Buckeyes Go Down To No. 14 Ranked Bruins In Defensive Struggle – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept 22, 2001%^$
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By JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer%^$
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PASADENA, Calif. (AP) – UCLA linebacker Robert Thomas didn’t need to say a%^$word – his wide smile told the story for an often-criticized Bruins’ defense.%^$
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No. 14 UCLA stymied Ohio State throughout Saturday’s only matchup of Top 25%^$teams in beating the 21st-ranked Buckeyes 13-6 before an enthusiastic crowd of%^$73,723 at the Rose Bowl.%^$
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“We’ve been through a lot,” said Thomas, a senior who made six tackles -%^$five for losses. “The offense has done it in the past, and it was time to pay%^$them back. It’s nice to make plays and celebrate out there.”%^$
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The Bruins did an especially good job containing senior quarterback Steve%^$Bellisari, who completed only 5-of-23 passes for 45 yards with two%^$interceptions, netted 15 yards on nine rushing attempts, and refused comment%^$afterward.%^$
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“The corners and the safeties did a good job on pass coverage, and the%^$linebackers, we kept our eye on Bellisari,” Thomas said.%^$
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UCLA (3-0) held Ohio State to eight first downs and 166 total yards. The%^$Bruins had 18 first downs and 323 yards of offense, but four lost fumbles%^$contributed to keeping the game close.%^$
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UCLA hadn’t allowed fewer than six points since beating Texas 66-3 on Sept.%^$13, 1997.%^$
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“They’ve been maligned, they’ve been ridiculed,” UCLA coach Bob Toledo%^$said of his defense, which allowed a school-record 368 points last season.%^$”They never gave in to the bad things that happened to us today.”%^$
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UCLA, which allowed an average of more than 29 points from 1998-00, gave up%^$17 in each of its first two games – wins at Alabama and Kansas.%^$
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Phil Snow, hired last winter, is the Bruins’ fourth defensive coordinator in%^$five years.%^$
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“He taught us to be better students of the game,” Thomas said. “He taught%^$us to read formations, to be ready. Now, all 11 on the field know exactly%^$what’s going on.”%^$
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Snow said he has a better defense than he realized, and believes it will%^$continue to improve.%^$
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“These guys are good, so I didn’t have to make up a bunch of new%^$defenses,” Snow said. “We can play great defense here, because we have great%^$players.”%^$
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First-year Ohio State coach Jim Tressel lamented missed opportunities.%^$
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“The fumbles seemed like they were never-ending, we had more opportunities%^$than we deserved,” he said. “We need to grow up quickly or we will be in big%^$trouble. We are just so young.”%^$
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The Bruins took a 7-0 lead on a 24-yard scoring pass from Cory Paus to Ryan%^$Smith, capping an 80-yard, 14-play drive after the opening kickoff.%^$
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They would be limited to Chris Griffith’s two field goals after that.%^$
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That left it to the defense to excel. And it was never better than midway%^$through the third period, when with the score 10-6, Ohio State lost a yard on%^$three plays after Tim Cheatwood recovered the third of DeShaun Foster’s four%^$fumbles at the Ohio State 9.%^$
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Following a false start, Josh Huston was wide left on a 32-yard field goal.%^$
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In the first half, Mike Nugent was wide right on a conversion attempt as%^$well as a 28-yard field goal try after a fumble by Bryan Fletcher gave the%^$Buckeyes (1-1) possession at the UCLA 15.%^$
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After Huston’s miss, UCLA moved 64 yards to get into position for a 33-yard%^$field goal by Griffith that completed the scoring.%^$
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Mike Doss recovered a fumble by Foster at the Ohio State 41 in the opening%^$minute of the fourth quarter, but the Buckeyes lost the ball on downs at the%^$UCLA 30.%^$
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And Angelo Chattams recovered Ricky Manning’s fumbled punt return with 6:06%^$left at UCLA 38, but again the Buckeyes lost the ball on downs, this time%^$without picking up a first down.%^$
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UCLA fumbled seven times and lost four – two by Foster.%^$
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“Sometimes, when people who make things happen like Foster, they don’t%^$protect the ball like they should,” Cheatwood said. “I was going for the ball%^$all day.”%^$
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Foster made no excuses, saying: “They were just fumbles. The ball wasn’t%^$slick. We won, and that’s the important thing. Our defense did a great job.”%^$
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Foster rushed for 66 yards on 29 carries, while Paus completed 16 of 25%^$passes for 262 yards without being intercepted.%^$
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“This season, we’ve won a game with 20 points and we’ve won a game with 13%^$points,” Paus said. “That’s a testament to our defense. This is a team%^$game.”%^$
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Paus and Smith hooked up for UCLA’s touchdown on a third-and-9. The%^$reception was the second of Smith’s career and his first TD.%^$
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The Buckeyes scored their points less than four minutes later when Doss%^$blocked Nate Fikse’s punt, and Ricky Bryant recovered just before the ball went%^$out of the end zone.%^$
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Griffith missed from 40 yards away early in the second quarter, but kicked a%^$career-long 49-yarder late in the period after Cie Grant batted away a%^$potential 32-yard TD pass from Paus to Brian Poli-Dixon.%^$
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Griffith missed again, this time from 38 yards, early in the third quarter%^$after Matt Ware’s 17-yard interception return to the Buckeyes’ 16.%^$
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A moment of silence was observed before the game to honor the victims of%^$last week’s terrorist attacks. As it was ending, a fan yelled, “God Bless%^$America, yeah!” That drew a loud response from the crowd.%^$
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UCLA passed out 60,000 patriotic placards with the American flag on one side%^$and “United, We Stand,” on the other.
