Post Game Notes From Ohio State vs. Northwestern – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 27, 2003
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Ohio State Postgame Notes
Ohio Stadium – Attendance: 104,680 The win extends theBuckeyes’ winning streak to 19, the longest active streak in thecountry. With the win today, Ohio State has won 13 straight athome. With the 20-0 victory today, Ohio State now has won its last10 games in Big Ten play. Ohio State is now 55-13-1 in the all-timeseries with Northwestern. Today’s win marks Ohio State’s 30th in 38(30-8) meetings with the Wildcats at Ohio Stadium and the Buckeyes’15th win in the last 16 meetings in Columbus. Today marked the 11thtime Ohio State has opened its Big Ten slate with Northwestern.With the win today, the ledger stands at 5-4-1all-time in OhioState’s favor in Big Ten openers between the two teams. The wintoday marks Ohio State’s second-consecutive 5-0 start to a season.The 2003 season is the third in four campaigns that Ohio State hasstarted 5-0 (2003, 2002 and 2000). Ohio State has posted a 5-0record to start a season in eight of the past 10 seasons (2003,2002, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995 and 1993). With the 20-0victory, Ohio State extends its winning streak over Northwestern to24 consecutive games. The last Northwestern victory over Ohio Statecame Nov. 13, 1971, a 14-10 decision at Ohio Stadium. With its20-point output in the game today against Northwestern, theBuckeyes improved their record to 41-0 when scoring at least 20points against the Wildcats. Ohio State has been ranked in 35 ofthe 69 meetings between the two schools. Ohio State has posted a31-4 record in meetings with the Wildcats when the Buckeyes areranked in the Top 25.
The 1971 Wildcat victory at Ohio Stadium also served as the last time an unranked Northwestern squad topped a ranked Ohio State team.
Overall, when OSU is ranked in the AP Top 10, the squad is 269-63-9. When the Buckeyes are ranked by the AP, their mark is 368-116-14.
With the win today, Ohio State extended its win streak to fourstraight in Big Ten openers, claiming its 11th in the last 12conference opening games, dating back to a 51-3 win overNorthwestern in 1993. Ohio State has won eight of its last nine BigTen openers played at Ohio Stadium, the lone loss coming toWisconsin in 1999 (Oct. 2). With the 20-0 win today, Ohio Staterecorded its first shutout since blanking Illinois 41-0 Oct. 10,1998 in Champagne, Ill. The shutout win marks the first at OhioStadium since a 49-0 triumph over Toledo Sept. 12, 1998 and thefirst shutout of a Big Ten opponent in Columbus since holdingIndiana scoreless Oct. 18, 1997 in a 31-0 victory. The 20-0 shutoutmarks the 16th time Ohio State has blanked the Wildcats in theall-time series and the first since a 63-0 Buckeye win in Evanston,Ill. during the 1980 season. The last time the Buckeyes shutout theWildcats in Columbus was a 60-0 victory in 1973.
Ohio State all-time shutouts over Big Ten schools: 1. 18 Illinois 2. 17 Indiana 3. 16 Northwestern 4. 12 Wisconsin 5. 11 Purdue 6. 10 Michigan 7. 7 Iowa 8. 5 Minnesota 9. 4 Michigan State 10. 0 Penn State
Coming into today’s game Northwestern was averaging 225.8 yardspassing per game. The Buckeyes held the Wildcats to a season-low 64yards passing in the game. The Buckeye defense also heldNorthwestern, which averaged 198.2 yards rushing per game cominginto today, to a season-low 121 yards rushing on 40 attempts. Inall, the Wildcat offense entered the game averaging 424.0 totalyards of offense a game. The Buckeyes held the Wildcats to aseason-low 185 yards. Northwestern running back Jason Wright, whowas averaging a shade over 118 yards rushing per contest, was heldto 63 yards on 16 carries. Wright’s output marks just the secondtime in five games this season he has been held under 100 yardsrushing. Ohio State sophomore linebacker A.J. Hawk led the Buckeyeswith 13 tackles, which eclipsed his previous career-best of 12 vs.N.C. State. Buckeye sophomore safety Nate Salley also recorded acareer-high in tackles with nine. Ohio State freshman defensivelineman Marcus Green, starting his first career game, collectedseven tackles to establish a career-best. Ohio State corner backDustin Fox forced a fumble in the first quarter, which wasrecovered by senior linebacker Robert Reynolds and led to an OhioState field goal. The forced fumble is Fox’s first of 2003 and hisfifth of his career. Ohio State sophomore defensive end Mike Kudlarecorded the first sack of his career in the fourth quarter. The10-play, 59-yard Ohio State opening scoring drive, capped by a12-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Lydell Ross marked thefirst time this season the Buckeyes have scored on their firstoffensive series of the game. Ohio State’s 16-play, 80-yard scoringdrive to begin the second half is the longest scoring drive of the2003 season. The series eclipses the 78-yard scoring drive OhioState posted in the first quarter of the Washington game. OhioState junior place kicker Mike Nugent converted a 42-yard fieldgoal attempt in the fourth quarter in today’s game. It is the 13thfield goal of 40 or more yards in 17 attempts this season. Nugentis now tied for fourth in all-time field goals made with 39. Heties former Buckeye Rich Spangler (1982-85) in fourth place. OhioState senior split end Michael Jenkins – 5 receptions, 51 yards -moved into fifth place all-time in career receptions with 133.Jenkins passes former Buckeye Dee Miller (1995-98) to move intofifth place. Senior quarterback Scott McMullen made his thirdcareer start today and improved to 2-1 as a starting quarterback.He had career highs for passing yards (166), attempts (25) andcompletions (16). His previous highs were 118 yards on 10completions and 16 attempts against Bowling Green last week.McMullen had a career-long rush of 16 yards in the third quarter,breaking his previous high of 12 also set last week against BowlingGreen. With the win, OSU head coach Jim Tressel’s school recordmoves to 26-5 and 16-2 at home. His career record now stands at161-62-2. Ohio State freshman defensive linemen Marcus Green andQuinn Pitcock recorded their first career starts today againstNorthwestern. Green recorded his first career forced fumble in thegame.
On the offensive side, sophomore guard Mike Kne started first career game at Ohio State.
Junior fullback Branden Joe saw his first action of the seasonin the third quarter. Two plays later, Joe carried the ball for a1-yard gain. It is his first regular season rushing attempt sincethe Cincinnati game Sept. 21, 2002. Joe finished the game with fouryards on three carries. Ohio State sophomore quarterback JustinZwick attempted his first pass as a Buckeye in the first quarter,resulting in an incompletion. Zwick recorded his first careercompletion to junior wide receiver Bam Childress in the fourthquarter for a 13-yard gain. Zwick finished the game 3-7 for 20yards. With his 12-yard touchdown run in the first quarter firstjunior tailback Lydell Ross has now scored touchdowns in his lastthree contests. Former Upper Arlington high school teammates OhioState junior defensive end Simon Fraser and sophomore guard TimSchafer and Northwestern sophomore defensive back Jeff Backes werereunited in today’s game. The trio helped lead Upper Arlington tothe 2000 Ohio High School Division I State Championship. In all, 11players on the Wildcat roster hail from the state of Ohio.Northwestern head coach Randy Walker also is a native of Troy,Ohio. Since Ohio State first fielded a team in 1890, the squad is751-292-53 overall. The attendance today of 104,680 was theseventh-largest total in Ohio Stadium history. The Buckeyes havenot allowed an opposing player to rush for 100 or more yards athome in 14 consecutive games, dating back to San Diego State’sLarry Ned’s 112-yard performance Oct. 20, 2001 at Ohio Stadium. TheBuckeyes were 3-for-3 in red zone opportunities in the 20-0 victoryover Northwestern. For the season, Ohio State has converted on18-of-19 possessions inside the opponent’s red zone.
Northwestern Postgame Notes
With the loss, Northwestern fell to 2-3 overall and 0-1 BigTen. The Wildcats had their two-game road-winning streak snapped.Northwestern is now 43-58-5 in Big Ten-opening games and 4-5-1 inopeners vs. Ohio State. Wide receiver Kunle Patrick extended thenation’s longest consecutive reception string to 39 games with asecond-quarter catch. Patrick now has 155 career receptions, oneshy of third place on NU’s all-time list. Northwestern accumulated65 first-half rushing yards – that total surpassed the combinedrushing effort of Washington (7), San Diego State (28) and NorthCarolina State (21) vs. the Buckeyes. For the game, NU finishedwith 121 yards, the most allowed by Ohio State this season and morethan the Buckeyes had allowed in their first four games (96 yards)combined. Northwestern came into the game ranked 22nd nationally inrushing offense (198.3 ypg). Ohio State led the Big Ten rushingdefense (24.0 ypg, 0.9 ypc). Redshirt freshman safety Bryan Heinzrecorded his first career interception in the second quarter. Heinzcame to Northwestern as a walk-on, but earned a scholarship priorto the start of the 2003 season.
