Ohio State In First-Ever Meeting With North Carolina State – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 8, 2003
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BUCKEYES FACE WOLFPACK IN BATTLE OF RANKED TEAMS
Third-ranked Ohio State hosts 24th-ranked North Carolina State Saturday in sold out Ohio Stadium (capacity 101,568). The game will be televised by ABC and will be seen in approximately 73 percent of the country, including the Midwest and Southeast and both the east and west coasts. Kickoff is set for 12:07 p.m. EDT. This is Hall of Fame weekend and this year’s 11-member class, which includes football players Cris Carter, Tom Matte and the late Korey Stringer, will be introduced to the Ohio Stadium crowd at halftime.
The 2-0 Buckeyes, who are coming off a hard-fought 16-13 win over an inspired San Diego State team this past weekend, have won 16 in a row and own the nation’s longest winning streak. Ohio State’s last loss was a 31-28 reversal at the hands of South Carolina in the 2002 Outback Bowl.
North Carolina State is 1-1 on the year. The Wolfpack dropped a 38-24 decision at Wake Forest on Saturday, despite three touchdowns and 433 yards passing by quarterback Philip Rivers.
HALL OF FAME WEEKEND
Eleven former Ohio State athletes — six men and five women — will be inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame this weekend. The men will be feted Friday evening at a dinner at the Holiday Inn on Lane Avenue, while the women will hold their induction ceremony, also on Friday evening, at the Blackwell Inn on the Ohio State campus. All eleven inductees, or their representatives, will be introduced at halftime of Saturday’s game. This year’s inductees are: Cris Carter (football), Tom Matte (football), Korey Stringer (football), Skip Van Bourgondien (lacrosse), Jack Lininger (football), Nick Wasylik (football, basketball, baseball), Britta Eickhoff (field hockey), Becky Jasontek (synchronized swimming), Emily Marsh (synchronized swimming), Julie Somers (gymnastics) and Jodie Stranges (women’s soccer).
DEFENSE STELLAR AGAINST AZTECS
As was the case so many times last year in the Buckeyes’ championship run, the Ohio State defense was the difference in Saturday’s win over San Diego State. On a day when the OSU offense could muster but196 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.
ALLEN’S PLAY EARNS HIM BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior safety Will Allen has been named as this week’s Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week. In addition to returning an interception 100 yards for a touchdown in the Buckeyes’ 16-13 win over San Diego State, Allen also forced a fumble and was in on six tackles.
MORE ON THE OSU DEFENSE
In the first two games of the 2003 campaign, the Ohio State defense has allowed a total of 35 rushing yards on 50 attempts, an average of 0.7 yards per carry. The Buckeyes also have given up 22 points, that total coming on three field goals and a pair of touchdowns — one rushing and one via the pass. Ohio State’s first two foes are averaging 239 yards per game and a scant 3.4 yards per play. Sophomore linebacker A.J. Hawk leads the Buckeyes in tackles with 14, is tied for the team lead with three tackles-for-loss and has a team-best two sacks. Cornerback Dustin Fox has 12 tackles, including a team-high 10 solos.
HIGH-FLYING OFFENSE SQUARES OFF AGAINST HIGH-POWERED DEFENSE
North Carolina State comes to town with a high-flying offense that is averaging 502 yards per game, including 418 through the air. With quarterback Philip Rivers at the helm, the Wolfpack boasts one of the most dangerous attacks in college football. Ohio State counters with a big play defense of its own. Led by the defensive front of Will Smith, Tim Anderson and Darrion Scott and the play of Will Allen at safety and Dustin Fox and Chris Gamble at the corners, the Buckeyes have allowed just 22 points and an average of 239 yards in total offense in their first two games.
BUCKEYES NOW THIRD IN THE POLLS
As a result of a closer-than-expected 16-13 win over San Diego State, Ohio State has dropped from second to third in this week’s Associated Press and the ESPN/USA TODAY polls. Currently five of this year’s opponents — Michigan, Wisconsin, N.C. State, Washington and Iowa — are in the Top 25 in one or both polls. The win over then No. 17 Washington was Ohio State’s sixth-consecutive victory over a ranked team. Other opponents, Purdue, Bowling Green and Michigan State, also are receiving votes this week for Top 25 consideration.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be just the first meeting between Ohio State and North Carolina State. The Buckeyes are 7-6 all-time against teams currently competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. This will be the first regular-season meeting against an ACC opponent since a 34-17 loss to visiting Florida State in 1982.
TRESSEL ON THE BUCKEYES
“We didn’t make the progress we wanted to make between the first and second games,” said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. “We have a lot of work to do, but I have confidence in our guys. I hope we learned a lesson, because we are playing a very good football team this week.”
COACH Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel is in his third year as head coach at Ohio State. His record with the Buckeyes is a glittering 23-5 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 14-2 in games played in Ohio Stadium and 9-2 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 158-62-2 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 437 games. Jim’s nephew, Mike Tressel (Dick’s son), is a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes.
BUCKEYES TO WATCH IN 2003
Quarterback Craig Krenzel, the consummate leader and winner, is 17-1 as a starter. In addition to his throwing prowess, the 6-4 senior can also run the ball. He proved that in the Fiesta Bowl by leading both teams in rushing with 81 yards and two touchdowns. He is a candidate for the Unitas and O’Brien awards. In the win over Washington, the molecular genetics major delivered the knock out punch with an 11-yard scoring run on third-and-10 that put OSU on top 21-0 with 11 seconds remaining in the first half. Krenzel threw for 203 yards and rushed for 27 more in the win. In addition to his 11-yard TD jaunt, he also scored from 23 yards out, the Buckeyes’ longest run of the evening.
Split end Michael Jenkins is coming off his best year, hauling in 61 receptions for 1,076 yards in 2002. The Buckeyes’ “Mr. Clutch,” Jenkins is expected to be a leading contender for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver. The 6-5 Jenkins had a pair of receptions in Saturday’s win over San Diego State and has now caught at least one pass in 28-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.
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.
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 did not have a field goal attempt against Washington, but did successfully convert all four of his extra point attempts against the Huskies. He connected on three of four field goals in the win over San Diego 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
Quarterback Craig Krenzel currently ranks eighth in career passing yards at Ohio State with 2,732. Jim Karsatos (1984-86) is in seventh place with 5,089 yards.
Krenzel also ranks 17th in career total offense at OSU with 3,122 yards. Pepe Pearson (1994-97) holds down the 16th spot with 3,142 yards), while Michael Wiley (1996-99) is 15th at 3,176, Stanley Jackson (1994-97) 14th at 3,193 and Keith Byars (1982-85) 13th at 3,235.
Split end Michael Jenkins is sixth in career receptions (118) and fifth in career receiving yards (2,168). He needs four catches to move into fifth spot on the receiving list ahead of John Frank (1980-83) who had 121 career grabs, and 85 yards to move past Doug Donley (1977-80) in receiving yardage. Donley currently holds down the No. 4 spot with 2,252 yards.
Kicker Mike Nugent has made 35 career field goals. The school record of 59 belongs to Dan Stultz (1996-2000). Nugent has made 35 of 46 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 748-292-53.
BUCKEYE WINNING STREAK NOW STANDS AT 16
Ohio State owns the longest winning streak in the country with 16-consecutive wins. The Buckeyes’ last loss was a 31-28 setback at the hands of South Carolina in the 2002 Outback Bowl. OSU lost that day on the final play of the game. 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.
OHIO STATE’S RECORD IN OHIO STADIUM
The Buckeyes own an all-time record of 344-101-20 since Ohio Stadium was opened in 1922. Ohio State has won 10 in a row in the Horseshoe, last losing to Illinois in the final home game of the 2001 season.
2003 OSU CAPTAINS NAMED
Quarterback Craig Krenzel, split end Michael Jenkins, defensive end Will Smith and defensive tackle Tim Anderson will serve as captains of this year’s team. 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.
DOUGLAS ON THE SIDELINES
Ivan Douglas was to have returned in 2003 for his senior season as the starter at left tackle. But the 6-6 senior will sit out the year for medical reasons (blood clots in his lungs). Douglas, who missed the 2001 season for the same reason, was the starter last year, helping the Buckeyes to their seventh national championship. Douglas is expected to fill the role of student coach this year, as will Richard McNutt, who sat out most of last year with a chronic ankle condition.
GAME 1 — 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.
FRASER SELECTED FOR BIG TEN HONORS
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.
SCOUTING N.C. STATE
The Wolfpack is 1-1 on the year after claiming a 59-20 home victory over Western Carolina in the opener before falling 38-24 at Wake Forest last week in the team’s conference opener. N.C. State slipped 11 spots to 22nd in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll and ranks 24th in the AP poll.
The Pack is averaging 502.5 yards per contest in the first two games thanks to a skilled quarterback, Philip Rivers, who has N.C. State averaging 418 yards per game in the air. Individually, Rivers has completed 64-of-79 passes (81 percent) for 753 yards and six touchdowns. He is averaging 376.5 passing yards himself. His favorite target is Jerricho Cotchery, who is averaging 117.5 yards with a pair of scores. On the ground, N.C. State is averaging only 84.5 yards per contest handing off the ball to ACC Newcomer of the Year, T.A. McClendon, who in the season opener ran for 69 yards.
Defensively, the Pack is allowing 305 yards per game, including 182.5 through the air and 122.5 on the ground. Andre Maddox is the leading tackler with 20, including 18 solo tackles. He has two tackles for losses of 5 yards. The defense has one sack, by Mario Williams, but has yet to recover a fumble or snare an interception.
Adam Kiker is 2-for-2 on field goals this season, while Austin Herbert handles the punting for N.C. State and has had 3 punts for 115 yards, an average of 38.3 yards per punt. Tramain Hall returns punts and Lamont Reid is the primary kick returner.
After a 9-0 start, N.C. State finished 11-3 a season ago, including a fourth-place effort in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 5-3 record. The Pack completed its season with a 28-6 triumph over Notre Dame in the Toyota Gator Bowl.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE WOLFPACK
A career high 433 yards passing by quarterback Philip Rivers was not enough to earn N.C. State a road victory at Wake Forest last week. Instead, it was the Demon Deacons, who claimed a decisive 38-24 win in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Pack out-gained Wake 511 yards to 375, but at one time, midway through the second quarter, the Deacons built a 25-point lead.
N.C. STATE COACH CHUCK AMATO
Chuck Amato, a 1969 graduate of North Carolina State, is in his fourth year as head coach at his alma mater. In 2002, he led N.C. State to the first 11-win season. Amato is 27-13 in his fourth season as a head coach and reached 25 wins faster than any coach in Wolfpack history, with the exception of former Ohio State assistant coach Lou Holtz, who coached in Raleigh from 1972-75. Amato is the 32nd head coach in N.C. State history. Prior to returning to his alma mater, he was as an assistant coach at Florida State from 1982-1999. Since his arrival in Raleigh, Amato has taken the Pack to a bowl game in each of his first three seasons.
BUCKEYES HOST BOWLING GREEN NEXT WEEK
Ohio State hosts Bowling Green next Saturday at noon in Ohio Stadium. A limited number of tickets for that game are currently on sale at the Athletics Ticket Office in the Jerome Schottenstein Center. Fans can also call 1 800 GO BUCKS or purchase on line at www.hangonsloopy.com.
