No. 6 Ohio State Opens Big Ten Play With Indiana at Home – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 24, 2002
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Video Press Luncheon
Football Luncheon Quotes
Depth Chart
Top 25 Polls
Buckeyes Return Home For Big Ten Opener
Ohio State, ranked No. 6 spot in both national polls for the second-consecutive week, returns home Saturday to face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten opener for both schools. Game time is 12:10 p.m. (EDT) in sold-out Ohio Stadium (cap. 101,568). The game will be televised by ESPN Plus (Ch. 10 in Columbus) and broadcast by WBNS Radio (1460 AM and 97.1 FM), the flagship station for the Ohio State radio network.
The Buckeyes are coming off a third place (5-3) Big Ten finish in 2001. Indiana tied for fourth place with a 4-4 ledger a year ago.
Ohio State has an all-time Big Ten record of 400-155-24 since beginning league play in 1913. Since 1960, the Buckeyes have experienced just three losing Big Ten seasons (1966, 1988, 1999). Ohio State also has won eight of its last nine league openers, losing only to Wisconsin (42-17 in Columbus in 1999) in that span. The Buckeyes also opened the 2001 Big Ten season against Indiana, downing the Hoosiers 27-14 in Bloomington.
Records and Results
Ohio State is 4-0 on the year, including a 3-0 mark in Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes are coming off a heart-pounding 23-19 win over Cincinnati this past weekend in Paul Brown Stadium.
Ohio State played the game without the services of starting tailback Maurice Clarett, who rushed for 471 yards and scored seven touchdowns in the first three games. Clarett sat out the UC game after undergoing arthroscopic surgery Sept. 17 on his right knee.
With the 6-0, 230-pound Clarett sidelined, sophomore Lydell Ross made his first collegiate start and responded by rushing for a career-high 130 yards on 23 carries.
The Buckeyes needed a late touchdown run by quarterback Craig Krenzel to take the lead for good with 3:44 to play. Will Allen’s interception in the end zone with 26 seconds left ended the gutsy Bearcats’ bid for an upset.
Indiana had a nail-biter of its own Saturday, trailing visiting Central Michigan 29-16 midway through the third quarter before scoring 23 unanswered points to pull out a 39-29 victory and square its record at 2-2.
Hoosier quarterback Gibran Hamdan threw for 290 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Yamar Washington rushed for 129 yards and three TDs and Brian Lewis added 101 yards on the ground. Courtney Roby hauled in four receptions for 153 yards and a TD for the Hoosiers, who rolled up 531 yards in total offense.
A Quick Look At The Coaches
Jim Tressel is in his second year at Ohio State, where his record is 11-5 for all games and 5-3 in the Big Ten. He is 7-2 in Ohio Stadium. Tressel has an all-time record of 146-62-2 as he begins his 17th season as a head coach. He is 1-0 against Indiana
Gerry DiNardo is in his first year at Indiana and his 10th season as a head coach. He has coached previously at Vanderbilt (1991-94) and LSU (1995-99), and has a career record of 53-51-1. This will be his first meeting with Ohio State.
Buckeyes Remain Sixth In Both Polls
For the second-consecutive week, Ohio State is ranked sixth in both the ESPN/USA Today and the Associated Press weekly polls. That represents the highest OSU ranking since the Buckeyes held down the No. 5 spot going into week six of the 2000 season. The Buckeyes were ranked 12th and 13th, respectively, in preseason voting this year.
Series Information
Ohio State leads the all-time series, 60-12-5, and has a 39-10-4 edge in Columbus. The Buckeyes have won the last nine games, dating back to a 27-27 tie in Bloomington in 1990. Additionally, OSU has won five straight in Columbus. Indiana’s last win in the series was a 41-7 triumph in 1988 in Bloomington. The Hoosiers also defeated OSU in 1987, pulling off a 31-10 shocker in Columbus. The latter victory ended a string of 23-consecutive wins and 31 games without a loss by the Buckeyes. Four of the past six games between the two schools have been played in Columbus. In the game last year, played in Bloomington, freshman tailback Lydell Ross came off the bench to rush for 124 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Buckeyes to a 27-14 win in the Big Ten opener. In doing so, Ross became the youngest back in Big Ten history to rush for 100 or more yards in a game.
There have been a number of outstanding individual performances in the series. Indiana tailback Anthony Thompson rushed 190 yards and four touchdowns in 1988 as the Hoosiers rolled up 471 yards in total offense. OSU quarterback Joe Germaine threw for 351 yards in 1998.
In 1974, OSU had 568 yards in total offense in a 49-9 victory in Columbus.
Clarett Considered “Probable” For Hoosiers
Freshman tailback Maurice Clarett is listed as probable for the game this week with Indiana. Clarett had arthroscopic knee surgery on his right knee Sept. 17 and sat out the game against Cincinnati last week.
“We will just take it day-by-day and see how he feels,” said OSU head coach Jim Tressel.
Clarett leads the Big Ten in scoring with 42 points and is tied for the lead in rushing with an average of 157 yards a game.
A Look At The Buckeyes
The Buckeyes, who are trying for their first 5-0 start since 2000, are averaging 36 points and 386 yards per game on offense and giving up 16 points and 356 yards on defense.
In the win last Saturday at Cincinnati, the Bearcats jumped out to a 9-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and led 19-14 heading into the final stanza.
With the largest crowd (66,319) ever to see a football game in the city of Cincinnati holding its collective breath, the two teams battled helmet-to-helmet down the stretch.
Ohio State took the lead for good on a 6-yard scamper by quarterback Craig Krenzel. When their two-point conversion attempt failed, the Buckeyes led 23-19 with 3:44 to play.
The Bearcats than promptly marched down the field to the Ohio State 15 and had a first down with 42 seconds left. Will Allen’s interception in the back of the end zone on fourth down thwarted the Bearcats’ final thrust. The ball was deflected by linebacker Matt Wilhelm.
Wilhelm led the Buckeyes in tackles with nine, including four tackles-for-loss. Even though the Buckeyes gave up 415 yards (324 passing), the defense came up with three turnovers (two picks and a fumble recovery) on the Bearcats’ last three possessions.
Defensive end Darrion Scott turned in the play of the game, a jarring hit of UC quarterback Gino Guidugli which forced a fumble that was recovered by OSU defensive tackle David Thompson at the UC 47-yard line at the 8:11 mark. Krenzel scored 10 plays later.
The Buckeyes had eight tackles-for-loss against the Bearcats.
The OSU offense started slowly, going three-and-out on its first three possessions. But the Buckeyes wound up with 292 yards in total offense and scored nine points in the fourth quarter when the game hung in the balance.
In addition to running for a touchdown, Krenzel threw for a pair of scores. Split end Michael Jenkins had five receptions, including two clutch grabs on the Buckeyes’ final possession.
In the rushing department, sophomore tailback Lydell Ross led all rushers with 130 yards on 23 carries. The 218-pound sophomore ground out runs of 4, 5, and 6 yards on OSU’s game winning drive. Ross started in place of the injured Maurice Clarett who had arthorscopic knee surgery following the Washington State game. It was the second 100-yard game for Ross, who first topped the century mark with 124 yards last year at Indiana.
The game marked the Buckeyes first road appearance against an Ohio team since 1934 and their first trip to Cincinnati since 1911. When it was all over, the Buckeyes had their 11th victory in 13 games with the Bearcats.
Coach Jim Tressel On The Buckeyes
“We played hard against Cincinnati and I am proud of our effort and the determination we showed in battling back. I think any hard-fought victory is a good one. When you are under the gun and handle adversity, it is always good for you. But, at the same time, we want to get better every game and I am not sure we did that last week. We lacked the consistency that a good team has to have and we made too many mistakes. We have to work on that. But we did win on the road in a terrific environment and we would much rather learn coming off a win than a defeat.
“Now we have to get ready for the Big Ten season. If you want to be a contender for the title you have to be able to win your home games, so we will talk about that a lot this week as we get ready for Indiana.”
All-America Performance
Through the Buckeyes’ first three games, freshman tailback Maurice Clarett has put together some impressive numbers. Clarett, who did not play this past week against Cincinnati because of a knee injury, nonetheless leads the Buckeyes, and the Big Ten, in rushing and scoring
In the rushing department, he has carried the ball 63 times for 471 yards and six touchdowns. The powerful 6-0, 230-pounder is averaging 157 yards per game and 7.5 yards per carry. He also has caught six passes, including the Buckeyes’ first TD pass of the season.
Clarett began the season by rushing for 175 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries against Texas Tech. He had TD runs of 59, 44 and 1 yard in a 45-21 win.
Against Kent State, he carried the ball 11 times for 66 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving) in a 51-17 rout. The Buckeyes ran just 47 plays, including just 22 runs, in the win over the Golden Flashes.
With most of the nation looking on in the 25-7 win over nationally-ranked Washington State, Clarett carried the ball 31 times for 230 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. He put up 194 yards in the second half, including two runs of 44 yards and another of 20. His 31 carries were two short of the school record for a freshman and his yardage total was nine shy of the freshman mark.
After three games, he already has as many 100-yard games as Archie Griffin had in 1972 and is literally making a run at Robert Smith’s freshman rushing record of 1,126 yards set in 1990. Smith had five 100-yard games that year.
Clarett, who seems to get stronger as the game goes on, has demonstrated the ability to run over, by and away from defenders.
“Maurice reminds me a lot of when we had Keith Byars,” said OSU coach Jim Tressel. “He just wears you down late in the game. It is hard enough to tackle him in the first and second quarters, but it really gets tough in the third quarter.”
“I was hoping he would rush for 240 yards against a good team like Washington State,” said Griffin, who holds the OSU single-game frosh rushing record with 239 against North Carolina in 1972. “He is a tremendous football player.”
Buckeyes Get The Jump Early
While Ohio State did not score in the first quarter at Cincinnati, the Buckeyes did get off to quick starts in their first three games, scoring touchdowns against Texas Tech and Kent State and a field goal against Washington State on their firstpossessions.
In the first two games, special teams helped jump start the Ohio State scoring efforts. After freshman Bobby Carpenter pinned Texas Tech at its own 8-yard line with a tackle on the opening kickoff in the season opener, the Buckeye defense forced a Red Raider punt that was returned by Michael Doss to the TTU 32-yard line. That led to a Lydell Ross 2-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Ohio State lead. Against Kent State, Ohio State stopped the Golden Flashes at their own 13-yard line on the opening kickoff. The Buckeye defense again held, forcing a punt, which was blocked by free safety Donnie Nickey and recovered at the KSU 31. Tailback Maurice Clarett scored seven plays later on a 2-yard run for the early 7-0 Ohio State advantage.
Against Washington State, the Buckeyes took the opening kickoff and marched to the Cougar 26-yard line, setting up a 43-yard field goal by Mike Nugent with 13:19 left to play.
Buckeye Captains
Strong safety Michael Doss and free safety Donnie Nickey, both seniors, have been selected by their teammates as captains for the 2002 campaign. Doss, a two-time All-American, is in his third year as a starter, while Nickey is in his fourth. Offensive captains are chosen on a game-by-game basis. Flanker Chris Vance will serve in that capacity against Indiana. Offensive captains to date have been: Craig Krenzel (Texas Tech), Mike Stafford (Kent State), Ben Hartsock (Washington State) and Ivan Douglas (Cincinnati).
| Coach Tressel |
Head Coach Jim Tressel
Ohio State is under the second-year direction of Jim Tressel. The49-year-old mentor led the Buckeyes to a 7-5 record last year,including a 5-3 mark in the Big Ten and an appearance in theOutback Bowl Jan. 1. Now in his 17th year as a head coach,Tressel’s impressive resume includes an all-time record of146-62-2. Prior to coming to Ohio State, Tressel spent 15 years atYoungstown State, where he guided the Penguins to four Division1-AA national championships (1991, ’93, ’94 and ’97) and 10appearances in the playoffs. He was a four-time pick as thenational coach of the year, winning that honor in each of hischampionship seasons. Prior to taking over at YSU in 1986, Tresselspent three years as an assistant to Earle Bruce at Ohio State. Inthat role, he coached the quarterbacks, receivers and running backsand went to three bowl games, including the Rose Bowl. His list ofstar pupils during that time includes Mike Tomczak, Cris Carter andKeith Byars. Prior to Ohio State, Tressel also servedapprenticeships at Akron, Miami (Ohio) and Syracuse. Tressel, the22nd head coach in Ohio State annals, was named to his presentposition Jan. 18, 2001. Jim’s father, the late Lee Tressel, enjoyeda highly-successful coaching career at Baldwin Wallace College,where he won the 1978 Division III National Championship. Hisbrother, Dick Tressel, is a former head football coach at HamlineUniversity in Minnesota and currently serves as assistant directorof football operations at Ohio State. As a family, the Tresselshave won 425 games.
Buckeyes Prominent on Awards “Watch Lists”
Two-time All-America strong safety Michael Doss is on the Walter Camp Player of the Year “Watch List” that was released at the start of the season. Doss, who was picked as the Big Ten’s preseason defensive player of the year, also is on the Thorpe Award watch list. The latter, of course, goes to the top defensive back in college football.
Additionally, senior punter Andy Groom is on the Ray Guy Award watch list, while junior split end Michael Jenkins is on the Biletnikoff Award watch list and senior linebacker Matt Wilhelm on the Butkus Award watch list.
Based upon their early-season play, junior defensive end Will Smith, junior offensive tackle Shane Olivea, sophomore kicker Mike Nugent and freshman tailback Maurice Clarett will all be in the running for postseason honors.
Doss Hopes to Join Elite Circle
Senior safety Michael Doss is already a two-time All-American. Should he garner All-America honors again this year, he would become just the seventh three-time All-American in Ohio State history, joining Chic Harley (1916, ’17, ’19), Wes Fesler (1928-30), Lou Hinchman (1930-32), Merle Wendt (1934-36), Archie Griffin (1973-75) and Tom Skladany (1974-76) in a very select group of athletes.
This Move A Good Gamble For OSU Defense
Chris Gamble, the Buckeyes’ starting flanker and second-leading receiver, turned more than a few heads Saturday at Cincinnati when he lined up in the defensive backfield. Gamble responded by coming up with an interception on his first defensive play, the first of three-consecutive turnovers recorded by the Buckeyes. He went back in on defense after the Bearcats marched to the OSU 15-yard line with 42 seconds to play. Cincinnati tested him immediately, but Gamble broke up a pass to Jon Olinger on first down. Three more incompletions followed and the Buckeyes headed into the locker room at 4-0.
“Our coaches have always felt that Chris is a tremendous athlete who, if he ever wanted to be with his combination of size, speed and athletic ability, could be an outstanding cornerback,” said head coach Jim Tressel. “He did practice there some last week and we decided to spot him in certain situations. He can help us back there.”
In recent years, flanker David Boston and offensive tackles Orlando Pace and Korey Stringer have played both ways for the Buckeyes.
| DE Darrion Scott |
Silver Bullets Find Their Mark
The Ohio State defense has recorded 30 tackles-for-loss and 13sacks to date. The Buckeyes also have picked off seveninterceptions and permitted their first four opponents to scorejust eight touchdowns with only one of those coming on the ground.With their backs to the wall at Cincinnati, the Silver Bullets cameup with two interceptions, sandwiched around a fumble, on theBearcats’ final three possessions to help preserve the victory.Neither Washington State nor Cincinnati scored in the fourthquarter against the Buckeyes, who have allowed just 24 points inthe second half, with 14 of those coming in the fourth quarter inthe season opener against Texas Tech long after the outcome of thegame had been decided.
Balanced Point Production Key To OSU Success
Through the first four games the Buckeyes have been on an even keel offensively in terms of points, tallying 38 points in the first quarter, 34 in the second, 39 in the third and 33 in the fourth. The Buckeyes have had just one quarter this year – the first at Cincinnati – in which they did not score any points. In other offensive categories, Ohio State is averaging 36 points and 386 yards per game. The Buckeyes, who are averaging 6.1 yards per play, are running for an average of 229 yards per game and passing for 157. Additionally, the Buckeyes have converted 15 of 16 opportunities in the red zone and 40 percent (19 of 47) of their third-down chances. Ohio State has scored 11 rushing touchdowns and four via the pass. The Buckeyes also have eight field goals.
Jenkins Leads Receiving Corps
Junior split end Michael Jenkins has caught at least one pass in 16-consecutive games dating back to the 2001 season opener against Akron. Jenkins, who has 14 receptions so far this year and is averaging 17.4 yards per catch, had a season-high five receptions at Cincinnati, good for 47 yards. His clutch grab on third-and-10 in the fourth quarter resulted in a 12-yard gain that kept the Buckeyes’ winning touchdown drive alive.
Nugent Extends Consecutive Field Goal String to Nine
With a 24-yard trey at Cincinnati, sophomore kicker Mike Nugent has made all eight of his field goal attempts this year and now has a string of nine straight dating back to last year’s win over Michigan. Nugent’s streak now ranks as the fourth best in OSU annals. The school record for consecutive field goals made is 15 set by Vlade Janakievski in five games in 1979 and ’80. Janakievski also made 10 in a row in eight games in 1978 and ’79. Dan Stultz had 10 in four games in 2000. Janakievski also holds the record for consecutive field goals made in Ohio Stadium with 10. He did that twice – the first time in seven games in the 1978 and ’79 seasons, and the second time in four games in 1980. Tim Williams made nine in a row in the Horseshoe in five games in 1992 and ’93. Nugent has made seven in a row in Ohio Stadium, all this year. Nugent, who had seven field goals all of last year, also has made all 16 of his PAT attempts this year and has hit on his last 38 attempts.
Big Ten Leaders
Despite missing last week’s game, freshman tailback Maurice Clarett is tied for the Big Ten in rushing with an average of 157 yards a game. His 7.5 yards per carry figure also tops the league charts. Additionally, Clarett paces the conference in scoring with 42 points, an average of 14 points a game. Clarett also is second in all-purpose yardage with an average of 172.3 yards per game.
Kicker Mike Nugent is second in kick scoring with 10.0 points a game and is tied for third in overall scoring. He also leads the conference in field goal percentage (100.0/ 8-of-8) and PAT accuracy (100.0/ 16-of-16). Punter Andy Groom leads the league with an average of 45.7 yards per kick on the heels of an outstanding effort at Cincinnati, where he averaged 48.8 yards on five punts.
Defensively, end Will Smith is first in tackles-for-loss with seven. Linebacker Matt Wilhelm is third with six, four of which came this past week at Cincinnati.
From a team standpoint, Ohio State is first in red zone efficiency (15-16/.938) and red zone defense (6-13/.462).
Krenzel Ties Ohio State’s Consecutive Completion Record
Junior quarterback Craig Krenzel carved a niche for himself in the Ohio State records book against Kent State by completing his first 11 pass attempts. That string, coupled with a successful toss on his last attempt at the end of the Texas Tech game, gave Krenzel 12 completions in a row, tying the school record set by Bill Mrukowski in 1962 and later equaled by Mike Tomczak (1983) and Jim Karsatos (1985).
A Very Special Season For This Buckeye
Senior Mike Stafford experienced the thrill of his Ohio State career against Texas Tech. Stafford, a fifth-year senior and former walk-on who was converted to scholarship at the beginning of the 2001 season, started at left guard against the Red Raiders. It was his first start since his senior year in high school. “I set little goals for myself when I came here,” he said. “At first, I just wanted to contribute everyday and help the team. So now, to be a starter, well, that is special.”
Stafford served as the offensive captain against Kent State and was named OSU Offensive Lineman of the Week after that game. Apparently there are more thrills to come for the 6-3, 280-pound lineman.
Ohio State All-Time
With the win over Cincinnati, Ohio State now has an all-time record of 736-292-53 in this, its 113th season of football. The Buckeyes’ first football team posted a 3-1 record in 1890. Ohio State also has an all-time Big Ten ledger of 400-155-24 since beginning league play in 1913.
Freshman Class Has Early Impact
After four games, 10 members of Ohio State’s highly touted freshman class have seen game action. Maurice Clarett, Tyler Everett, Mike D’Andrea, Nate Salley, Bobby Carpenter, A.J. Hawk, E.J. Underwood and Mike Kudla all played against Texas Tech in the season opener. Offensive linemen Robbie Sims and Nick Mangold debuted in the Kent State game. In the latter, Clarett scored a pair of touchdowns, one on a 2-yard run and the other on a 7-yard pass reception, while Hawk tallied his first collegiate six-pointer on a 34-yard interception return. Other notable showings include a special teams tackle by Bobby Carpenter on the opening kickoff against Texas Tech and a rally-killing interception by Everett against Washington State. In the win over Cincinnati, Underwood played most of the game at cornerback and was credited with five tackles and two passes broken up.
Clarett Eighth OSU Frosh To Top The Century Mark
Freshman Maurice Clarett, last year’s USA Today high school offensive player of the year, rushed for 230 yards in OSU’s win over Washington State. That is the sixth best single-game showing in Ohio State annals. Other notable rushing performances by freshman running backs at Ohio State include:
1943 Dean Sensenbaugher 33 att./170 yds. vs. Illinois 1972 Archie Griffin 27 att./239 yds. vs. UNC 1972 Archie Griffin 27 att./192 yds. vs. Illinois 1985 Vince Workman 15 att./100 yds. at Illinois 1986 Jaymes Bryant 19 att./145 yds. vs. Utah 1989 Dante Lee 24 att./157 yds. at Northwestern 1990 Robert Smith 23 att./171 yds. at Wisconsin 2001 Lydell Ross 25 att./124 yds. at Indiana
Big Ten Players Of The Week
The Buckeyes claimed two of the Big Ten’s three weekly awards following their win over Washington State.
Tailback Maurice Clarett was named Offensive Player of the Week after shredding the Washington State defense for 230 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.
Clarett, who currently leads the Big Ten in rushing and scoring, also won the award following Ohio State’s win over Texas Tech Aug. 24. He is the first Ohio State player since David Boston in 1998 to win such recognition twice in one season.
Sophomore Mike Nugent was named Special Teams Player of the Week after nailing field goals of 43, 43 and 45 yards against WSU. The latter equaled his career long, which he first hit against Texas Tech and later matched against Kent State. Nugent is just the second OSU kicker to hit three field goals of 40 or more yards in a game. Tom Klaban was good from 47, 25, 43 and 45 yards out in the Buckeyes’ 12-10 win over Michigan in 1974.
Clarett and Nugent join senior safety Michael Doss, who was selected as the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Week following the Kent State game.
Scouting the Hoosiers
Indiana is off to a 2-2 start this season after an opening 25-17 win over William & Mary and the 39-29 victory over Central Michigan this past Saturday sandwiched a pair of losses to Utah (40-13) in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Kentucky (27-17) in Lexington, Ky.
On offense, the Hoosiers are averaging 23.5 points and 387 yards per game, including 247.8 yards per game through the air. Against Central Michigan last week, quarterback Gibran Hamdam threw for 290 yards. Hamdan has completed 44-of-95 (46.3 percent) passes for 736 yards and three touchdowns. His primary targets are Glenn Johnson, who has 18 receptions for 356 yards and an average of 89 yards per game, and Courtney Roby, who has 15 catches for 354 yards and an average of 88.5 yards per game. Johnson has three touchdowns, while Roby has added one. Two Indiana quarterbacks have seen action this season and have thrown nine interceptions, including six by Hamdan.
On the ground, Yamar Washington is averaging 110.7 yards per game. He has 68 rushes for 332 yards and three scores. Against Central Michigan, the redshirt freshman had 129 yards and three TDs, including two in the fourth quarter. Brian Lewis is averaging 87.5 yards per game.
Defensively, Indiana is allowing 28.2 points and 376.2 yards per game, a balanced 190.2 yards by rush and 186 yards by pass. The defense has intercepted three passes and has forced six fumbles, though it has only benefited from five cough ups. The unit also has eight sacks for a loss of 55 yards. Nine of the 13 opponent touchdowns have been through the air. Herana-Daze Jones leads Indiana with 41.5 tackles, including four for a loss of 10 yards.
Kicker Bryan Robertson has made 3-of-6 field goals and is 9-of-11 on PATs. He has made both tries from beyond 40 yards, including a season long 46-yarder at Kentucky. Ryan Hamre has 23 punts for an average of 36.9 yards. He has downed eight inside the 20-yard line.
Indiana’s Last Game
Indiana scored the final 23 points of the game to overcome a 13-point deficit and beat Central Michigan, 39-29 last Saturday in Bloomington, Ind. The Chippewas took a 29-16 lead with a field goal just after the half, but the Hoosiers scored three touchdowns and added a safety en route to the 10-point victory, which improved them to 2-2 on the year. Yamar Washington, who scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, finished the day with 26 carries for 129 yards and a total of three scores. Brian Lewis added 101 yards on the ground as Indiana amassed 531 yards of offense. Gibran Hamdan threw for 290 yards with one TD and one interception on a 14-for-23 day. Courtney Roby had four receptions for 153 yards and a score. The Hoosier defense allowed 461 yards by the Chippewas.
Meet Coach Gerry DiNardo
Gerry DiNardo, a 1975 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, is in his first season with the Hoosiers after two head coaching stints at Vanderbilt and at LSU. At Indiana, DiNardo is 2-2, bettering his 10-year coaching record to 53-51-1. He was 19-25 at Vanderbilt (1991-94) and was 32-24-1 at LSU (1995-99). DiNardo has been a part of two national championship teams. As a player in 1973, the Irish defeated Alabama, 24-23, in the Sugar Bowl and then as an assistant coach at Colorado, the Buffaloes won the 1990 national championship with a one-point victory, 10-9, over his alma mater in the Orange Bowl. After the Brooklyn, N.Y.-native’s 29-5 career at Notre Dame that earned the guard All-America honors, he earned assistant coaching positions at Maine and Eastern Michigan before making his last assistant coaching stop in Boulder.
Charting the Assistant Coaches
Mark Dantonio (defensive coordinator), Mel Tucker (defensive secondary), Joe Daniels (quarterbacks and receivers) and Bill Conley (tight ends) are in the press box for the Buckeyes. Jim Bollman (offensive coordinator), Tim Spencer (running backs), Jim Heacock (defensive line), Mark Snyder (linebackers) and Luke Fickell (special teams) are on the sidelines.
Opening Day Streak Extended
The victory over Texas Tech extended Ohio State’s streak in home openers to 24-consecutive wins, dating back to a 19-0 loss in 1978 at the hands of then-independent Penn State. The Buckeyes have an all-time opening day record of 97-12-4.
Attendance Record Falls
An Ohio Stadium record crowd of 104,553 saw the Buckeyes defeat Washington State. The previous single-game record of 104,407 was set last year against Illinois.
Earle Bruce Honored
Former Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. Bruce, who coached the Buckeyes from 1979 to 1987 and posted a career record of 81-26-1, will be inducted in December in ceremonies in New York City. He will be recognized in an on-campus salute at the Michigan-Ohio State game Nov. 23.
Media Luncheons
The weekly media lunches this year will again be held on Tuesdays at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Caf©, located at 1421 Olentangy River Rd. Lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel will begin his portion of the interview session at 12:15 p.m. Selected Ohio State players will be available for interviews following Coach Tressel’s question-and-answer session.
Weekly Interview Schedule
Ohio State players will be available for interviews following the conclusion of practice and meetings on Tuesdays throughout the season. Tuesday practices are open to the media and photographers are permitted to shoot the first 20 minutes, or specific periods as designated by the coaching staff. Photographers covering an open practice should check with a member of the Athletics Communications staff to see which periods are open.
Tressel Show Moves to Thursday
This year, the weekly Jim Tressel call-in show will air from noon-1 p.m. Thursdays on WBNS AM (1460) Radio. The show will be replayed on Thursday nights around the state. The show previously was heard on Tuesday evenings.
Buckeyes Travel To Evanston Next Week.
Ohio State is back on the road next week, traveling to Evanston, Ill., to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. Kickoff is 7 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2. Ohio State returns home Oct. 12 to play San Jose State in the traditional Homecoming game. That game will start at 12:10 p.m. (EDT).
On This Day In Buckeye Lore
Down through the years, the Buckeyes have fashioned a 6-1-2 record on Sept. 28. Ironically, the lone loss in those nine games was an 18-14 setback at the hands of TCU in the 1957 season opener, after which the Buckeyes rebounded with nine straight wins on the way to the national title. Most recently, the Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame 29-16 in South Bend in 1996.
| TB Maurice Clarett |
Game 1 Recap – Texas Tech
Ohio State opened the 2002 campaign Aug. 24 with a convincing 45-21victory over Texas Tech in the Pigskin Classic. It was the earliestseason debut for the Buckeyes.
Freshman tailback Maurice Clarett started the game and rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Clarett, who scored on runs of 59, 45 and 1 yards, was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
Clarett had plenty of help from sophomore sidekicks Maurice Hall and Lydell Ross. Hall finished with 74 yards on 13 carries and Ross had 40 yards and two touchdowns to show for his 16 carries.
As a team, the Buckeyes rolled up 317 yards on the ground and finished with 477 yards in total offense. OSU averaged 6.4 yards per carry, did not have a turnover and had just two offensive penalties.
Quarterback Craig Krenzel completed 11 of 14 passes for 118 yards before giving way to backup Scott McMullen, who scored OSU’s sixth rushing touchdown of the day.
The OSU defense, meanwhile, threw up a curtain around Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury finished with 341 yards and three touchdown passes, but much of the yardage and two of the scoring tosses came in the fourth quarter, long after the outcome had been decided.
Led by defensive end Will Smith, the Buckeyes recorded seven sacks and generally harassed Kingsbury all afternoon. Smith had four tackles-for-loss and two of the sacks.
Linebacker Cie Grant was credited with five tackles, including two sacks of his own, and was selected by the OSU coaching staff as the Buckeyes’ defensive player of the game.
The Buckeyes also fared well in the kicking department. Ray Guy Award candidate Andy Groom averaged 48 yards per punt on four kicks and place-kicker Mike Nugent converted all six PATs and hit a career-best 45-yard field goal.
Ohio State had just five penalties on the day, converted 10-of-15 third-down attempts and had the ball for 36 minutes. The Buckeyes were four-of-four in the red zone, while Texas Tech was 0-for-2.
Game 2 Recap – Kent State
The Buckeyes jumped out to a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and were ahead 38-0 with 7:31 to play in the first half on the way to a 51-17 thrashing of Kent State.
Two of OSU’s first four touchdowns came courtesy of the defense, strong safety Michael Doss and freshman linebacker A.J. Hawk each returning interceptions for scores. Doss made it 14-0 with his 45-yard return and Hawk upped the ante to 38-0 with his 34-yard scamper. Freshman tailback Maurice Clarett tallied the other two OSU scores, the first on a 2-yard run and the latter on a 7-yard pass from Craig Krenzel. It was OSU’s first TD pass of the year.
The Buckeyes rolled up 412 yards in total offense and averaged 8.8 yards per play on the way to topping the 50-point mark for the first time in 73 games. Krenzel completed 12 of 14 passes for 190 yards and backup Scott McMullen hit 7 of 11 for 78 yards and a TD. Sophomore flanker Chris Gamble was on the receiving end of six of those passes and finished with 87 yards receiving. Split end Michael Jenkins had four catches for 89 yards. Eight different receivers had receptions for the Buckeyes, thanks in large part to another stellar effort by the offensive line, which did not allow a sack.
Clarett led the Buckeye ground game with 66 yards on 11 carries. Maurice Hall added 36 yards on just three totes, the first of which was a 28-yard TD, and Lydell Ross had 28 yards on four tries as Ohio State’s posse of running backs again proved to be too much for the opposing defense.
Defensively, tackle Tim Anderson was credited with seven tackles, while ends Will Smith and Darrion Scott and linebacker Robert Reynolds each had five. Scott had two tackles-for-loss and a sack.
Kicker Mike Nugent was again perfect, hitting all three of his field goal attempts and all six of his PAT efforts.
Game 3 Recap – Washington State
The Buckeyes trailed 7-6 at the half, but responded with 19-unanswered points after intermission to down visiting Washington State, 25-7. The victory over the 10th-ranked Cougars was the Buckeyes first win over a Top-10 team since the 1999 Sugar Bowl
Freshman running back Maurice Clarett led the OSU offense by rushing for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Clarett, who carried the ball 31 times, had 194 of his yards in the second half. It was the sixth best rushing effort in OSU history and came despite a first-quarter knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery three days later. The Buckeyes powered through the WSU defense for 292 yards on the ground and finished with 363 yards in total offense.
The OSU defense, meanwhile, pressured Jason Gesser, the Cougars’ talented senior quarterback, into two second-half interceptions and any number of hurried throws. Washington State, which had come into the game averaging more than 440 yards per game (and 40 points), settled for just 280 against Ohio State – 263 passing and 17 on the ground. The Cougars managed just 74 total yards after intermission.
Linebackers Cie Grant (8 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss) and Matt Wilhelm (5 tackles and a momentum shifting interception) led the OSU defense.
Sophomore kicker Mike Nugent continued his brilliant play by drilling field goals of 43, 43 and 45 yards. Those three kicks of more than 40 yards gave Nugent six on the year, an Ohio State single-season record just three games into the season. Additionally, he is just the second Ohio State kicker to kick three field goals of 40 or more yards in a game. The only other was Tom Klaban in 1974 against Michigan.
Clarett and Nugent were named Big Ten offensive and special teams players of the week following the game. Clarett also was honored as The Sporting News National Player of the Week.
