No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes at Iowa – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 16, 2000
Depth Chart
Top 25 Polls Weekly Release in .PDF format CoachCooper’s Press Conference Football Quotes
This Week
Ohio State travels to Iowa City to play the Iowa Hawkeyes. Saturday’s kickoff in Kinnick Stadium (70,397) is scheduled for 11:10 CT (12:10 ET). The game, which will be telecast by ESPN Plus, can be seen in Columbus on WBNS-TV and in a total of 12 states including Florida, Georgia, Texas and New York, across the country.
Travel Plans
Ohio State will hold a light walk-through at home Friday and will depart Port Columbus via charter jet at 7 p.m. for Cedar Rapids. The Buckeyes will stay at the Sheraton Four Points in Cedar Rapids and will bus to Iowa City Saturday morning. The team and official travel party will return home immediately following the game.
The Teams
Ohio State is 5-1 on the year and 2-1 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are one of five Big Ten teams with one conference loss (the others are Purdue, Northwestern, Michigan and Minnesota). Iowa is 1-6 thus far and 1-2 in league play. Both teams are coming off losses. Ohio State was upended at home by Minnesota, 29-17, this past Saturday, the Buckeyes first loss after an impressive 5-0 start that included conference wins over Penn State and Wisconsin. Iowa lost on the road, dropping a 31-0 decision at Illinois. The Hawkeyes’ lone win of the year came against Michigan State, 21-16, two weeks ago in Iowa City.
Ohio State Last Week
The Buckeyes fell behind early, 10-0 and trailed Minnesota 17-3 at the end of the first quarter. Down 23-10, OSU cut the deficit to 23-17 with 12:24 to play in the fourth quarter, but the Gophers answered with a touchdown of their own at the 4:51 mark to lock up the win. Minnesota outgained the Buckeyes 381 to 200 in total yards and converted nine of 18 third-down attempts, including six of eight in the first half. The Gophers scored on their first five possessions, one of which was set up by a blocked punt. Ohio State played the game without leading rusher Derek Combs and No. 2 flanker Chad Cacchio, both of whom were sidelined with injuries. Junior Jonathan Wells started in Combs’ place at tailback and led OSU in rushing with 55 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Flanker Ken-Yon Rambo had five receptions for the Buckeyes and also had an 81-yard kick return. Free safety Donnie Nickey and middle linebacker Matt Wilhelm led the OSU defense, which held the Gophers to 111 yards in the second half, with nine tackles each. Iowa Last Week
The host Illini jumped out to a 21-0 lead at intermission and added 10 points in the fourth quarter for a 31-0 victory. Illinois also won the statistical battle, outgaining the Hawkeyes 417-267. Junior running back Ladell Betts led all rushers with 115 yards on 23 carries
A Look At The Polls
Ohio State is 13th in this week’s ESPN/USA Today poll and 14th in the Associated Press poll, down from season highs of fifth and sixth, respectively, last week. The Buckeyes, who began the season 15th in the coaches’ poll and 16th in the writers’ balloting, are the Big Ten’s highest rated team.
Series Notes
Ohio State leads the overall series 40-13-3 and has won six in a row from the Hawkeyes. Iowa’s last win was in 1991 in Columbus (16-9). The Buckeyes have a 14-5-2 edge in games played in Iowa City, including a 5-0-1 ledger in the last six games. Iowa’s last win over the Buckeyes in Kinnick Stadium was a 20-14 victory in 1983. The two teams played to a 24-24 tie in 1988. The series began in 1922, with the Hawkeyes winning the first two meetings. Between 1963 and 1980, Ohio State reeled off 16-consecutive victories against the Hawkeyes, that streak coming to an end in 1983.
Ohio State Coach John Cooper
Now in his 24th season as a head coach on the collegiate level, John Cooper is in his 13th year at the helm of the Buckeyes. Cooper has a lifetime mark of 190-80-6 and ranks sixth among active Division I coaches in terms of victories. Cooper’s record at Ohio State is 108-40-4 and includes two Big Ten championships and 10 bowl appearances. His 1996 and 1998 teams came within an eyelash of winning national championships, each notching 11-1 records and finishing second in the polls. Cooper is the second winningest coach in Ohio State history, trailing only the legendary Woody Hayes (205 victories in 28 years). Only Hayes (1951-78) and John W. Wilce (1913-28) have enjoyed longer coaching tenures at OSU. While at Ohio State, Cooper has compiled a Big Ten record of 67-28-4, including a mark of 8-1-1 against Iowa. Prior to coming to Ohio State, Cooper spent three years at Arizona State, where he was National Coach of the Year in 1986. His three-year record of 25-9-2 with the Sun Devils included a 10-1-1 mark and the school’s first ever Rose Bowl appearance in 1986 (he is the only person to coach a team from both the Pac 10 and the Big Ten to victories in the Rose Bowl). The 63-year-old Cooper also spent eight seasons as head coach at Tulsa, compiling a 57-31 record between 1977 and 1984. Cooper is a 1962 graduate of Tulsa, where he was team captain and MVP as a senior.
Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz
Kirk Ferentz is in his second season at Iowa and his fifth year as a head coach. Ferentz, who spent three years as the head coach at Maine (1990-92), has a career mark of 14-37 and is 2-16 at Iowa following the 1998 campaign. Ferentz spent six years with Cleveland/Baltimore in the NFL before succeeding Hayden Fry at Iowa.
Buckeyes Hope To Rebound
While last week’s loss knocked Ohio State from the unbeaten ranks, the Buckeyes are still very much in the thick of the Big Ten race. “Our key this week is putting what happened last week behind us and focusing on Iowa,” said junior co-captain Steve Bellisari. The Buckeyes should benefit from the return of tailback Derek Combs, who sat out last week with an ankle injury. Combs leads Ohio State in rushing with 491 yards and is averaging 98.2 yards per game and 6.0 yards per carry. A threat to go all the way anytime he touches the ball, the swift senior was playing the best football of his career before being hurt. His return gives the Buckeyes another home run threat. Flanker Chad Cacchio also hopes to return this week. Before being hurt in the Penn State game, Cacchio had three touchdowns and was averaging 32 yards per catch. Additionally, the Ohio State defense, which has been stellar all season long, can take solace from allowing Minnesota just 111 yards and six points in the second half.
The Ohio State Offense
The Buckeyes are averaging 364.3 yards and 30.3 points per game. OSU is averaging 179 yards per game rushing and 185.3 yards per game passing. Ohio State has rushed for 10 touchdowns and thrown for seven. The Buckeyes are converting 36 percent of their third-down opportunities. The Buckeyes are also 19 of 21 inside the red zone, scoring 12 touchdowns and seven field goals when crossing the opponent’s 20-yard line. Ohio State is 11 of 11 in the red zone in the last three games (6-for-6 against Penn State, 2-for-2 at Wisconsin and 3-for-3 against Minnesota).
The Silver Bullets
The Ohio State is allowing 307.7 yards and 14.1 points a game. Opponents are averaging 102.7 yards a game rushing and 205 yards passing against the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes have been a strong second-half team allowing 35 total points, including just 13 in the fourth quarter. Ohio State has forced 16 turnovers and has scored 62 points following those miscues. The defense has scored five touchdowns this year, three of those coming on interceptions and the other two on fumble recoveries.
Big Plays for the Offense
The OSU offense has totaled 25 plays of 20 or more yards so far this year. Senior flanker Chad Cacchio is the pace setter with six, including three that have gone for touchdowns. Ken-Yon Rambo has four to his credit
Cooper on Minnesota
“Just look around this league. Someone gets upset every week. That is the nature of the Big Ten, the nature of college football this year. We have to learn from our mistakes and get better.”
Cooper on This Week
“I told the team after the game, we will find out what we are made of this week. We need to regroup and have a good week of practice and get ready to go play an Iowa team that has the same goal in mind.”
Injury Report
Tailback Derek Combs (ankle) and flanker Chad Cacchio (ankle) are both expected back this week. Combs missed last week’s game and Cacchio has not played the past two games. Linebacker Jason Ott will begin limited practice this week, but is not expected to play. Ott, who started all 12 games a year ago, tore a muscle in his right shoulder on Aug. 15 and underwent surgery the next day. Linebacker Jack Tucker, who suffered a fractured clavicle Aug. 22, and tackle Tyson Walter, who has missed the entire season due to a back infection, are both out this week. Also, fullback Jesse Kline is expected to miss the rest of the season with a back injury.
Stultz Nears FG Mark
Senior Dan Stultz continues to zero in on the school record for made field goals. Stultz connected on a 32-yarder in the first quarter of the Minnesota game and now has eight on the year and 48 during his OSU career. The OSU career record of 49 belongs to Tim Williams (1990-93). Stultz is easily the OSU scoring leader this year with 44 points on eight-of-nine field goals and 20-of-22 PATs. Stultz has moved into fourth place on the school’s all-time scoring list with 295 points. Third place (296) belongs to Vlade Janakievksi (1977-80).
Janowicz’ No. 31 Retired
Vic Janowicz’ No. 31 was retired at halftime of the Penn State game (9/23/00) and is now permanently on display in Ohio Stadium. Janowicz, who lettered for the Buckeyes from 1949 to 1951, won the Heisman Trophy in 1950 as a junior. A native of Elyria, Ohio, Janowicz is considered by many historians to be the finest all-around athlete ever to play for Ohio State. Janowicz, who died in February of 1996, is just the second football player and third Ohio State athlete to have a number retired. Two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin had his number (45) retired in 1999 (the Iowa game), and three-time basketball All-America and two time National Player of the Year Jerry Lucas had his number (11) retired this past winter.
Attendance Marks
In four home games this year, the Buckeyes have drawn a total of 389,568 fans, an average of 97,392. The Ohio Stadium single-season record for average attendance is 94,028, set in six games in 1996. The season record for total attendance is 654,500, set in seven games in 1991, when the Buckeyes averaged 93,500 fans per game. Coming into this year, the single-game attendance record was 95,537, set in 1995 against Notre Dame. With seating capacity this year expanded to 95,346 as part of a three-year renovation project, the Notre Dame mark fell in the season opener against Fresno State (96,583). That record has since been broken twice — against Miami (96,721) and then against Penn State (98,144). Last week’s homecoming game attracted 98,120 fans.
OSU In The Big Ten
The Buckeyes now have an all-time Big Ten record of 394-173-28 since beginning Big Ten play in 1913. Over the years, Ohio State has won 28 Big Ten championships, and is tied for the league lead with 15 outright titles. Between 1992 and 1998 the Buckeyes finished either first or second every year, winning titles in 1993, ’96 and ’98. The Buckeyes are 73-19-1 since Penn State entered the league in 1993. That represents the best mark in the conference in that time period.
Ohio State All-Time
This is the 111th season of football for the Buckeyes, who began play in 1890. OSU’s all-time record now stands at 722-284-53. Over the years the Buckeyes have experienced just 11 losing seasons, with six of those coming prior to 1925.
Boilermakers Up Next
Ohio State also is on the road next week, traveling to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on Drew Brees and the Purdue Boilermakers. The starting time for that game, along with network coverage, will be announced later this week.
Adam Taliaferro Fund
A total of 13,080 programs were sold at the Minnesota game, meaning the Ohio State Department of Athletics will contribute $13,080 to the long-term care fund that Penn State has established for Adam Taliaferro, who suffered a spinal cord injury against Ohio State on Sept. 23. About 4,000 programs remain and can be purchased through the official Ohio State website at www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com. The Department of Athletics will continue to donate $1 from the sale of any remaining Minnesota game programs.
