No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Arizona Wildcats – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 4, 2000%^$
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Depth Chart
%^$ Top 25 Polls%^$ Weekly Release in .PDF format%^$Coach Cooper’s Press Conference%^$
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%^$This Week
%^$Ohio State travels to Tucson this week to%^$take on the University of Arizona Wildcats.%^$Saturday’s kickoff is set for 7:10 p.m. MST%^$(10:10 p.m. EST) in Arizona Stadium (capacity:%^$56,500). The game will be televised nationally%^$by Fox Sports Net.%^$
%^$TV and Radio
%^$Steve Physioc and Tom Ramsey will describe%^$the action for Fox Sports Net. The game also%^$will be broadcast by WBNS Radio in Columbus%^$(1460 AM and 97.1 FM), the flag-ship%^$station for the 71-station Ohio State%^$Radio Network. Paul Keels (play-by-play),%^$Jim Lachey (color) and Jim Karsatos (side-lines)%^$comprise the broadcast team.%^$
%^$Records and Rankings
%^$Both teams were 6-6 last year and both are%^$1-0 after the first week of the season this%^$year. Ohio State opened its season Saturday%^$with a convincing 43-10 win over visiting%^$Fresno State. A record Ohio Stadium%^$crowd of 96,583 was on hand to watch the%^$Buckeyes record their 22nd consecutive%^$victory in a home opener. Arizona launched%^$its 2000 season Saturday night with a 17-3%^$victory at Utah. The Buckeyes are ranked%^$16th in this Week’s ESPN/USA Today poll%^$and 18th in the Associated Press voting.%^$Arizona is not ranked in the top 25.%^$
%^$Ohio State All-Time
%^$This is the 111th season of football for the%^$Buckeyes, who began play in 1890.%^$Saturday’s win over Fresno elevates Ohio%^$State’s all-time record to 718-283-53. Over%^$the years, the Buckeyes have had just 11%^$losing seasons, with six of those coming%^$prior to 1925.%^$
%^$The Series
%^$This is just the fourth meeting between Ohio%^$State and Arizona and the first ever in Tucson.%^$The Buckeyes lead the series 2-1, losing%^$in 1967 (14-7), but bouncing back with%^$win in 1991 (38-14) and 1997 (28-20). This%^$will be Ohio State’s first trip to Arizona since%^$a 28-23 win over Pittsburgh in the 1984 (Jan.%^$2) Fiesta Bowl.%^$
%^$Ohio State Coach John Cooper
%^$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.%^$Cooper has a lifetime mark of 186-79-6 and%^$ranks sixth among active Division I%^$coaches in terms of victories. Cooper’s%^$record at Ohio State is 104-39-4 and includes%^$two Big Ten championships and%^$10 bowl appearances. He is the second%^$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%^$OSU. Prior to coming to Ohio State, Cooper%^$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%^$in 1986. The 63-year-old Cooper%^$also spent eight seasons as head%^$coach at Tulsa, compiling a 57-31 record%^$between 1977 and 1984. He is 3-2 against%^$Arizona. Cooper is a 1962 graduate of Iowa%^$State, where he was team captain and%^$MVP as a senior.%^$
%^$Arizona Coach Dick Tomey
%^$Like his Ohio State counterpart, Tomey%^$also is in his 24th year as a head coach.%^$Tomey, a 1964 graduate of DePauw University,%^$has a lifetime record of 154-104-7,%^$including a 91-58-4 mark as he starts his%^$14th year at Arizona.%^$
%^$The Coaching Fraternity
%^$Cooper and Tomey spent six years together%^$as assistant coaches at Kansas. Additionally,%^$Dino Babers, who currently serves as%^$offensive coordinator at Arizona, was an%^$assistant coach at Tulsa under Cooper.%^$
%^$Fresno State Snapshot
%^$Apparently the best offense really is a good%^$defense. The OSU defense stole the spot-light%^$Saturday by scoring a modern-era%^$school-record four touchdowns — two on%^$fumble recoveries and two on interception%^$returns. Senior cornerback David Mitchell,%^$making just the second start of his career,%^$recorded two of those scores, running 34%^$yards with a recovered fumble and jetting%^$51 yards with his second career interception.%^$On the day, the Buckeyes intercepted%^$four passes. All-America candidates Nate%^$Clements at the cover corner and Mike Doss%^$at strong safety recorded 10 and 7 tackles,%^$respectively, with Doss also recovering a%^$fumble in the end zone for the Buckeyes’%^$first score. The OSU offense rushed for 223%^$yards, including 88 by senior tailback Derek%^$Combs, and finished with 389 yards on the%^$day.%^$
%^$Mitchell Honored
%^$Senior cornerback David Mitchell has been%^$named as this week’s Big Ten Defensive%^$Player of the Week. Mitchell, who prepped%^$at nearby Westerville South High School,%^$made the most of his second career start by%^$scoring two touchdowns and recording 5.5%^$tackles. He also was credited with a pass%^$broken up.%^$
%^$”I was a little nervous last week. Saturday’s%^$game really helped my confidence,” Mitchell%^$said. “And to be chosen Big Ten Player of%^$the Week is a great honor. But it is an honor%^$I share with the entire defense. We played%^$well as a unit and did what we had to do to%^$stop Fresno. Hopefully, we will continue to%^$play well and make big plays that help the%^$team win.”%^$
%^$The Buckeye Offense
%^$The Buckeyes rushed for 223 yards and%^$passed for 166 more in the win over Fresno.%^$Combs led all rushers with 88 yards, while%^$junior quarterback Steve Bellisari completed%^$8 of 14 passes for 95 yards and one touchdown.%^$Flanker Ken-Yon Rambo caught five%^$of those passes and was one of six OSU%^$receivers to haul in a reception. The Buckeyes%^$had the ball 15 times and scored on six%^$of those possessions.%^$
%^$The Buckeye Defense
%^$The “Silver Bullets” scored twice in a 21-%^$second span (both on fumble recoveries) at%^$the end of the first quarter to put Fresno in%^$a hole that it could never dig out of. In addition%^$to six turnovers, the OSU defense registered%^$five tackles for loss. The starting%^$secondary of Clements, Doss, Mitchell and%^$Donnie Nickey collected 26 tackles.%^$
%^$The Kicking Game
%^$Senior co-captain Rodney Bailey, a defensive%^$end by trade, helped set the tone early%^$by blocking a field goal attempt on Fresno%^$State’s opening possession. Buckeye field-goal%^$kicker Dan Stultz converted his only%^$attempt, a 34-yarder, and converted four of%^$five extra points. His lone miss came after%^$OSU had been assessed a 15-yard penalty%^$for excessive celebration.%^$
%^$Cooper on the Buckeyes
%^$”I could not be more pleased with our effort%^$against Fresno State. We made some mistakes%^$on both sides of the ball, but we can%^$learn from those mistakes and become a%^$better football team. Probably the most disappointing%^$aspect of the game was our failure%^$to convert in short-yardage situations%^$(two of six on third-and-fourth-down conversion%^$attempts). You just cannot squander%^$those opportunities. But after looking%^$at the films, our offensive line played better%^$than I thought. Defensively, the No. 1%^$thing we preach to our players is for the%^$defense to score. It was great to watch%^$us take advantage of those turnovers.%^$That is something we didn’t do a year%^$ago. We have a win under our belt against%^$a scrappy team and we were able to play%^$a lot of players. I expect great effort in%^$practice this week.”%^$
%^$Cooper on Arizona
%^$”I have known Dick Tomey for a long time.%^$He is a very good football coach. Traditionally,%^$his teams are very strong defensively,%^$and run to the ball very well. This%^$year appears to be no exception. Offensively,%^$they give you a lot of different%^$looks. They have a number of excellent%^$players returning, including Ortege%^$Jenkins at quarterback. This game will be%^$a real test for us, there is no question%^$about that.”%^$
%^$Cooper’s Keys
%^$”We need to learn from our mistakes last%^$week and get better. This is our first trip%^$of the year and we need to be mature%^$enough to handle playing on the road. It%^$will be hot out there, but it was hot last%^$Saturday. Our mind-set has to be `nothing%^$should keep us from winning.'”%^$
%^$Injury Report
%^$Linebackers Jason Ott and Jack Tucker%^$will not play this week. Ott, who started%^$all 12 games a year ago and was in on 79%^$tackles, tore a muscle in his right shoulder%^$Aug. 15 and underwent surgery the%^$next day. He is expected to miss about%^$three weeks. Tucker suffered a fractured%^$left clavicle Aug. 22. He will be evaluated%^$on a weekly basis. Offensive tackle Tyson%^$Walter is listed as questionable because%^$of an infection that kept him out of the%^$Fresno State game, snapping a streak of%^$37-consecutive starts.%^$
%^$Walter Nominated
%^$Senior offensive tackle Tyson Walter has%^$been nominated for a National Football%^$Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholarship.%^$The award is presented annually to the%^$nation’s top senior football scholar-athletes.%^$Ohio State’s Ahmed Plummer received%^$the award last year.%^$
%^$Captains Chosen
%^$Seniors Ken-Yon Rambo, Joe Cooper and%^$Rodney Bailey, and junior Steve Bellisari%^$are the co-captains of the 2000 Buckeyes.%^$Bellisari, whose brother Greg was a co-captain%^$of the 1996 Buckeyes and is now%^$a graduate assistant on the OSU staff, is%^$the first junior to be so honored since%^$Pepper Johnson in 1984.%^$
%^$Buckeye Notes
%^$Dan Stultz’ 34-yard field goal against%^$Fresno was the 41st of his career, tying%^$him with Vlade Janakievski (1977-80) for second%^$place on OSU’s all-time list behind career%^$leader Tim Williams (1990-93), who had%^$49 during his career. Saturday’s crowd of%^$96,583 broke the Ohio Stadium record of 95,%^$537 against Notre Dame in 1995. Senior split%^$end Chad Cacchio hauled in his first career%^$touchdown catch Saturday, a 23-yard grab%^$in the second quarter. Tailback Jonathan%^$Wells, left tackle Ivan Douglas, middle linebacker%^$Matt Wilhelm and tight end Darnell%^$Sanders all notched their first starts on Saturday.%^$Wilhelm responded with his first career%^$interception, which he returned 25 yards%^$for a touchdown. True freshmen Will Allen,%^$B.J. Barre, Bobby Britton, Marco Cooper,%^$Michael Jenkins, Robert Reynolds, Darrion%^$Scott, Will Smith and Alex Stepanovich all%^$saw game action against Fresno State%^$
%^$Homecoming for Brown
%^$Senior defensive tackle Joe Brown is probably%^$the only Buckeye considering this%^$weekend’s contest a home game. Brown was%^$born in Columbus but moved to Tucson,%^$Ariz. as an infant. He attended Catalina Foothills%^$High School and earned all-state hon-ors%^$on both offense and defense.%^$
%^$Next week
%^$Ohio State returns home to host Miami%^$(Ohio). Game time is 12:10 p.m. The%^$weekend’s activities include the induction%^$of 15 new members into the Ohio State Athletics%^$Hall of Fame. This year’s HOF class%^$includes former football All-Americans%^$Chris Spielman, Keith Byars and Ollie Cline.%^$This year’s class will be available to meet%^$with the media at 4 P.M.. Friday in the%^$Atrium of the Woody Hayes Athletics%^$Center. The class will be introduced at%^$halftime of Saturday’s game.
