Post Game Notes From Ohio State vs. Iowa – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 18, 2003
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With the 19-10 win today, Ohio State extends its win streak athome to 14 games. The Buckeyes last dropped a contest at home Nov.17, 2001, a 34-22 loss to eventual Big Ten champion Illinois. Withthe win over Iowa today, Ohio State has now won six straight BigTen games at home. Ohio State has now won its last six gamesfollowing a loss the previous week, dating back to a 28-14 victoryover Akron in the 2001 season opener after suffering a 24-7 loss toSouth Carolina in the Outback Bowl to close the 2000 season.
In 2001, Ohio State defeated Indiana (27-14 on Sept. 29) after a 13-6 loss to UCLA (Sept. 22), then downed San Diego State 27-12 (Oct. 20) following a 20-17 loss to Wisconsin the week prior. Next, the Buckeyes edged Minnesota 31-28 (Nov. 3) after a 29-27 loss at Penn State (Oct. 27), before winning at Michigan 26-20 (Nov. 24) a week after losing at home to Illinois 34-22 (Nov. 17). Ohio State opened the 2002 season with a 45-21 victory over Texas Tech (Aug. 24) after losing to South Carolina in the 2001 Outback Bowl for the second straight season.
With the win today, Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel improvesto 6-0 following a loss the previous week. Tressel also improves to3-0 vs. Top 10 teams and 11-3 against the Top 25. Tressel alsoupped his record to 18-2 at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State improves to11-1 in last 12 games decided by 10 points or less. Five of OhioState’s seven games this season have been decided by 10 points orless. The 17-10 loss to Wisconsin last week snapped Ohio State’s10-game winning streak when the game is decided by seven points orless. Ohio State avoided losing back-to-back games since closingthe 2000 season with consecutive defeats. The Buckeyes dropped a38-26 contest vs. Michigan (Nov. 18) to conclude the regular seasonand lost 24-7 to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl Jan. 1, 2001.
The last time Ohio State dropped consecutive regular season games was the 1999 season when Illinois defeated the Buckeyes 42-20 in Ohio Stadium (No. 13) and Michigan topped Ohio State 24-17 Nov. 20, 1999. The games vs. the Illini and Wolverines also served as the last time Ohio State dropped two straight in Big Ten play.
The 54-yard touchdown on a punt return by Ohio State seniorMichael Jenkins extended the Buckeyes’ streak to 84 games scoringat least one touchdown. The last time an Ohio State team was heldwithout a touchdown was a 13-9 loss to Michigan in the 1996 season.Since Ohio State first fielded a team in 1890, the squad is752-293-53 overall. Overall, when OSU is ranked in the AP Top 10,the squad is now 270-64-9. Ohio State’s mark when ranked in the APimproves to 369-117-14.
Ohio State – Iowa Series
With the win today, Ohio State leads the all-time series withthe Hawkeyes 43-12-3 in 58 meetings. The Buckeyes have won the lasteight games in the series. The last Hawkeye win came in OhioStadium Nov. 2, 1991 by a 16-9 count. Over the last 32 meetings,Ohio State has won 29 times vs. three losses and a 24-24 tie in the1988 season. Iowa’s last two wins in the series have come at OhioStadium. Ohio State now holds a 27-7-1 mark against the Hawkeyes inColumbus and has won the last four meeting in Ohio Stadium. TheBuckeyes are 28-6 in 34 all-time meetings with the Hawkeyes as aranked team, which includes a 17-2 mark at home.
The squads have faced each other on 16 occasions when both teams are ranked. Ohio State now claims a 12-4 advantage in those contests.
Iowa has won five-of-18 (5-13) when it enters the game as a ranked team and is now 2-9 in Columbus in such games.
Ohio State improves to 5-3-1 when scoring between 10-19 pointsin the series with the Hawkeyes. The touchdown scored by Ohio Statefreshman defensive back Donte Whitner after recovering a blockedpunt marked the first points an opponent has scored against Iowa inthe third quarter this season.
Ohio State Defensive Team Notes
Iowa’s fourth quarter touchdown is the first by a Big Tenopponent at Ohio Stadium since Penn State scored on a Larry Johnson5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of last year’s meeting(Oct. 26), snapping a string of 17 quarters Ohio State had held BigTen opponents out of the endzone in Ohio Stadium. Last weekWisconsin running back Booker Stanley rushed for 125 yards on 31carries to become the first player to rush for 100 yards againstthe Buckeyes since his teammate Anthony Davis gained 144 yards on25 attempts in the 2002 meeting between the Buckeyes and Badgers.Stanley and Davis are the only players to rush for 100 yardsagainst the OSU defense in the Buckeyes’ last 23 games.
Iowa’s Fred Russell averaged 121.0 yards rushing per game coming into today’s game, which ranked eighth in the country and second in the Big Ten. He had rushed for at least 100 yards in four games this season. Today, the Hawkeye running back was held to just 42 yards on 22 carries. Eleven of his carries went for no gain or for a loss. Russell’s previous low on the season was 75 yards on 26 carries, also against Iowa State.
Ohio State has not allowed consecutive 100-yard rushing performances by opposing players since the 2001 season when Penn State quarterback Zach Mills rushed for 168 yards in the Nittany Lions 29-27 victory in State College Oct. 27 before allowing Minnesota running back Tellis Redmon 103 yards on 17 carries in a 31-28 win in the Metrodome Nov. 3.
The Buckeyes have not allowed an opposing player to rush for 100 or more yards at home in 15 consecutive games, dating back to San Diego State’s Larry Ned’s 112-yard performance Oct. 20, 2001 at Ohio Stadium.
Overall, Iowa averaged 318.8 yards per game on offense and 29.7points per game heading into today’s contest, while the Buckeyesheld opponents to 277.3 yards and 15.7 points over the first sixgames. Tonight, the Hawkeyes posted 206 total yards, including 66yards rushing, both season lows.
The Hawkeyes previous low rushing total was 100 yards against the University of Michigan Oct. 4. Iowa State held the Hawkeyes to 243 total yards on Sept. 13, Iowa’s previous low on the season.
Ohio State recorded a safety in the fourth quarter, its firstsince posting a safety in the third quarter of a 25-7 victory overWashington State last season (Sept. 14).
Ohio State Special Teams Notes
Ohio State senior Michael Jenkins returned a punt 54 yards fora touchdown in the first quarter. The play served as Jenkins’second career punt return and first since the Purdue game lastseason (Nov. 9), where he gained 11 yards on one attempt.
The touchdown is Ohio State’s first on a punt return since Nate Clements took a punt back 83 yards for a score against Purdue Oct. 28, 2000.
The 54-yard return by Jenkins is the longest by Ohio State this season, topping a 12-yard return by junior Chris Gamble.
Ohio State freshman wide receiver Roy Hall blocked an Iowa puntin the third quarter, which resulted in a recovery for a touchdownby freshman safety Donte Whitner. The punt block is the first ofHall’s career while the touchdown served as the first in Whitner’scareer at Ohio State.
The punt block is the first by an Ohio State team since Michael Jenkins recorded a block in the Purdue game last season (Nov. 9).
The touchdown serves as the first points scored against Iowa in the third quarter this season.
The special teams’ squads for both teams accounted for 27 of the 29 points on the day as the Buckeyes returned a punt for a touchdown and blocked a punt for its second touchdown, while also converting on a 53-yard field goal. Iowa’s scores also came via the special teams as Hawkeye placekicker Nate Kaeding connected on a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter and scored a touchdown on a 5-yard fake field goal in the third quarter.
The other two points were accounted by the Ohio State defense, which recorded a safety in the fourth quarter.
Ohio State senior punter B.J. Sander boomed a 62-yard punt tohelp seal the game in the fourth quarter. The kick is histhird-longest of the season, falling just shy of his 64-yard puntin the third quarter last week at Wisconsin. Sander’s longest puntthis season is a 68-yarder in the game against San Diego State(Sept. 6). His career long is 69 yards. Ohio State juniorplacekicker Mike Nugent connected on a career-long 53-yard fieldgoal in the Buckeyes’ opening drive of the game. The 53-yarderserves as the second-longest field goal in Ohio Stadium history,topping his previous career-long of 51 yards against Indiana lastseason (Sept. 28). The longest field goal in Ohio Stadium historyis a 55-yarder by Dan Stultz (1996-2000) also vs. Indiana in the1997 season.
The 53-yarder ties Bob Atha’s mark at Purdue in 1981 for the fourth all-time longest field goal in OSU history.
Nugent’s field goal in the first quarter was the 41st of his career, tying him with Vlade Janakievski (1977-80) for third all-time career field goals.
Ohio State Offensive Player Notes
Ohio State wide receiver Drew Carter was on the receiving endof six pass attempts for 95 yards. The six receptions equals hiscareer-high set this season against N.C. State (Sept. 13).
His 95 yards receiving top his previous best of 90 yards set last week against Wisconsin.
Carter hauled in a 34-yard pass from quarterback Craig Krenzel in the second quarter. The play serves as the second-longest reception of Carter’s career, falling shy of the 46-yard reception he and Krenzel connected on vs. Wisconsin last week.
With his first catch in today’s game in the third quarter OhioState split end Michael Jenkins – one reception, six yards – hasnow caught at least one pass in 33 consecutive games. Ohio Statefreshman running back Ira Guilford totaled 18 yards on eightcarries. The eight attempts mark a career-best for Guilford. OhioState junior defensive back/flanker Chris Gamble saw his firstaction on offense when he rushed for no gain in the second quartersince the San Diego State game (Sept. 6). Ohio State quarterbackCraig Krenzel improved to 19-2 as a starter and extended hiswin-streak as a starting quarterback in Ohio Stadium to 14straight. Senior Alex Stepanovich, who saw his first action lastweek against Wisconsin since starting the San Diego State game atcenter, recorded his first-career start at right guard today.
Ohio State Defensive Player Notes
Ohio State senior middle linebacker Fred Pagac, Jr. recoveredan Iowa fumble in the third quarter. The recovery is the second ofhis career and the first since pouncing on a loose ball against SanDiego State Oct. 20, 2001. Buckeye senior defensive tackle TimAnderson recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter. It is the secondof his career and the first since recording a recovery againstIllinois last season (Nov. 16). Ohio State sophomore linebackerBobby Carpenter started his first career game when the Buckeyedefense took the field to open the game. Defensive tackle DarrionScott rejoined the Ohio State starting unit for the first timesince starting the Bowling Green game Sept. 20.
Miscellaneous
Today’s attendance of 105, 044 is the second-largest in OhioStadium history, falling just 34 short of the 105,078 who attendedthe Washington game Aug. 30, 2003.
