Ohio State Continues Homestand Against Bowling Green – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 16, 2003
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BUCKEYES’ WIN STREAK NOW AT 17
Ohio State puts its 17-game winning streak on the line this week against Bowling Green. Both teams are unbeaten. The Buckeyes are 3-0 and ranked fourth nationally in the ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches poll. The Falcons also check in at 3-0 are receiving votes in both polls. Saturday’s game kicks off at 12:10 p.m. EDT in Ohio Stadium and will be televised by ESPN Plus (WBNS Channel 10 in Columbus). A limited number of tickets do remain for the game, but the contest between the two Ohio schools is expected to be a sellout.
The Buckeyes are coming off a pulsating 44-38 triple-overtime shootout with visiting North Carolina State, the first overtime game played in Ohio Stadium, but the third in the last six games for Jim Tressel’s scarlet-and-gray clad troops. Ohio State is now 3-0 in overtime games.
Bowling Green had a little easier time of it this past Saturday, making quick work of Liberty, 62-3, in Bowling Green. The Falcons also have an impressive 27-26 road win over Purdue to their credit.
This weekend’s festivities include the 35th reunion of the Buckeyes’ 1968 National Championship team.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR BGSU
Some tickets do remain for this week’s game and can be purchased in person at the Athletics Ticket Office in the Jerome Schottenstein Center, on-line at www.hangonsloopy.com, or by phone at either 614-292-2624 or 1-800-GO-BUCKS. Tickets are $49.50 each.
ABOUT THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State, 3-0 on the year, ranked fourth nationally in the ESPN/USA TODAY poll and fifth by the Associated Press, owns the nation’s longest winning streak at 17 games, has won nine in a row at home, and is 2-0 this year against teams ranked in the Top 25. The Buckeyes boast one of the nation’s most formidable defenses, a unit that has allowed a total of 56 yards rushing and a respectable 271.3 yards per game. The OSU defense is second nationally against the run and 20th overall. Sophomore linebacker A.J. Hawk paces the OSU defense with 26 tackles, including five tackles-for-loss and two sacks. The Ohio State offense is averaging 29.3 points a game and is led by senior quarterback Craig Krenzel, who is 18-1 as a starter. With Krenzel at the controls, the Buckeyes have won three overtime games and have scored a touchdown in every overtime period.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Bowling Green comes to town averaging 50.7 points and 362 yards per game. Led by quarterback Josh Harris, a graduate of Westerville North High School, the Falcons have scored 60 or more points in two of their first three games and are rushing for 213 a game. Defensively, the Falcons are allowing opponents an average of 14 points and 302 yards per game.
Ohio State counters with the No. 2 rush defense in the country. Paced by the defensive front of ends Will Smith and Simon Fraser and tackles Tim Anderson and Darrion Scott, the Buckeyes are yielding 18.6 yards a game on the ground, 0.7 yards per carry and have given up two rushing touchdowns. The Buckeyes are allowing 20 points a game, but 14 of the 60 points given up came in the first two overtime sessions last Saturday. On offense, Ohio State is averaging 286 yards per game — 184 passing and the remaining 102 on the ground. Quarterback Craig Krenzel has completed 55.4 percent of his passes and has four touchdown tosses, all last week.
BUCKEYES IN THE POLLS
Ohio State holds down the No. 4 spot in this week’s ESPN/USA TODAY poll and is fifth in the latest Associated Press poll. The Buckeyes began the year in the No. 2 slot in both national polls, but dropped to third last week following a 16-13 win over unranked San Diego State. Four of this year’s opponents — Michigan, Iowa, Washington and Purdue — are in the Top 25 in one or both polls. Saturday’s victory over N.C. State was Ohio State’s seventh-consecutive victory over a ranked team.
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio State and Bowling Green have met just twice previously. The Buckeyes have won both games, downing the Falcons 17-6 in 1992 and 44-13 in 1997. Both games were played in Columbus. Ohio State is 16-1 against teams currently in the Mid-American Conference, the only loss coming to Akron in 1894. This year marks the seventh-consecutive season that the Buckeyes have played a MAC school.
TRESSEL ON THE BUCKEYES
“I am pleased that we showed the character and poise necessary to win against a good team like North Carolina State,” said Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel, “I am not happy that we let a 24-7 lead slip away or that we only had 44 yards rushing. Like I said last week, we need to get better in a lot of areas. I am confident that we will.”
COACH Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel is in his third year as head coach at Ohio State. His record with the Buckeyes is a glittering 24-5 for all games and 13-3 in Big Ten play and includes a Big Ten co-championship and a consensus national title, both last year. He is 15-2 in games played in Ohio Stadium and 10-2 against teams ranked in the Top 25.
After guiding the Buckeyes to the summit of college football in 2002 with a perfect 14-0 record, the 50-year-old Tressel was named National Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America, the American Football Coaches Association and The Sporting News. He also received the Bobby Dodd and Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year awards and was honored by the Pigskin Club of Washington D.C. and the Columbus Touchdown Club.
Tressel, who prior to coming to Ohio State spent 15 years as the head coach at Youngstown State where his teams won four Division 1-AA national championships, has an overall record of 159-62-2 as a head coach.
Tressel is just the fourth coach to lead Ohio State to an unbeaten, untied season, joining John Wilce in 1916 (7-0), Carroll Widdoes in 1944 (9-0) and Woody Hayes in 1954 (10-0) and 1968 (10-0).
This is Tressel’s second stop at Ohio State. He was an assistant coach under Earle Bruce from 1983 to 1985, serving as quarterbacks and receivers coach the first year before taking on the added responsibility of the running backs the next two years. During those three years, the Buckeyes played in the Fiesta, Rose and Citrus bowls and posted a combined record of 27-9. Some of Tressel’s more stellar students during those three seasons included Cris Carter, Mike Tomczak and Keith Byars.
Tressel is the son of former Baldwin-Wallace coach Lee Tressel. His brother, Dick Tressel, who currently serves on the Ohio State football operations staff, is also a former head coach, spending 22 years at Hamline University in suburban Minneapolis. As a family, the Tressel’s have won 438 games. Jim’s nephew, Mike Tressel (Dick’s son), is a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes.
RECAPPING LAST WEEK
Ohio State prevailed 44-38 in triple overtime, running its record to 3-0 and extending its unbeaten string to 17 games in a row. The game was every bit as exciting as the final score would indicate.
The Buckeyes jumped out to a 24-7 lead and seemed in control until turning the ball over with 9:26 to play. That started the ball rolling for North Carolina State, which scored 17-unanswered points to tie the score at 24 with 21 seconds left to play.
The two teams traded touchdowns in the first two overtimes, setting up a dramatic third extra session in which the Buckeyes scored a touchdown, missed the mandatory try for the two-point conversion, and then held on by stopping N.C. State on the half-yard line on fourth down.
In addition to being the first overtime game ever in Ohio Stadium, it was the longest game in Ohio State history, going four hours and 17 minutes from kickoff to the dramatic final play.
Quarterback Craig Krenzel again turned in a stellar performance, hitting 26-of-36 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns, all career highs. Three of those TD passes came in the overtime periods. Krenzel also ran for a touchdown and was the Buckeyes’ leading rusher with 37 yards on 13 carries. Krenzel completed 10 of his 12 aerials in the three overtime periods.
Split end Michael Jenkins and tight end Ben Hartsock each caught seven passes and flanker Drew Carter had six receptions. Jenkins had TD grabs of 44 and 7 yards, the latter in the third overtime on third-and-three. Hartsock had a career high in receptions and grabbed his first touchdown catch of the season in the first OT. Carter also had a career-best day as the OSU offense totaled 317 yards.
Linebacker A.J. Hawk led the OSU defense with a career-high 12 tackles, including two for losses, and had a 55-yard interception return that set up Mike Nugent’s 22-yard field goal.
Will Allen added nine tackles and recovered a fumble that resulted in a 2-yard touchdown run by Lydell Ross, giving Ohio State a 14-0 lead with 2:47 to play in the first quarter.
It was Hawk and Allen who teamed up on the final play of the game to preserve the Ohio State victory. With the Wolfpack knocking at the door on fourth-and-goal in the third overtime, Hawk banged heads with T.A. McClendon at the half-yard line. As the two dueled for position like a couple of sumo wrestlers, Allen rushed in and lowered the boom, sending McClendon to the turf just short of the goal line, allowing the 104,890 fans on hand to breathe a collective sigh of relief.
The OSU defense recorded four sacks, two each by tackles Tim Anderson and Darrion Scott.
The Buckeyes also received an outstanding effort from punter B.J. Sander, who averaged 49.4 yards per kick on five punts. Sander dropped four of those punts inside the N.C. State 20.
KRENZEL HONORED
Senior quarterback Craig Krenzel has been selected as Big Ten co-Offensive Player of the Week following the Buckeyes’ 44-38 triple-overtime win over North Carolina State. In leading the Buckeyes to their 17th-consecutive victory, Krenzel completed 26-of-36 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for 37 yards and a TD. He completed 10-of-12 passes for three touchdowns in the three overtimes, including the game winner on third-and-three in the final extra session.
CLOSE TO THE VEST
In his two-plus years at Ohio State, Coach Jim Tressel has demonstrated an ability to win the close ones, including three overtime decisions. In 2001, Tressel’s first year at Ohio State, the Buckeyes won two games by a touchdown or less (Minnesota and Michigan). Last year, in posting a perfect 14-0 record, the Buckeyes won seven games by that same margin, including overtime wins at Illinois and in the national championship game. So far this year, the Buckeyes are 2-0 in games decided by a touchdown or less. Saturday’s win over North Carolina State in three overtimes gives the Buckeyes an 11-4 record in games decided by seven or fewer points under Tressel.
BUCKEYES TO WATCH IN 2003
Quarterback Craig Krenzel, the consummate leader and winner, is now 18-1 as a starter. The Buckeyes’ co-MVP last year and the offensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl, Krenzel somehow just finds a way to win. A molecular genetics major, he is a candidate for the Unitas and O’Brien awards. In the win over N.C. State, he threw touchdown passes in each of the three overtime sessions.
Split end Michael Jenkins is expected to be a leading contender for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver. The 6-5 Jenkins turned in yet another stellar performance against N.C. State, grabbing seven passes for 124 yards, including the winning TD grab. He has now caught a pass in 29-consecutive games.
Center Alex Stepanovich, in his second year as a starter, is on the watch list for the Rimington Award as the nation’s best center. He can also play guard or tackle should the need arise. Stepanovich was selected by the OSU coaches as the offensive lineman of the week following the Washington game. Stepanovich sat out the N.C. State game with an injury and is doubtful for this week’s game with Bowling Green.
Junior Chris Gamble, arguably the best all-around player in college football, starts at cornerback, return punts and kickoffs and also plays flanker. Now a much more physical player at 200 pounds (up 16 from a year ago), he will be a leading candidate for all the player of the year awards, as well as the Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in college football. Gamble had four tackles and a pass broken up against Washington, holding Husky receiver Reggie Williams to just three receptions and 36 yards in the first half as the Buckeyes built a 21-0 lead. He also returned five punts. In the win over San Diego State, it was Gamble who deflected a pass that teammate Will Allen intercepted and returned 100 yards for a touchdown. He had eight tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, against North Carolina State.
Mike Nugent is coming off a spectacular sophomore year in which he set nine school kicking records, led the team in scoring and won first-team All-America honors. Nugent finished second in the voting for the Lou Groza award last year and should be a finalist again this year. Nugent, who did not have a field goal attempt against Washington, connected on three of four field goals in the win over San Diego State and was good on his only try against North Carolina State.
The Buckeyes also boast three of the top defensive linemen in the nation in seniors Will Smith, Darrion Scott and Tim Anderson. All three are candidates for the Lombardi Award in 2003. They combined for eight tackles and three tackles-for-loss in the win over Washington and never let Husky quarterback Cody Pickett settle into any kind of a comfort zone.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
On the heels of a personal best 273 yards in the win over N.C. State, quarterback Craig Krenzel now ranks eighth in career passing yards at Ohio State with 3,005. Jim Karsatos (1984-86) is in seventh place with 5,089 yards.
Krenzel also ranks 13th in career total offense at OSU with 3,432 yards. Current Ohio State running backs coach Tim Spencer (1979-82) is 12th at 3,553 and Eddie George (1992-96) is 11th at 3,768.
Split end Michael Jenkins is fifth in career receptions (125) and fourth in career receiving yards (2,292) at OSU. He needs eight catches to move into the fourth spot on the receiving list ahead of Dee Miller (1995-98) who had 132 career grabs. The No. 3 spot in receiving yardage currently belongs to Cris Carter (1984-86) with 2,725 yards on 168 career receptions. Carter, incidentally, attended Saturday’s N.C. State game as an inductee into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.
Kicker Mike Nugent has made 36 career field goals. The school record of 59 belongs to Dan Stultz (1996-2000). Nugent has made 36 of 47 attempts and ranks first in career percentage at .761.
OHIO STATE IN THE RECORDS BOOK
Ohio State set an NCAA Division 1-A record in 2002 with 14 wins. In doing so, the Buckeyes recorded their fifth ever unbeaten, untied season (1916, 1944, 1954 and 1968 previously) and claimed their seventh national championship (1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968 and 1970).
BUCKEYES IMPROVE ALL-TIME MARK
The Buckeyes, who first fielded a team in 1890 and are now in their 114th season of gridiron play, have an all-time record of 749-292-53.
BUCKEYE WINNING STREAK NOW STANDS AT 17
Ohio State owns the longest winning streak in the country with 17-consecutive wins. The Buckeyes’ last loss was a 31-28 setback at the hands of South Carolina in the 2002 Outback Bowl. The OSU record for consecutive wins is 22, set between 1967 and 1969. In putting that streak together, the Buckeyes won their last four games in 1967, posted a perfect 10-0 record in 1968 and then won the first nine games of the 1969 campaign. The current streak of 17 ties for the second longest in Ohio State annals (1915-17). During their current streak, the Buckeyes have won nine games by a touchdown or less.
OHIO STATE’S RECORD IN OHIO STADIUM
The Buckeyes own an all-time record of 345-101-20 since Ohio Stadium was opened in 1922. Ohio State has won 12 in a row in the Horseshoe, last losing to Illinois in the final home game of the 2001 season.
2003 OSU CAPTAINS
Quarterback Craig Krenzel, split end Michael Jenkins, defensive end Will Smith and defensive tackle Tim Anderson are this year’s captains. The four seniors were selected by a vote of their teammates.
GETTING THEIR FEET WET EARLY
Five true freshmen have seen action in the Buckeyes’ first two games — tailback Ira Guilford, tight end Louis Irizarry, defensive backs Donte Whitner and Ashton Youboty and defensive tackle David Patterson. Patterson has a sack and a fumble recovery to his credit.
RED ZONE NUMBERS
The Ohio State offense has been almost perfect when in the red zone this year, scoring on 12 of 13 possessions inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. OSU has scored eight touchdowns (five rushing and three passing) and four field goals. OSU’s three opponents are 9-of-14 in the red zone (seven TDs and two FGs).
GAME 1 RECAP — OHIO STATE 28, WASHINGTON 9
Playing on national television and led by heady quarterback Craig Krenzel and an unrelenting defense that proved mature beyond its youth at linebacker and safety, the Buckeyes easily dispatched visiting Washington 28-9 in their season opener. Krenzel, who took control of the game from the outset, was only slightly short of sensational in running his record to 16-1 as a starter. His 37-yard strike to flanker Drew Carter set up Ohio State’s first touchdown, a 2-yard run by junior tailback Maurice Hall with 8:31 to play in the first quarter. The senior signal caller made it 14-0 with a 23-yard scramble around left end with 2:51 to play in the first stanza and 21-0 with an 11-yard scramble, this time to the right side, with 11 seconds left in the half. The latter play came on third down and took the bark out of the Huskies. Krenzel threw for 203 yards (his third career 200-yard game) and ran for 27 more in what has become typical of his stellar play. Six of his 15 completions went to senior split end and fellow co-captain Michael Jenkins. Junior tailback Lydell Ross accounted for OSU’ other score, a 15-yard power burst off tackle with 6:06 remaining in the third quarter. In addition to their two touchdowns, Hall and Ross combined for 101 yards rushing.
The Ohio State defense, meanwhile, picked up where it left off a year ago, limiting the Huskies to nine points and 262 total yards, including just 7 on the ground. Washington quarterback Cody Pickett completed 26-of-49 passes for 255 yards, but no touchdowns, and most of that yardage came in the second half after the outcome had been decided. Pickett had just 77 yards at halftime.
Junior Simon Fraser, starting his third game but first as a regular at defensive end, led the defense with seven tackles, including three for losses and a sack and was named Big Ten co-defensive player of the week. Sophomore linebacker A.J. Hawk also had seven tackles in his first start.
Junior All-America candidate Chris Gamble had four tackles and a pass broken up and effectively took Husky receiver Reggie Williams — who like Pickett was being mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate — out of the game.
GAME 2 RECAP — OHIO STATE 16, SAN DIEGO STATE 13
As was the case so many times last year in the Buckeyes’ championship run, the Ohio State defense was the difference in Ohio State’s 3-point win over San Diego State. On a day when the OSU offense could muster but 196 total yards and was held without a touchdown, the defense got the job done by coming up with four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumble recoveries) and holding the Aztecs to 216 total yards, including just 28 on the ground.
Will Allen’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the first quarter was THE PLAY of the day and turned out to be Ohio State’s only touchdown. Allen’s tally, the Buckeyes’ first defensive touchdown of the year, and three field goals by All-American Mike Nugent, were enough for the OSU defense, which allowed only a pair of field goals over the last three quarters. Allen’s interception, which was tipped by cornerback Chris Gamble, and subsequent coast-to-coast runback, was the longest interception return in Ohio Stadium history, breaking the old mark of 88 yards, set by Howard “Hopalong” Cassady against Wisconsin in 1954. San Diego State led 7-3 before Allen, who is in his first year as a starter, gave the Buckeyes the lead for good. In addition to his interception, Allen, a senior from Dayton, also forced a fumble and had six tackles.
Cornerback Dustin Fox led the defense with nine tackles, equaling his career high. Sophomore linebacker A.J. Hawk was in on seven tackles and had three tackles-for-loss and two sacks.
Junior tailback Maurice Hall led all rushers with 91 yards, including a career-long 33-yard jaunt. Hall had a career-high 19 carries and picked up crucial yardage late in the game when the Buckeyes were trying to maintain possession. Nugent made his first two field goals on the day, extending his record for consecutive field goals made in Ohio Stadium to 17, before missing a 28-yard attempt. Following that miss, he began a new streak by hitting from 35 yards out.
FRASER, ALLEN SELECTED FOR BIG TEN HONORS
Junior defensive end Simon Fraser, who led the Buckeyes in solo tackles against Washington with six, including three tackles-for-loss and a sack, was named as the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week following OSU’s win over the Huskies. Senior strong safety Will Allen was accorded the same honor following the San Diego State game in which he scored the Buckeyes’ lone touchdown on a 100-yard interception return, forced a fumble and was credited with six tackles.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Bowling Green is off to a 3-0 start, which includes a 27-26 upset victory at then-No. 16 Purdue Sept. 6. The other pair of wins was a 63-13 triumph in the opener over Eastern Kentucky and a 62-3 home decision against Liberty last week. The Falcons have outscored opponents 152-42. That is an average of 50.7 points per game put up by an offense that has accumulated 575.3 yards, including 362.3 through the air and 213.0 yards on the ground. Quarterback Josh Harris is 48-of-76 (63.2 percent) for 750 yards and six touchdowns. He has thrown two interceptions, but averages 250.0 yards per game. He has 84 yards rushing for the season and has scored twice. His favorite targets are Cole Magner (85.7 yards per game and four TDs) and James Hawkins (88.3 yards per game and one TD).
Opposing offenses are getting 302.7 yards of total offense as the Falcon defense is holding opponents to 97.0 yards rushing and 205.7 yards passing. As a unit, the defense has eight sacks for a total of 62 yards, has recovered four fumbles, but does not have an interception. The leading tackler is Keon Newsom, who has 30, including 21 solo tackles. He has forced two fumbles and has recovered one. Daniel Sayes has six tackles-for-loss, while Kirk Mauer has three sacks.
Shaun Suisham is 2-of-4 on field goal tries and has made a long of 47 yards. Nate Fry is the punter and is averaging 41.0 yards per kick. Charles Sharon has eight punt returns for 82 yards, while Magner has five kick returns for 82 yards.
BOWLING GREEN’S LAST GAME
Josh Harris completed 8-of-10 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown to go with two rushing scores last Saturday as Bowling Green routed Liberty 62-3. P.J. Pope ran for 162 yards and a TD and Raishaun Stover added 94 yards and TDs rushing and receiving for the Falcons, who gained 367 yards on the ground to 57 for the Flames. Falcons backup quarterback Omar Jacobs was 10-of-15 for 180 yards with three passing touchdowns and one rushing. Bowling Green scored three touchdowns in both the first and second quarters to take a 41-3 halftime lead.
COACH GREGG BRANDON
Gregg Brandon (Northern Colorado, 1978) is in his first season at Bowling Green after spending two seasons as the Falcons’ assistant head coach. The 16th coach in Falcon history replaced Urban Meyer, who left BGSU following last season to become the head coach at Utah. As the offensive coordinator, the team finished third in the nation in scoring (40.8), eighth in total offense (448.9) and 15th in rushing (219.1). Though in his first year as a collegiate head coach, Brandon has more than 22 years of experience at the Division I level. He came to BGSU from Colorado, where he spent two seasons as a member of Gary Barnett’s staff. He also coached with Barnett at Northwestern from 1992-98. He has also coached at Utah State, Wyoming and Weber State.
BUCKEYES OPEN BIG TEN PLAY NEXT WEEK
Ohio State concludes its five-game home stand next week by hosting Northwestern in the Big Ten opener for both schools. The Buckeyes, who shared the Big Ten title with Iowa last year at 8-0, have won nine-consecutive conference games. Starting time for the Northwestern game is 12:10 p.m. EDT. The game will be televised by ESPN2.
