Buckeyes Take Down Spartans, 27-13 – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 4, 2000
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By RUSTY MILLER
%^$AP Sports Writer
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The formula for success at No. 16 Ohio State remains%^$quite simple.%^$
“We’re 7-2 right now because we’re not turning the ball over and we’re%^$getting turnovers,” Buckeyes coach John Cooper said. “Our kicking game’s been%^$pretty sound. We’re playing pretty good defense. That’s how you win.”%^$
Safety Michael Doss jump-started the lethargic Buckeyes with a 73-yard%^$fumble return and the defense shut down Michigan State in the last three%^$quarters as Ohio State beat the Spartans 27-13 on Saturday.%^$
Derek Combs helped the Buckeyes play keepaway with the ball in the second%^$half, running for 153 yards and a touchdown.%^$
Michigan State (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) couldn’t sustain a 13-3 lead, turning the%^$ball over four times and surrendering seven sacks.%^$
“Seventeen points on turnovers. You take that away and it’s a whole%^$different ball game,” Spartans coach Bobby Williams said. “It’s not what they%^$did. It’s what we did.”%^$
Michigan State actually ran more plays in Ohio State territory than its own,%^$40-35. In the first half alone, 33 of the Spartans’ 44 snaps took place in the%^$Buckeyes’ half of the field.%^$
The Buckeyes (7-2, 4-2), after giving up 115 yards in the first quarter,%^$allowed only 96 yards in the final three periods.%^$
“We started well. We moved the ball up and down the field. The defense%^$created turnovers and they gave us the ball in good position,” said Michigan%^$State running back T.J. Duckett, who had 76 rushing yards at halftime but only%^$seven in the second half. “But we couldn’t put the ball in the end zone.%^$That’s been the story all year long.”%^$
Tied at 13 at halftime, the Buckeyes took their first lead on Steve%^$Bellisari’s 1-yard dive. The drive started at the 17 after Nate Clements%^$returned Craig Jarrett’s punt 20 yards and 15 yards were tacked on when%^$Clements was hit after he stepped out of bounds.%^$
The teams traded punts, but Michigan State’s Ziehl Kavanaght muffed the kick%^$at his own 15 and Ohio State’s Robert Reynolds recovered.%^$
Combs, who carried 31 times, then covered the distance in two attempts,%^$including the last nine yards on the next-to-last play of the third quarter to%^$end the scoring.%^$
After building the 10-point lead on touchdown runs of 1 yard by Little John%^$Flowers and 6 yards by quarterback Jeff Smoker, the Spartans had first downs at%^$the Ohio State 39, 22, 42 and 46 in the second quarter but didn’t score on any%^$of them.%^$
Early in the fourth quarter, Michigan State’s Jace Sayler recovered a%^$fumbled snap by Bellisari at the Buckeyes’ 29.%^$
After a first down aided by a facemask penalty, the Spartans netted 3 yards%^$on two runs and an incompletion. David Schaefer, who earlier missed an%^$extra-point kick, then came on and missed the 20-yard field-goal attempt.%^$
It wasn’t just the Spartans’ offense that had problems.%^$
Bellisari, who was 9-for-20 for 132 yards passing, was intercepted twice and%^$several other passes could have been picked off or were nowhere near an Ohio%^$State receiver.%^$
Smoker, who completed 10-of-18 passes for 77 yards with an interception,%^$also turned over the ball on two key plays that kept the Buckeyes in the game.%^$
On third-and-4 from the Ohio State 16 midway through the second period,%^$Smoker sustained a blindside hit from Buckeye defensive end Brent Johnson. The%^$ball popped loose, Doss scooped it up and outran everyone.%^$
“I just looked down, saw the ball, picked it up and was on my way,” Doss%^$said.%^$
With a minute left in the half, Ohio State was forced to punt but the snap%^$sailed over punter Dan Stultz’s head by at least 4 feet. He eventually picked%^$up the ball and tossed a pass to linebacker Joe Cooper, who dropped it.%^$
Michigan State took over at the Ohio State 46 and on first down Smoker’s%^$pass in the left flat was intercepted – by Cooper. Behind Bellisari’s 40-yard%^$bomb to Ken-Yon Rambo, the Buckeyes drove to the Michigan State 13 before%^$settling for Stultz’s 38-yard field goal.%^$
Michigan State had dealt the Buckeyes memorable losses each of the last two%^$years. Two years ago, Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in the nation but the%^$four-touchdown underdog Spartans scored the last 19 points in a 28-24 upset at%^$Ohio State’s Horseshoe.%^$
Last year, the Spartans limited Ohio State to zero rushing yards in a 23-7%^$win.%^$
“They’ve owned us. They came in here in ’98 and took over our house, then%^$pounded us last year,” defensive back Donnie Nickey said. “It’s good to take%^$back the ‘Shoe.”%^$
%^$Next Saturday, the Buckeyes travel to Champaign, Ill., to face the Illinois Fighting Illini.
