Freshman Quarterbacks Battle in Annual Scarlet and Gray Game – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 26, 2003
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COLUMBUS, Ohio-Special teams and the play of Ohio State’s two redshirt freshman quarterbacks highlighted the annual Ohio State Scarlet and Gray football game Saturday in Ohio Stadium.
A crowd of 57,200 watched under sunny skies and mild 60-degree temperatures as the Scarlet defeated Gray, 37-29, to end Ohio State’s 2003 spring practice season.
With Gray leading 13-7 at the half, the Scarlet received the opening kickoff of the second half but Bam Childress fumbled the return setting up the Gray on the Scarlet 19.
Senior Scott McMullen then tossed a 19-yard scoring strike to the versatile Chris Gamble for a 20-7 Gray lead with 11:47 to play in the third quarter.
The teams exchanged several possessions before Scarlet was forced to punt. Redshirt freshman Santonio Holmes fumbled after a short punt return and was recovered by the Scarlet’s Antonio Smith at the Gray 14.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Zwick then found classmate Roy Hall for a 14-yard score cutting Gray’s lead to 20-14 with 5:30 to play in the third quarter.
Gray turned the ball over on its own 35 on the next possession after a reception and fumble by Holmes. Scarlet, with the chance to take the 21-20 lead, did so on a Zwick to tight end Ryan Hamby 30-yard touchdown pass with just over four minutes to play in the third quarter. Smith was driving the Gray again but was intercepted by junior safety Dustin Fox deep in Scarlet territory with just under 12 minutes to play in the game.
Jim Otis came in to quarterback the Scarlet. His second pass attempt was picked off by senior Will Allen, who returned it to the Scarlet 14 after a 33-yard return.
The play set up a 26-yard Josh Huston field goal, which gave the Gray the 23-21 lead.
Zwick led the Scarlet right back for the go-ahead score with an 80-yard drive that ended with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Childress with 6:13 to play, giving the Scarlet a 28-23 advantage.
Childress iced the Scarlet win with another touchdown, his third, on a 54-yard reception from Zwick with 3:32 in the game for a 35-23 score.
Gray added the final touchdown of the game, a Smith to Holmes 23-yard pass with 13 seconds left. Scarlet blocked the extra point attempt, which was scooped up by true freshman Ashton Youboty, who returned it untouched for 2 points and the game’s final score giving Scarlet the 37-29 win.
Zwick finished the game completing 15 of 27 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Smith threw for 234 yards and one score while completing 19 of 37 passes.
Childress was credited with 109 receiving yards. Holmes caught four passes for 65 yards and one touchdown. Drew Carter led the Gray with six catches for 85 yards.
The Gray looked to control the game in the early going.
With the Gray driving late in the first quarter, sophomore linebacker Mike D’Andrea intercepted a Scott McMullen pass on the Scarlet 17 to end Gray’s best first quarter scoring opportunity. D’Andrea later added a first quarter sack of McMullen to help thwart another Gray drive. D’Andrea finished with seven tackles, three for losses and one sack and an interception. A.J. Hawk led all defenders with 14 tackles.
The Gray defense recorded its first turnover of the game on the last play of the first quarter when junior linebacker Thomas Mathews intercepted a tipped pass from the Scarlet’s Craig Krenzel as time expired.
Krenzel finished the day completing 5 of 9 attempts for 46 yards and one score in limited action. McMullen connected on 7 of 11 passes for 63 yards and one touchdown. Each was intercepted once.
Smith then took over at quarterback for the Gray to start the second quarter. Zwick, his counterpart on the Scarlet squad, also took over at quarterback for the Scarlet to start the second stanza. Both completed their first pass attempts but were unable to drive their respective teams.
On Smith’s second possession, he completed a pass to right guard Bryce Bishop. The play was intended for Holmes but the ball bounced off his shoulder pads into the arms of Bishop, who was credited with a 7-yard pass reception.
The drive was kept alive on a fourth and seven situation with a 20-yard completion from Smith to Gamble that put the Gray inside the Scarlet 5. Huston capped the drive with a 21-yard field goal to give the Gray a 3-0 lead with 5:49 left in the first half.
Zwick returned for the Scarlet but the Gray forced a punt. Holmes gathered the kick by the Scarlet’s Bryan Weaver and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown with 3:15 to play, giving the Gray a 10-0 lead.
The advantage lasted just 11 seconds as Childress returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a Scarlet score, cutting the Gray’s lead to 10-7 with 3:04 remaining in the second quarter.
Smith responded by leading the Gray to the Scarlet 17-yard line with a pair of long pass plays to John Hollins and later to Drew Carter. Hollins’ grab, a 22-yarder, came after Smith scrambled to elude several Scarlet tacklers before breaking free to complete the pass. He later found Carter over the middle for 24 yards to set up a Huston 34-yard field goal as time expired in the half with the Gray on top 13-7.
Ohio State opens the 2003 season Aug. 30 against Washington at Ohio Stadium.
