Buckeyes Edged Out By Nittany Lions, 29-27 – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/27/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct 27, 2001%^$
%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$Final Stats|%^$Quotes|%^$Notes%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$
%^$
By DAN LEWERENZ
Associated Press Writer%^$
%^$
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Joe Paterno passed Bear Bryant to become major%^$college football’s career victory leader Saturday, with freshman Zack Mills%^$passing for two touchdowns in Penn State’s 29-27 victory over Ohio State.%^$
%^$
The win was No. 324 for Paterno, who became Penn State’s head coach in 1966%^$after 15 years as an assistant.%^$
%^$
Paterno came into the season just one win behind Bryant, but was questioned%^$and criticized – even by some of the Penn State faithful – after his team%^$started 0-4. He tied Bryant last week with a 38-35 win at Northwestern.%^$
%^$
After the game, in the understated style Penn State fans have come to%^$expect, Paterno praised his team, hugged his wife and held his grandchildren at%^$a ceremony at midfield.%^$
%^$
Mills, who came in on the Nittany Lions’ second possession after Matt%^$Senneca started, broke his own freshman passing record with 280 yards. He%^$completed 17 of 32 passes and also ran for 138 yards and a touchdown.%^$
%^$
Down by as many as 18 points in the second half, Penn State (2-4, 2-3 Big%^$Ten) took its first lead two plays into the fourth quarter. On the first play,%^$Mills missed the snap from the shotgun formation, ran back several yards to%^$recover the ball and still completed a 31-yard pass to R.J. Luke. Mills’%^$14-yard touchdown pass to Eric McCoo gave the Nittany Lions a 29-27 lead with%^$14:47 left.%^$
%^$
Ohio State (4-3, 2-2) got to the Penn State 17 with 2:55 left, but Bryan%^$Scott blocked the field goal try.%^$
%^$
Mills’ first touchdown pass came in the third quarter when he found Tony%^$Johnson from 26 yards out.%^$
%^$
But the freshman’s biggest play might have come earlier in the third, when%^$he took a quarterback keeper, leaped over a blocker, bounced off a defender and%^$ran 69 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest Penn State run in more than%^$two years and the longest by a quarterback since 1991. The 2-point conversion%^$failed, leaving Ohio State with a 27-15 lead.%^$
%^$
The Buckeyes took their biggest lead, 27-9, on Derek Ross’ interception%^$return. The pass skipped high off Drummond’s hands and right to Ross, who%^$caught it in stride and ran untouched into the end zone.%^$
%^$
Ohio State went up 20-9 two plays into the second half when Jonathan Wells%^$found a huge hole in the line, slipped one tackle and outran the Penn State%^$secondary for a 65-yard play.%^$
%^$
Steve Bellisari threw a 68-yard pass to Michael Jenkins, giving Ohio State%^$first-and-goal on the 1 and setting up the final score of the first half. But%^$Penn State’s defense held, forcing the Buckeyes to kick a field goal. Mike%^$Nugent’s kick gave Ohio State a 13-9 lead going into halftime.%^$
%^$
Freshman Robbie Gould kicked a 46-yard field goal – tying a first-quarter%^$kick as the longest of his career – to bring Penn State to 10-9 with 6:59 left%^$in the first half.%^$
%^$
Cie Grant’s interception and 21-yard return early in the second quarter set%^$up Nugent’ field goal, giving the Buckeyes a 10-6 lead.%^$
%^$
The Nittany Lions closed to 7-6 by the end of the first quarter on Robbie%^$Gould’s field goals from 23 and 46 yards.%^$
%^$
Ohio State needed just 9 seconds to score on its first possession, with%^$Bellisari throwing a 66-yard touchdown pass to Jenkins.
