13) and a 49-0 win over Toledo last year.
• Cooper is 33-5 overall vs. non-conference opponents in regular season games and he is 30-4 in the month of September with 15-consecutive victories dating to a 25-16 loss at Washington Sept. 10, 1994.
• Ohio State has never been beaten by a Mid-American Conference team. OSU is 9-0 vs. the MAC with a 4-0 mark vs. Ohio, 2-0 records against Bowling Green and Miami, respectively, and a 1-0 record vs. Toledo.
INSIDE OHIO STATE vs. OHIO
A key matchup will pit Ohio’s option rushing attack against Ohio State’s run stopping defense. Last season, the Bobcats finished second in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 276.2 yards per game. Even more impressive was OSU’s 1998 rushing defense, ranked No. 1 in the nation while allowing opponents just 67.4 yards per game. The OSU defense has played16-consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. Robert Holcombe of Illinois was the last to top 100 yards against OSU when he gained 143 on Nov. 15, 1997. For the Bobcats, they had a rusher go over the 100-yard barrier nine times last season. In last week’s game against Northern Iowa, Jamel Patterson rushed for 111 yards on 14 carries including an 80-yard burst in the third quarter.
LINE PLAY
The veteran Ohio State defensive line will face a challenge from the Ohio offensive line. The Bobcats’ front five averages 296 pounds per man and is anchored by center Mike Varone, an all-Mid American Conference selection last year. Mammoth left tackle David Patton is the biggest member of the Ohio line at 6-8, 330 pounds. The Ohio State front four averages 279 pounds per man but has loads of experience at all the starting and backup spots. As a unit, the OSU defensive line has combined for five sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in two games this season. Juniors Rodney Bailey and Brent Johnson are two-year starters at end. Sophomore Ryan Pickett and junior Joe Brown are returning starters at tackle. Sophomore Mike Collins earned his first career start last week vs. UCLA.
YOUNG GUNS
The quarterbacks for both schools have a combined four career starts. Ohio’s Dontrell Jackson is the only true freshman to start at quarterback in Division 1-A this season. Ohio State red-shirt sophomore Austin Moherman has started both games this season, but true sophomore Steve Bellisari is expected to make his first career start this week vs. Ohio.
FATHER AND SON REUNIONS
Both teams feature father and son combinations. The Buckeyes have two father and son tandems. Sophomore center Mike Jacobs is the son of offensive coordinator Mike Jacobs. Freshman linebacker Fred Pagac is the son of defensive coordinator Fred Pagac. For the Bobcats, sophomore linebacker Ben Grobe is the son of head coach Jim Grobe.
A “SCORE TEAM” CHALLENGE
OSU’s punt return team, nicknamed the “Score Team” by the coaching staff, will be challenged this week. Ohio sophomore punter Dave Zastudil was a first team all-MAC selection and a Freshman All-American last season. Zastudil is already off to an excellent start this season with a 46.3 yard average – sixth nationally – with five punts dropped inside the 20 yard line. OSU sophomore Nate Clements has been the featured punt returner this season. He averages 11.2 yards per return.
OHIO STATE vs. OHIO SCHOOLS: PART IV
The game against Ohio is part of a 13-game series of games between 1992 and 2006 between Ohio State University and Division I football schools from the state of Ohio. When Ohio State played Bowling Green in 1992, it was the first time the Buckeyes had met an in-state opponent in 58 years, since the 1934 season when OSU hosted and defeated Case Western Reserve, 76-0. Next week when Ohio State hosts the University of Cincinnati, it will mark the first time since 1929 that Ohio State will play two in-state schools in the same year. OSU met Wittenberg and Kenyon 70 years ago this season.
OHIO STATE vs. OHIO TEAMS (1992-2007). . .
Sept. 12, 1992 – OSU 17, BGSU 6 (Cols.) Sept. 13, 1997 – OSU 44, BGSU 13 (Cols.) Sept. 12, 1998 – OSU 49, Toledo 0 (Cols.) Sept. 18, 1999 – OSU vs. Ohio (Cols.) Sept. 25, 1999 – OSU vs. Cincinnati (Cols.) Sept. 16, 2000 – OSU vs. Miami (Cols.) Sept. 8, 2001 – OSU vs. Akron (Cols.) Sept. 7, 2002 – OSU vs. Kent (Cols.) Sept. 21, 2002 – OSU at Cincinnati Sept. 20, 2003 – OSU vs. BGSU (Cols.) Sept. 4, 2004 – OSU vs. Cincinnati (Cols.) Sept. 3, 2005 – OSU vs. Miami (Cols.) Sept. 16, 2006 – OSU vs. Cincinnati (Cols.)
INVESTING IN OHIO
“My thought was we should invest in Ohio,” Andy Geiger, OSU director of athletics, said regarding his scheduling Ohio schools. “We should not be spending money in Texas or some other state. Instead, we should invite Bowling Green, Toledo, Ohio, Miami and all of those schools to come here and play. We’ll pay them the guarantee, keeping the money in Ohio, keeping those programs strong to the best of our ability and therefore investing in the game in the state. I think those concepts are important.”
NOTABLE NUMBERS
3 – Varsity letters OSU receiver’s coach Chuck Stobart earned as starting quarterback at Ohio from 1956 thru 1958.
9 – Number of years that former Ohio State coach Carroll Widdoes coached at Ohio following his leaving OSU. Widdoes led OSU to a 16-2 record and the 1944 Big Ten championship in his two years as coach, but stepped down following the 1945 season. He was 42-36-5 between 1949-57 as Bobcats’ head coach. His final two years there he started his prize recruit from Bradbury, Ohio at quarterback: Chuck Stobart.
108 – Victories that Bill Hess, Woody Hayes’ offensive line coach from 1951-57, had as head coach at Ohio for 20 years from 1958 to 1977.
86 – Percent of Ohio State’s games televised live in the 1990s, either nationally, regionally or locally, but definitely “live.” The stats: 97 of the team’s 113 games in the 1990s have been televised.
18 – Consecutive Ohio State games televised live, including the Ohio game.
712-278-53 – Ohio State’s all-time record in its 110th year of intercollegiate football. Ohio State ranks seventh nationally in all-time victories.
110 & 104 – Football season for Ohio State and Ohio, respectively.
19 STRAIGHT NON-CONFERENCE HOME WINS
Ohio State has not lost a non-conference game in Ohio Stadium in nine years. The USC Trojans were the last non-conference team to win in Ohio Stadium, pinning a 35-26 loss on Ohio State Sept. 22, 1990 in a game called with 2:36 left to play as an electrical storm, complete with ground-striking lightning, hovered over the Stadium. The Buckeyes have won 19-consecutive non-conference games at home since then. OSU has won 33 of its last 34 non-conference home games dating to a 23-20 loss to Stanford in 1982.
BUCKEYES BOUNCE BACK
Ohio State, coming off its first opening-game loss in the John Cooper era, bounced back from its humbling 23-12 loss to Miami in the Kickoff Classic to punish 13th-ranked UCLA, 42-20, in the team’s home opener last week. OSU used a balanced 266 passing yards and 241 rushing yards to out-gain the high-powered Bruins, 507 to 365. Defensively, OSU held UCLA to 112 rushing yards and to just 3-of-14 in third down conversions. OSU trailed 10-0 early in the second quarter but came back with three-consecutive second-quarter touchdowns to take control of the game. UCLA closed to within 21-17 early in the third quarter, but OSU countered with consecutive touchdowns to close the third quarter and open the fourth to put the game out of reach. The game was the fourth home night game in Ohio State history. OSU is 4-0 under the lights at Ohio Stadium.
BELLISARI TAKES CONTROL IN WIN
Although Austin Moherman started and played a solid game, completing 10-of-19 passes for 107 yards and directing the offense to its first touchdown, this game will be remembered for the way Steve Bellisari came off the bench in the warm summer evening and took control. The true sophomore, battling with Moherman for the past year for the No. 1 quarterback honors, led the Buckeyes to five touchdown drives in his seven series, and the two series that didn’t end in touchdowns ended with a fumble and a missed field goal after nine-and 10-play drives, respectively. Bellisari led in every way. He completed 11-of-16 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed three times for 50 yards, gaining a first down on all three carries (all were third down plays). He deliverd a pancake block on UCLA defensive lineman Rusty Williams that helped spring Ken-Yon Rambo on a first-down rush. He guided OSU to seven first downs in eight third-down opportunities.
KEN-YON RAMBO EMERGES
Like Bellisari, junior flanker Ken-Yon Rambo emerged in a big way against the Bruins. The Long Beach, Calif., native had the first-multi-touchdown game of his career against UCLA, part of an 8-reception, 61-yard game. His two touchdowns covered two and eight yards and both came from the left-handed Bellisari. Rambo also gained 12 yards on a reverse play that set OSU up in a first-and-goal situation. His eight catches and 61 yards were by far career bests. He came into the season wth 12 receptions for 222 yards and one touchdown.
SLICK and QUICK
That’s the nickname receivers coach Chuck Stobart has given to Reggie “slick like an eel” Germany and Ken-Yon “quick like a cat” Rambo. The tandem was tough to handle against UCLA as they combined for 15 receptions for 176 yards. Germany’s career-high seven-reception game featured his first 100-yard receiving game. He finished with 115 yards.
WILEY GETS 8th 100-YARD RUSHING GAME
Michael Wiley sparked the OSU ground game against UCLA by rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns. This marked the eighth 100-yard rushing game of Wiley’s career and he didn’t do it the easy way. The UCLA defense was quick – it limited the rest of the OSU backs to 59 yards on 26 carries – but Wiley consistently burst through the line to gain yards that didn’t appear to be there. Wiley, who reached 2,000 rushing yards with the fewest carries by an OSU back, has moved into 12th place in the OSU rushing records with 2,190 yards. Pete Johnson is 11th with 2,308 yards.
No. 14 MOVES DIGGS INTO 6th PLACE
Budding superstar linebacker Na’il Diggs has moved into sixth place at Ohio State with 14 career quarterback sacks. He tied Jim Kacherski (1989-91) and two-time academic All-American Greg Smith (1988-92) with No. 14, recorded in the UCLA game.
BERRY FIRST IN BIG TEN
Senior free safety Gary Berry is tied for first in the Big Ten Conference with 24 tackles and a 12.0 per game average. Kevin Bentley of Northwestern also has a 12.0 per game average. Berry is coming off his third-consecutive double-figure tackling game, something that has not been done at Ohio State since linebacker Lorenzo Styles did it back-to-back-to-back in 1994. Berry had 12 tackles in the Sugar Bowl vs. Texas A&M and has come back this season to record a career-high 14 vs. Miami and then get 10 more against UCLA.
PLUMMER TIED FOR 3rd NATIONALLY
Thorpe Award candidate Ahmed Plummer has interceptions in each of the first two games and he is tied for third nationally with 1.0 interceptions per game. The senior, who was selected a Preseason All-American, also has seven tackles and a pass break-up this season. He leads all active Buckeyes with 11 interceptions and 26 pass break-ups.
OSU’S PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Steve Bellisari and Reggie Germany shared OSU’s Offensive Player of the Week award for the UCLA game. Cie Grant, who had two vicious solo tackles, was named Special Teams Player of the Week. Offensive linemen Tyson Walter and Kurt Murphy, and tight end Steve Wisniewski, shared Lineman of the Week honors. The entire defense was cited and the scout team offensive line was also honored this week by the coaching staff.
ALREADY HONORS CANDIDATES
Ohio State, which has had players win 23 major athletic awards and 17 win National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholarships – the most of any school – has at least three more players who will be in the running for such honors in 1999. Junior linebacker Na’il Diggs, a preseason All-American, is on the initial “watch list” for the Butkus Award. Senior tailback Michael Wiley, coming off a 1,235-yard rushing year in his first year as a starter, is a Doak Walker Running Back Award nominee. And senior cornerback Ahmed Plummer, another preseason All-American and called the best cover cornerback in the country by OSU secondary coach Jon Tenuta, will be a legitimate threat to win the Thorpe Award. He also will be Ohio State’s nominee for a National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholarship. Free safety Gary Berry is on many preseason publication lists as one of college football’s top free safeties in 1999.
BUCKEYE LEAVES. . .
Jamar Martin played extensive minutes at fullback vs. UCLA and produced one of his best games with 15 yards rushing including a 3-yard touchdown run that put OSU up 28-17. . .The offensive line protected extremely well against UCLA, not allowing a sack while Austin Moherman and Steve Bellisari combined for 266 passing yards off 21-of-35 attempts. . .In addition to Gary Berry, Nate Clements (T7th), Na’il Diggs (11th) and Donnie Nickey (19th) rank among the top 20 tacklers in the Big Ten Conference. . .Nickey, a red-shirt freshman, made his first collegiate interception against UCLA. . .Jason Ott, who had seven tackles against UCLA, also recovered a fumble for the second game in a row. . .Reggie Germany (5.5) and Ken-Yon Rambo (4.5) rank 3rd and 5th, respectively, in the Big Ten in receptions per game. Germany also ranks third in yards per game (85.5). . .Michael Wiley’s 6.2 yards per carry average is second in the Conference. . .Bellisari’s break-out game moved him to second in the Big Ten with a pass efficiency rating of 186.5. . .Sophomore Mike Collins leads all OSU defensive linemen with seven tackles. . .True freshman Michael Doss is making his minutes count. He has three tackles, a pass break-up and a forced fumble already. . .True freshman Matt Wilhelm was credited with his first career sack against UCLA. . .Bellisari’s 50 rushing yards was the most by an OSU quarterback since Stanley Jackson rushed for 75 against Wyoming in the 1997 season opener. . .Ohio State has 10 plays this season covering 20 or more yards. Multiple playmakers include tight end Steve Wisniewski, who has a 24- and 22-yard receptions. . .Massive Paris Long was active in his first real collegiate action.
MISCELLANEOUS STATS
Third Downs: The Buckeyes converted on 9-of-16 third down opportunities against the Bruins after a dismal 3-of-13 effort against the Hurricanes to improve the season percentage to 41-percent. Opponents are converting at a 38-percent clip (9-of-31). Inside the 20: The Buckeyes have scored on nine of 10 trips inside of the 20 this season with seven touchdowns and two field goals. Opponents have converted on 66.7-percent of their trips inside the OSU 20 with two touchdowns and two field goals in six tries. Points off turnovers: Ohio State has scored 16 points off seven opponent turnovers. Opponents have scored eight points off six Ohio State turnovers.
LOTS TO REPLACE FROM 1998
The 1999 Buckeyes will be chasing a fifth-consecutive 10-win-or-more season and the sixth in the last seven years. This year the Buckeyes are replacing 10 starters from last year, including seven who were selected in the 1999 NFL Draft. Included in the group are four All-Americans – CB Antoine Winfield, SS Damon Moore, SE David Boston and LG Rob Murphy – record-setting quarterback Joe Germaine, flanker Dee Miller, who had 132 career receptions, 1997 Butkus Award winner Andy Katzenmoyer and punter Brent Bartholomew.
YOUTHFUL CATS
The Ohio University Bobcats entered the 1999 season with the uphill task of replacing 21 seniors from the team last year, including Kareem Wilson – the Division I-A all-time leading touchdown scoring quarterback. Only 15 of the 44 players on Ohio’s two-deep have earned more than one varsity letter, and only six of those 15 line up on the offensive side of the ball.
OHIO UNIVERSITY LAST WEEK
Ohio fell to Division I-AA foe Northern Iowa, 36-21, in Athens, Ohio last Saturday. The Bobcats were in a 20-7 hole at halftime and never threatened in the final two quarters. Northern Iowa dominated on the offensive side of the ball, piling on 527 total yards. Ohio’s trademark running game rolled to 282 yards, led by Jamel Patterson’s 111 on 14 carries
A CLOUD OF DUST FOR THE BOBCATS
Ohio ranked second in the nation in rushing yards per game last year (276.7), but must replace 69 percent of that offense. Patterson headlines a balanced ground game. He averaged 7.9 yards per carry against Northern Iowa last week. Heading into that game, Ohio’s Dontrell Jackson was the only true freshman to start at quarterback in Division I-A this season. He completed 9-of-17 passes for 108 yards against Northern Iowa while rushing for 91 yards on 12 carries. All-MAC center Mike Varone leads an offensive line that was forced to replace three starters entering the season.
OHIO HAS SIX NEW STARTERS ON DEFENSE
The Bobcats have surrendered 400 or more yards to each of their first two opponents and are allowing an average of 34.5 points per game. Ohio, which lines up in a Pro 3-4 set, returns five defensive starters headlined by all-conference linebacker Leigh Barbour. Strong safety Chris London has recorded at least 10 tackles in each of his first two games, and leads the team with 21. The Bobcats did not record a sack against Northern Iowa last week and are yet to grab an interception this season.
OHIO’S SPECIAL SPECIAL TEAMS
Ohio punter Dave Zastudil was a freshman All-American last year after finishing fourth in the nation with a 45.2 yard punting average. He unleashed four punts for an an average of 52.3 yards per kick last week against Northern Iowa.
-GO BUCKS!-
