No. 13 Ohio State at Illinois – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/6/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 6, 2000
Depth Chart
Top 25 Polls Weekly Release in .PDF format CoachCooper’s Press Conference Football Quotes
This Week
Ohio State makes its final road sojourn of the regular season this week, traveling to Champaign to take on the Fighting Illini in Memorial Stadium (capacity 70,904). Kickoff Saturday is set for 4:10 p.m. EST. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN. WBNS Radio, the flagship station for the Ohio State radio network, will begin its coverage four hours prior to kickoff.
Travel Plans
Ohio State will conduct a light walk-through at home Friday and then depart via charter jet at 7 p.m. The team will stay at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center (217 328-7900) in Urbana and will return to Columbus immediately after the game.
The Teams
Ohio State is 7-2 on the year and 4-2 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are a game behind Conference co-leaders Purdue and Northwestern, both of whom check in at 5-1. Ohio State is coming off a 27-13 win over Michigan State in Columbus. The Buckeyes have now surpassed their overall and Big Ten victory totals of a year ago (6-6, 3-5). Illinois is 5-4 through its first nine games and has a 2-4 record in conference play. The Illini snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday with a 42-35 win over visiting Indiana. Illinois is tied with Iowa and Indiana for eighth place in the current conference standings.
This Week’s Storyline
Illinois is 4-1 at home this year, including a 2-1 mark in Big Ten play. The Illini’s lone homefield loss came at the hands of Michigan, 35-31, Sept. 23. Since then, they have defeated Iowa (31-0) and Indiana (42-25). Illinois is outscoring its opponents 31.2 to 11.8 at home. Ohio State, meanwhile, is 3-1 on the road, the Buckeyes lone loss coming at Purdue, 31-27, two weeks ago. The Buckeyes are averaging 28.8 points per game on the road, and giving up an average of 16.3 per game.
Buckeyes Still in the Hunt
The win over Michigan State this past week keeps Ohio State in the running for a New Year’s Day bowl and a shot at its 29th Big Ten title. Following the game at Illinois, the Buckeyes return home to close out the regular season against Michigan Nov. 18. Picked by some preseason publications to finish as low as seventh in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes began the season by reeling off five-consecutive wins, including impressive road victories at Arizona (27-17) and Wisconsin (23-7). After climbing to No. 5 in the coaches poll, OSU was upset by Minnesota, 29-17, in Columbus Oct. 14. The Buckeyes have since sandwiched wins over Iowa and Michigan State around a loss to Purdue and have thus assured themselves of a Big Ten leading 32nd bowl trip. The next two weeks will determined where OSU spends the holidays.
Buckeye 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. Cooperhas a lifetime mark of 192-81-6 and ranks sixth among activeDivision I coaches in terms of victories. Cooper’s record at OhioState is 110-41-4 and includes two Big Ten championships and 10bowl appearances. His 1996 and 1998 teams came within an eyelash ofwinning national championships, each notching 11-1 records andfinishing second in the polls. Cooper is the second winningestcoach in Ohio State history, trailing only the legendary WoodyHayes (205 victories in 28 years). Only Hayes (1951-78) and John W.Wilce (1913-28) have enjoyed longer coaching tenures at OSU. Whileat Ohio State, Cooper has compiled a Big Ten record of 69-29-4,including a 5-7 ledger against Illinois. He currently is the deanof Big Ten coaches. Prior to coming to Ohio State, Cooper spentthree years at Arizona State, where he was National Coach of theYear in 1986. His three-year record of 25-9-2 with the Sun Devilsincluded a 10-1-1 mark and the school’s first-ever Rose Bowlappearance in 1986 (he is the only person to coach a team from boththe Pac 10 and the Big Ten to victories in the Rose Bowl). The63-year-old Cooper also spent eight seasons as head coach at Tulsa,compiling a 57-31 record between 1977 and 1984. Cooper is a 1962graduate of Tulsa, where he was team captain and MVP as a senior.
Illinois Coach Ron Turner
Now in his fourth year at Illinois, Ron Turner has an overall record of 16-27 with the Illini, including a 1-2 record against Ohio State. Turner, who served as head coach at San Jose State in 1992, has a lifetime ledger of 23-31. Prior to taking for Lou Tepper at Illinois, Turner spent four seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears.
Series Notes
Ohio State leads the overall series, 56-27-4, and owns a 29-11 edge in games played in Champaign. The two teams first played in 1902, that game resulting in a 0-0 tie. After a year off, they played again in 1904, Illinois winning 46-0. Ohio State’s first win in the rivalry came in 1916, by a score of 7-6 in Champaign. The two teams have played each year since 1914 — the longest continuous rivalry for the Buckeyes. Between 1968 and 1982, Ohio State reeled off 15-consecutive wins against the Illini. Between 1988 and 1992, Illinois won five in a row. The Buckeyes then recorded four-consecutive wins between 1995 and 1998, Illinois snapping that streak with a 46-20 victory last year in Columbus. Illinois’ last win in Champaign was a 10-7 verdict in 1991. Ohio State has won the last three games in Champaign, including a 41-0 decision in 1998.
Last Year
Illinois exploded for 23 second-quarter points and took a 29-7 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Illini put the game out of reach in the third quarter on the strength of a pair of touchdown passes by Kurt Kittner, who threw for 221 yards and four touchdowns on the day. The Buckeyes hurt their own cause with three turnovers, including a fumbled kickoff just before halftime that set up a 2-yard scoring pass with just nine seconds remaining.
Top Series Performances
Tailback Eddie George rushed for a school record 314 yards against the Illini in 1995 on his way to the Heisman Trophy. Ohio State won the game 41-3. In 1980, Illinois quarterback Dave Wilson threw for a then-NCAA record 621 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-42 loss. Both games were played in Columbus. In the 1980 game, Illinois totaled 659 yards in total offense. In 1974, the Buckeyes rushed for 517 yards and amassed 644 yards in total offense against the Illini.
OSU Last Week
The Buckeyes staked Michigan State to an early 13-3 lead, but thenresponded with 24 unanswered points on the way to their seventhvictory of the year (27-13). The OSU defense again played superbly,recording three turnovers and seven sacks and holding the Spartansto just 66 total yards in the second half. Defensive ends BrentJohnson and Rodney Bailey each had three sacks, Johnson’s firstforcing a fumble that was scooped up by safety Mike Doss andreturned 73 yards for a touchdown — the sixth TD of the year bythe Ohio State defense. Tailback Derek Combs recorded his best dayas a Buckeye, rushing 31 times for 153 yards and a touchdown, with105 of those yards coming in the second half.
Stultz is Groza Award Semi-Finalist
Senior kicker Dan Stultz is a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top place kicker. Stultz, a senior from Orrville, Ohio, has converted 13 of 17 field goal attempts this year and is Ohio State’s leading scorer with 70 points. He is Ohio State’s career leader in both field goals made (53) and field goals attempted (84), surpassing both marks earlier this year. He also ranks second on Ohio State’s all-time point list with 321, trailing only Pete Johnson, who scored 348 points between 1973 and 1976. After narrowly missing a 49-yard attempt at Purdue, Stultz has made his last four attempts, hitting from 35 and 45 yards out at Purdue and from 47 and 38 yards against Michigan State. Stultz also kicks off and does some punting for the Buckeyes.
The Polls
Ohio State checks in at 13th in this week’s Associated Press poll (up three spots from last week) and 14th in the ESPN/USA Today poll (up five places). The Buckeyes began the season 15th in the coaches’ poll and 16th in the writers’ balloting. Prior to the loss to Minnesota Oct. 14, the Buckeyes had climbed to fifth in the coaches’ poll and were sixth in the writers’ poll.
OSU Offensively
Through nine games, the Buckeyes are averaging 30.4 points and 355.5 yards per game — 198.9 passing and 156.6 rushing. Ohio State is averaging 5.3 yards per play. The Buckeyes have rushed for 16 touchdowns and thrown for 11. They have committed 12 turnovers (six fumbles and six interceptions). OSU has been an efficient team in the red zone, converting 30 of 33 opportunities (19 touchdowns and 11 field goals).
Combs Shines
After being hobbled the past three weeks with an ankle sprain, senior tailback Derek Combs rushed for a career-high 153 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries (also a career high) against Michigan State. Combs, in his first year as a starter, now has 743 yards on the year and is averaging 92.9 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry. He ranks seventh in the Big Ten on the basis of yards per game.
Rambo Among Leaders
Senior flanker Ken-Yon Rambo leads the Big Ten in kick returnaverage (28.3 ypr.) and ranks among the league leaders inreceptions per game (4.78), receiving yardage per game (69.1) andall-purpose yardage (120.4). Rambo is Ohio State’s leading receiverwith 43 catches for 622 yards.
Cacchio Solid
Backup flanker Chad Cacchio continues to be one of the more pleasant surprises of the season for the Buckeyes. A former walk-on, who was converted to scholarship last year, Cacchio had a team-high five receptions for 62 yards in Saturday’s win over Michigan State. He has 14 catches on the year, but is averaging 23.2 yards per catch and has a team leading four touchdown receptions.
A Force to be Reckoned With
The Ohio State defense, a.k.a. the Silver Bullets, scored its sixth touchdown of the year Saturday when strong safety Mike Doss returned a fumble 73 yards. The Buckeyes have now scored on three interceptions and three fumble returns and have accounted for 103 points off 26 turnovers. The Buckeyes have 96 tackles-for-loss, including 44 sacks, and a Big Ten best 16 interceptions. OSU is allowing 309.9 yards (85.3 rushing and 224.6 passing) and 15.4 points a game. Opponents have rushed for just seven touchdowns against the Buckeyes.
Doss Leads Tacklers
Strong safety Mike Dos continues to lead the Buckeyes in both solo (54) and total tackles (66). The 5-11, 200-pound sophomore had eight stops against Michigan State, including his 10th tackle-for-loss and third sack of the year. He also scored his second touchdown of the season, scooping up a fumble and returning it 73 yards.
Sack Attack
The Buckeyes recorded seven more sacks in Saturday’s win over Michigan State and now have 44 on the year, just three short of the school record of 47 set in 1998. Additionally, with those seven sacks resulting in 43 yards lost, the Buckeye defense now has a school-record 285 yards lost with three games to go. The old minus-yardage record of 275 was set in 1997. Senior defensive ends Brent Johnson and Rodney Bailey lead the Buckeyes in sacks with eight and seven, respectively, followed by linebacker Courtland Bullard with six. A total of 15 different players have at least one sack for the Buckeyes, seven have three or more.
Big Ten Leaders
The OSU defense ranks first in the Big Ten in scoring defense (15.4 ppg.) and rushing defense (85.3 ypg.). The Buckeyes also lead the league in sacks (44), turnover margin (+14) and kickoff returns (24.9 ypr.).
Cooper on Michigan State
“I am proud of the way our team fought back from an early deficit. The defense again played well, especially after Michigan State’s first two series. We pretty much shut them down in the second half. I was not happy with our offense. We have to do a better job of protecting our quarterback.”
Cooper on Ohio State
“The reason we are winning games is our turnover margin. We are way up in that category. The defense has done a great job of forcing turnovers and the offense, for the most part, has taken good care of the ball. When you have success in that category and your kicking game is sound, you put yourself in position to win football games.”
Cooper on Illinois
“I told our team after the (Michigan State) game, that we would have to play a lot better at Illinois if we expect to win. They have 14 starters back from last year, including 10 on offense, so they are a veteran team. Look at how well they played Michigan. We will need a great effort over there. This is a very important game for both teams in terms of the bowl picture.”
Rookies Measuring Up
The freshman class this year, billed last February by most recruiting gurus as one of the best in the nation, appears to be living up to its advance billing. In the Buckeyes’ first eight games, 11 true freshmen have seen action. On offense, Shane Olivea and Alex Stepanovich have worked their way into the two-deep on the offensive line. On defense, Robert Reynolds (LB), Will Smith (DE) and Darrion Scott (DT) have all figured in the fray when the game was on the line. The rest have made their contributions as members of the special teams.
Ott Returns
Junior linebacker Jason Ott made his first appearance of the year against Michigan State. Ott, who started all 12 games a year ago, tore a muscle in his right shoulder Aug. 15 and underwent surgery the next day. Ott moves into the No. 2 spot at middle linebacker behind starter Matt Wilhelm.
Injury Report
Linebacker Jack Tucker (fractured clavicle Aug. 22), tackle Tyson Walter (back infection) and fullback Jesse Kline (back) are all expected to miss the remainder of the season. Neither Tucker nor Walter has played to date. Kline appeared in four games.
Janowicz’ No. 31 Retired
Vic Janowicz’s No. 31 was retired at halftime of the Penn State game (9/23/00) and now is 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 only 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 Record Falls
An Ohio Stadium record crowd of 98,406 was on hand for Saturday’s game against Michigan State, breaking the old stadium mark of 98,144 set against Penn State earlier this year. In five home games this year, the Buckeyes have drawn a total of 487,974 fans, an average of 97,595. 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 this year’s seating capacity 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).
OSU In The Big Ten
The Buckeyes now have an all-time Big Ten record of 396-174-28 since beginning conference 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 75-20-1 in their last 96 games, a winning percentage of .786.
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 724-285-53. Over the years, the Buckeyes have experienced just 11 losing seasons, with six of those coming prior to 1925.
Adam Taliaferro Fund
Ohio State has donated $20,000 to the Adam Taliaferro long-term care fund. The money comes from program sales at the Oct. 14 game against Minnesota, as well as contributions by the Department of Athletics. Taliaferro suffered a spinal cord injury against Ohio State Sept. 23.
