Postgame Notes From No. 1/1 Ohio State vs. Michigan State – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 14, 2006
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Attendance: 73,498 Ohio State extended the nation’s longestwinning streak to 14 games. Ohio State now is 58-8-1 when ranked asthe nation’s No. 1 team. Overall, the Buckeyes are 290-68-9 whencarrying a Top 10 ranking and 397-123-14 as a Top 25 team. JimTressel’s record with the Buckeyes now is 57-13 and his careerrecord is 192-70-2. He is 44-4 at Ohio State when the Buckeyesscore 24 or more points. Under Tressel, the Buckeyes now are 42-3when leading at the half (24-0 Saturday) and 45-3 (31-0) when aheadafter three quarters. Ohio State now is 782-300-53 in 116 seasons.The Buckeyes have scored at least one touchdown in 120-consecutivegames. With win Saturday vs. Michigan, the 2006 Ohio State team isthe 20th Buckeye squad to start a season 7-0 and the 21st team tobe unbeaten through its first seven games. The 1961 team started8-0-1 after tying its first game. The last OSU team to start 7-0was the 2002 National Championship unit that finished 14-0.
Series Notes
All-time, the Buckeyes now are 25-12 against the Spartans. OhioState leads the series in East Lansing 12-5. The Buckeyes have wonfive straight against the Spartans, going back to a 23-7 win by MSUin 1999. Jim Tressel is 4-0 against the Spartans.
Offensive Notes
The Buckeyes and Michigan State each scored seven points in thefourth quarter. Ohio State now has outscored its opponents 83-23 inthe final period. Ohio State went 5-for-5 in the red zone Saturday,scoring four touchdowns and a field goal. For the season, OhioState is 26 of 31 in the red zone. Ohio State has scored at least24 points in 14-consecutive games and topped the 35 points in fivecontests this season. With 38 points against the Spartans, theBuckeyes equaled their top scoring output this season., also havingscored 38 at Iowa. Ohio State has scored on its opening drive infour of the seven games this season. Chris Wells fumbled on theBuckeyes’ opening drive at Michigan State.
Offensive Player Notes
Antonio Pittman scored his eighth touchdown of the season, a2-yard run in the first quarter, to surpass his total of sevenrushing TDs from 2005. He has scored at least one touchdown in eachof Ohio State’s seven games this season and has had a TD run in12-consecutive games. Pittman had just one touchdown in his first17 collegiate games.
Against Michigan State, Pittman carried the ball 18 times for 48 yards and a TD.
Senior quarterback Troy Smith threw a 12-yard touchdown pass toAnthony Gonzalez in the second quarter Saturday. He has thrown atleast one TD pass in 13 of his last 14 games. The TD pass was the40th of his career and joins a list of only four Buckeyes to reachthat number: Art Schlichter (50 from 1978-81), Joe Germaine (56from 1996-98) and Bobby Hoying (57 from 1992-95) all had 50 or moreTD passes in their OSU career. Troy Smith tossed two touchdownpasses Saturday. He now has 11 career games with multiple touchdownpasses. In his last three games, Smith has tossed nine touchdowns,including four against Iowa and three last week vs. Bowling Green.Smith has at least two TD passes in six of seven games this season.He also had three TD throws earlier this season against NorthernIllinois.
Against Michigan State, Smith completed 15-of-22 passes for 234 yards and the two scores. It was the 11th time in his career and the fourth time this season Smith has thrown for 200 or more yards. Smith carried the ball three times vs. Michigan State for 10 yards. The two TD scores marked the sixth time this season and the 13th time in his career he has thrown multiple touchdown passes in a game.
Smith passed two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin forseventh all-time in Ohio State career total offense. Smith now has5,725 yards in total offense for his career. Mike Tomczak (1981-83)is sixth on the list with 6,015 career yards. With the winSaturday, Smith moved to 20-2 as starting quarterback. That markincludes a 9-1 record against ranked opponents. Anthony Gonzalezcaught a 12-yard touchdown pass in the second half. It was hisfifth scoring reception of the season and the 10th of his career.With five catches Saturday, Gonzalez surpassed his reception total(28) from last year. He has 27 (+7) catches this season and 68 forhis career.
Gonzalez has 31 catches for either first downs or touchdowns. He has 34 catches this season. He added a 29-yard run for a first down early in the third quarter.
Gonzalez finished with seven catches for 118 yards and one TD. It was his second 100-plus game of his career after finishing with 142 receiving yards at Texas on eight catches.
Brian Robiskie caught a 7-yard TD pass from Troy Smith in thethird quarter. It was his third TD at Ohio State. He hauled inscores against Penn State and at Iowa. Robiskie caught acareer-high four passes for 54 yards, also a career high. ChrisWells carried the ball for a 5-yard score that gave Ohio State a38-0 lead in the fourth quarter. It was his second touchdown of theyear. He scored his first career TD in his first game, a 35-12victory over Northern Illinois. Wells had 12 carries for 53 yardsagainst the Spartans.
Defensive Notes
The Buckeyes have intercepted at least one opponent pass in allseven games this season. The Buckeyes now have 13 interceptions onthe season. The Buckeyes have forced 15 turnovers (13 interceptionsand two fumble recoveries) this season. Ohio State has turned those15 turnovers into 66 points this season. The Michigan Statetouchdown with 1:07 to play in the game marked just the secondrushing touchdown against the Buckeyes this season. Michigan Statewas 6-for-15 on third-down conversions Saturday. For the season,Ohio State has held opponents to just 25-of-89 on third-downconversions. The Buckeyes turned back Michigan State on afourth-down conversion in the second quarter. Ohio State opponentsare 7-for-9 on fourth down this season.
Defensive Player Notes
Joel Penton made the first start of his career at MichiganState in place of David Patterson who missed the game with a kneeinjury. Patterson had arthroscopic knee surgery this past Tuesdayand is listed as day-to-day. Quinn Pitcock sacked MSU quarterbackDrew Stanton for a 7-yard loss in the second quarter for his sixthsack of the season. His six sacks total 39 yards in losses. Pitcockfinished the game with two sacks totaling eight yards. JayRichardson also finshed with two tackles for loss. Marcus Freemanintercepted Drew Stanton near the end of the first half. It was hissecond pick of the season and the 15th by the Buckeyes. Freeman’sother interception was at Iowa in a 38-17 victory. JamesLaurinaitis had nine tackles against Michigan State. He had twotackles for losses of 17 yards, including a 16-yard sack.
Special Teams
Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown in thesecond quarter. It was his sixth punt returned for a touchdown inhis career. Those six PR scores are the most by one player inschool and Big Ten history. Ginn had been tied with Iowa’s TimDwight (1994-97) for the conference record. Ginn returned four as afreshman in 2004 and had another in 2005. Ginn has now scored fivecareer TDs vs. Michigan State. In 2004, he scored one on a puntreturn, one on a reception and one on a run. He also caught a TDpass in 2005.
The NCAA career record for punt returns is eight by Wes Welker of Texas Tech (2000-03) and Antonio Perkins of Oklahoma (2001-04).
Miscellaneous
The announced attendance Saturday was 73,498. It is the onlygame the Buckeyes have played this season that has not been asellout. Capacity at Spartan Stadium is listed at 75,005. FormerBuckeye linebacker Jerry Rudzinski (1995-98) served as honorarycaptain Saturday.
