Post Game Notes From Ohio State vs. Bowling Green – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 20, 2003
Recap| Box Score| Quotes
Ohio Stadium – Attendance: 104,358
The win extends the Buckeyes’ winning streak to 18, the longestactive streak in the country. With the win today (24-17), OhioState has won 10 consecutive games when the difference is sevenpoints or less, including the last three. Ohio State all-time is171-48-17 against teams from the state of Ohio. At home, theBuckeyes are 150-27-14 against instate opponents. The squad’s lastloss to an instate foe was to Oberlin in 1921, 7-6, in Columbus.The Buckeyes improved to 17-1 all-time against teams currently inthe Mid-American Conference. The only loss was to Akron in 1894(12-6). Senior quarterback Scott McMullen posted his first win as astarter. The Buckeyes rushed for 205 yards as a team on theafternoon, the first 200-plus yard rushing effort since the squadran for 285 against Northwestern Oct. 5, 2002. Junior tailbackMaurice Hall ended the game with 107 yards rushing, the first100-plus yard rushing game of his career. It breaks his previoushigh of 93 set against Minnesota last year. It was the first100-plus yard rushing game for a Buckeye since Maurice Clarett ranfor 119 against Michigan last season. Senior quarterback ScottMcMullen made his second career start and his first since the 2001game vs. Illinois. He had career highs for passing yards (118),attempts (16) and completions (10). His previous highs were 114yards on eight completions and nine attempts against San Jose Statelast season. McMullen had a career-long rush of 12 yards in thethird quarter, breaking his previous high of eight. McMullen’s46-yard completion to senior wide receiver Michael Jenkins in thefourth quarter was the longest of his career, breaking his previoushigh of 44 set against Fresno State in 2000. Junior tailback LydellRoss ran for 94 yards in the game, his highest total this season.He ran for two touchdowns in the game, his fifth game with tworushing scores (2002: Texas Tech and Minnesota; 2001: Indiana andSan Diego State). Ross’ 33-yard touchdown run late in the secondquarter was his longest run of the season and gave him his thirdtouchdown of the year. Ross eclipsed his four-carry, 2-yard outputlast week vs. N.C. State with a 4-yard run on Ohio State’s firstplay from scrimmage. Entering the game, Bowling Green was averaging28.67 points in the first half of games this season. Ohio Stateheld the Falcons to just one touchdown in the first half. On theseason, the Falcons were averaging 50.67 points a game entering thecontest vs. the Buckeyes. For the game, the Buckeyes held BGSU to17 points, well under their season average. In the game, theBuckeyes held the Falcons to 40 yards on 23 rushing attempts, anaverage of 1.7 yards a carry. On the season, the Buckeyes have heldopponents to 96 net yards rushing on 79 attempts, for a 1.22 yardsper carry average. Per game, the Buckeyes are allowing opponents anet of 24.0 yards rushing per game. Bowling Green came into thegame averaging 575.33 total yards of offense a game. The Buckeyesheld the Falcons to a season-low 366 yards, including season lowsfor rushing (40) and passing (326). Junior cornerback Dustin Fox’sfirst-quarter interception was the fifth of his career and hisfirst of the year. His last pickoff came against Miami in theFiesta Bowl. Senior flanker Drew Carter’s touchdown reception inthe first quarter was the first of his career. It also markedsenior quarterback Scott McMullen’s first TD pass of the year andthe fifth of his career. Carter’s first career rushing attempt wasa 16-yard carry on a reverse in the first quarter. Junior kickerMike Nugent’s 47-yard field goal in the second quarter was hislongest of the season and his first attempt over 40 yards. Hiscareer long is 51, scored against Indiana last season. Sophomorelinebacker A.J. Hawk’s interception in the third quarter was hissecond this season and the fourth of his career. He also had a pickagainst North Carolina State last week. On the day, the Buckeyesconverted 3-of-4 redzone opportunities. This season, the squad hasconverted 15-of-17 (.882). With his first-quarter catch, seniorsplit end Michael Jenkins extended his streak of consecutive gameswith a catch to 30. Sophomore tight end Ryan Hamby had acareer-high three receptions for a career-best 37 yards against theFalcons. Since Ohio State first fielded a team in 1890, the squadis 750-292-53 overall. This marked the third meeting between theBuckeyes and Falcons. OSU is 3-0-0 all-time vs. BGSU. Theattendance today of 104,358 was the 10th-largest total in OhioStadium history. The win over Bowling Green State extends OhioState’s non-conference home winning streak to 35. The lastnon-conference loss at home was to USC Sept. 22, 1990 (35-26). WhenOSU is ranked in the AP Top 10, the squad is 268-63-9. When theBuckeyes are ranked by the AP their mark is 367-116-14. With thewin, OSU head coach Jim Tressel’s school record moves to 25-5 and15-2 at home. His career record now stands at 160-62-2. TheBuckeyes have not allowed an opposing player to rush for 100 ormore yards at home in 14 consecutive games, dating back to SanDiego State’s Larry Ned’s 112-yard performance Oct. 20, 2001 atOhio Stadium. BGSU quarterback Josh Harris had 54 attempts in thegame, the second consecutive game an Ohio State opponent threw morethan 50 times. Last week North Carolina State quarterback PhilipRivers had 52 attempts. Harris completed 33 passes in the game for326 yards, topping Rivers’ mark of 315 last week. It was the mostyards against Ohio State since Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury threwfor 341 last season (Aug. 24). Harris’ -8 yards rushing were hislowest output since the 2001 season when he rushed for -10 yardsagainst Temple. Will Allen had his second interception of theseason in the final minute of the game vs. the Falcons. It was thesecond time he intercepted a ball to end the game; the first wasvs. Michigan last season. Ohio State intercepted three Josh Harrispasses on the day and has at least two picks in each of the lastthree games. The members of the Ohio State football team that wonthe national championship in 1968 were recognized at the end of thefirst quarter. The members of the 1972 and 1973 squads that reachedthe Rose Bowl were recognized at the end of the third quarter.
Bowling Green Notes
Senior QB Josh Harris completed a career-high 33 passes vs. theBuckeyes … his previous best also came against a Big TenConference team on the road, as Harris had 30 completions in a43-42 win at Northwestern two seasons ago. Harris also set a careerstandard with his 54 pass attempts against Ohio State … hisprevious high was 52 passes, set last year at Northern Illinois.Harris threw for a total of 326 yards, his second 300-yard game ofthe season (both vs. Big Ten schools), and the fourth of hiscareer. Three of Harris’ four 300-yard games have come vs. the BigTen … in those three games, Harris has gone 85-of-141 (acompletion percentage of 60.3) for a total of 1,085 yards …Harris has thrown eight touchdown passes and just fourinterceptions in those three road contests vs. Big Ten schools. TheFalcons’ loss to Ohio State breaks a six-game winning streakagainst BCS opponents … Harris is now 5-1 in his career as astarting quarterback vs. BCS foes. No fewer than three BGSUreceivers set career standards in the OSU game .. junior ColeMagner set career bests with a game-high 13 catches for 168 yards… his previous highs were eight catches and 127 yards in theFalcons’ win at Purdue two weeks ago. Additionally, juniorCornelius McGrady had a career-high six catches in the game …McGrady, who set career bests for the second consecutive Saturday(3 catches for 50 yards last week vs. Liberty), entered the OSUgame with career totals of eight catches … McGrady’s touchdowncatch vs. OSU was the first of his career. Sophomore Steve Sanderscaught six balls for 55 yards vs. the Buckeyes .. Sanders’ previouscareer bests were three catches for 44 yards, set vs. EasternKentucky in the 2003 season opener … on the Falcons’ secondtouchdown drive, Sanders had three receptions for a total of 30yards, and had a 12-yard grab called back due to a Falcon penalty.Kicker Shaun Suisham made both of his point-after-touchdown triesin the ‘Shoe, extending his own school career records … Suisham,only a junior, now has made 123 of his 127 PAT kicks. On theFalcons’ 87-yard drive that culminated in a first-quarter TD,Harris completed 8-of-9 passes for a total of 72 yards … theFalcons went 80 yards, as Harris actually threw for 81 yards, on afourth-quarter TD drive … Harris was 7-of-9 on that drive. SeniorJanssen Patton’s third-quarter interception was the 12th of hiscareer … he is the Falcons’ active career leader, and is now tiedfor fourth on the school career list with four other players …Patton also recovered a BGSU onside kick in the fourth quarter. Theattendance of 104,358 marked the second-largest crowd ever towitness a Bowling Green football game … the Falcons played infront of 110,585 at Michigan on Sept. 2, 2000.
