Post Game Notes From Ohio State vs. Kansas State – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 2, 2004
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2004 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 2, 2004
Ohio State vs. Kansas State
Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.
Attendance: 73,425
Capacity: 73,471
(Fiesta Bowl Record: 80,470 for Tennessee vs. Florida State Jan. 4, 1999)
POSTGAME NOTES
– With their meeting in the Fiesta Bowl Friday night, Ohio State and Kansas State met for the first time. With the win, Ohio State is now 26-3-1 all-time against current members of the Big 12 Conference. Prior to the 2004 Fiesta Bowl, the last time the Buckeyes had met a Big 12 foe was Texas Tech, which Ohio State defeated 45-21 in the Pigskin Classic to begin the 2002 season. The last time Ohio State had played a Big 12 opponent in a bowl game was the 1999 Nokia Sugar Bowl, when the Buckeyes defeated Texas A&M, 24-14.
– With the win over Kansas State, Ohio State is now 16-19 all-time in bowl games. The Buckeyes are 3-0 in BCS games. Previously in BCS games, Ohio State defeated Texas A&M, 24-14, in the 1999 Nokia Sugar Bowl and defeated Miami, 31-24, in the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
– Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel is now 2-1 in bowl games with the Buckeyes.
– Ohio State’s 21-0 lead over Kansas State midway through the second quarter marked the first time the Buckeyes held a 21-0 lead in a bowl game. The 21-point advantage, which the Buckeyes also earned at 35-14 in the third quarter, tied the record for the Buckeyes’ largest lead in a bowl game, which first occurred in the 1974 Rose Bowl when Ohio State ended the game with four unanswered touchdowns against Southern California to win by 21 points, 42-21. – The blocked punt was the first for Ohio State since Oct. 18 this season in a 19-10 win vs. Iowa when freshman Roy Hall blocked a punt and freshman Donte Whitner recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. It was the first time Ohio State blocked a punt for a touchdown in a bowl game since the 1999 Sugar Bowl when Kevin Griffin scored on a blocked against Texas A&M.
– For the 90th consecutive game, Ohio State scored at least a touchdown. The last time a Buckeye team was held without a touchdown was a 13-9 loss to Michigan in the 1996 season.
– The Ohio State defense held the Kansas State offensive without a first down in the first quarter. The Wildcat’s initial first down of the game occurred with 14:03 remaining in the second quarter.
– With the win over Kansas State, Ohio State completed the 2003 season at 11-2, marking the seventh time the Buckeyes have registered at least 11 wins in a season.
– With the win over Kansas State, Ohio State improves to 3-1 all-time in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
OHIO STATE IN THE TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL
– Dec. 26, 1980: Penn State 31, Ohio State 19
– Jan. 2, 1984: Ohio State 28, Pittsburgh 23
– Jan. 3, 2003: Ohio State 31, Miami 24
– Jan. 2, 2004: Ohio State 35, Kansas State 28
– Ohio State improved to 2-1 at night this season and 3-2 as the visiting team on the scoreboard. The Buckeyes went 6-2 vs. ranked teams this season.
– Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel is now 14-4 against the Top 25. Overall, his career record stands at 167-64-2, including a 32-7 mark at Ohio State.
– Ohio State has now won 25 of its last 27 games.
FIESTA BOWL NOTES
– This year marked the 33rd annual Fiesta Bowl. The game will be played next year on Jan. 1, 2005 and the following year will be played Jan. 2, 2006.
– The Big Ten is now 10-1 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State is 3-1, Michigan is 1-0 and Penn State is 6-0.
– Last five Offensive MVPs have all been quarterbacks, including Ohio State’s Craig Krenzel in the 2003 and 2004 Fiesta Bowls. Ohio State has had three Defensive MVPs, including A.J. Hawk in 2004, Michael Doss (2003 Fiesta Bowl) and Rowland Tatum (1984 Fiesta Bowl)
– The higher-ranked team was won 27-of-33 (.818) Fiesta Bowl’s and the last nine consecutive Fiesta Bowls. Ohio State entered the game ranked eighth, while Kansas State was ranked 14th, according to the Associated Press poll.
– With a sell-out crowd of 73,425 on hand for the Buckeyes’ win over Kansas State, 18 of the past 19 Tostitos Fiesta Bowls have been sell-outs.
OHIO STATE PLAYER NOTES
– Senior quarterback Craig Krenzel completed 11-of-24 passes for 189 yards and four touchdowns, which marks the most touchdown passes by an Ohio State quarterback in a bowl game. The previous record of two touchdown passes tied most recently by Steve Bellisari in the 2002 Outback Bowl. The game marked the second time this season Krenzel has tossed four TD passes in a game. Krenzel threw four touchdowns in Ohio State’s 44-38 triple overtime win vs. N.C. State Sept. 13. Krenzel, who was named the Fiesta Bowl’s Offensive MVP for the second consecutive year, ends his Ohio State career 24-3 as the starting quarterback.
– With five receptions for 96 yards against Kansas State, senior wide receiver Michael Jenkins became Ohio State’s career leader in receiving yardage with 2,898 yards. Jenkins entered the game 54 yards shy of the record of 2,855 yards held by David Boston (1996-98). Jenkins’ career total of 165 receptions ranks third at Ohio State behind the 191 catches by Boston and the 168 of Cris Carter (1984-86).
– Jenkins’ first catch of the day, a 15-yard reception in the second quarter, extended his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 39.
– Jenkins also returned four punts in the game, which tied the Ohio State record for punt returns in a bowl game set previously by Chris Vance in the 2002 Outback Bowl. Jenkins racked up
– Jenkins and freshman Santonio Holmes both caught two touchdown passes against Kansas State, which tied the Ohio State record for touchdown receptions in a bowl game. Three Ohio State players had previously caught two touchdown passes in a bowl game, most recently by Darnell Sanders in the 2002 Outback Bowl.
– Holmes’ two touchdown catches give him five touchdown catches in his last four games and seven TD grabs in his last six games.
– Ohio State’s blocked punt for a touchdown with 6:41 remaining in the first quarter marked two firsts for a pair of Buckeyes. The blocked punt for junior Harlen Jacobs was the first of his career, while the 7-yard return and touchdown for junior John Hollins was the first touchdown of his career.
– A 36 yard-reception for Bam Childress with 3:20 remaining in the first quarter marked the longest reception of his career. His previous career-best was a 17-yard catch vs. Minnesota in 2002.
– A 16-yard run by sophomore Brandon Joe with 0:46 remaining in the third quarter marked the longest run of his career.
– Junior Chris Gamble’s interception with 6:55 remaining in the second quarter was his third of the season and the seventh of his career.
– Ohio State punter B.J. Sander pinned Kansas State inside the 20-yard line three times. In the last three games, Sander pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 13 times.
– Sophomore Bobby Carpenter’s quarterback sack in the second quarter marked his fourth sack of the season and his first since a half-sack at Wisconsin Oct. 11. Carpenter added another sack in the third quarter to notch the first multi-sack game of his career and give him a total of five sacks on the season.
