No. 1 Ohio State Takes Care Of Bowling Green, 35-7 – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 7, 2006
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -Troy Smith threw three touchdown passes, Antonio Pittman ran for two scores and Ohio State started its second month as the No. 1 team in the nation with an easy 35-7 victory over Bowling Green on Saturday.
The Buckeyes (6-0) toyed with the Falcons (3-3), tacking on two touchdowns in the final quarter to turn a surprisingly close 21-7 game into a rout. Ohio State stretched the nation’s longest winning streak to 13 in a row.
Smith didn’t do anything to hurt his Heisman Trophy candidacy, completing 17-of-20 passes for 191 yards with no interceptions. His touchdowns covered 3 yards to Rory Nichol, 11 yards to Ray Small and a lightning strike 57-yarder to Ted Ginn Jr.
The 85-percent completion rate was the third best ever for an Ohio State quarterback.
Pittman carried 13 times for 61 yards, scoring on two 8-yard runs.
Early in the fourth quarter, Ginn got a rare chance to return a punt – the Falcons punted out of bounds rather than give up a big return – and brought it back 21 yards to the Ohio State 43. On the next play, Smith dropped back in the pocket and fired to Ginn, who had streaked past defender Antonio Smith to catch the ball at the 7, racing in the rest of the way untouched.
Ginn caught a career-high 10 passes for 122 yards. The 57-yardscore was the junior’s 18th career play covering at least 50 yards.He has caught eight passes of at least that distance, all fromSmith.
It didn’t take long for Ohio State to show its superiority over their in-state rivals, scoring on three of their first four possessions for a quick 21-0 lead.
Smith’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Nichol, a tight end used mostly for blocking, got the scoring started.
The Falcons took over and drove to a first down at the Ohio State 34. But the Falcons 50-yard field-goal attempt by Sean Ellis’ was blocked by Kurt Coleman.
The Buckeyes made the most of that turnover by methodically slicing through the Falcons. On third-and-26 at the Bowling Green 42, Smith dropped the snap out of the shotgun formation, then picked it up and had to avoid a diving tackler at left end. Smith cut across the grain, racing to the right corner where he was caught from behind by cornerback Antonio Smith after a 34-yard gain.
On the next play, Pittman skirted left end for the first of his two 8-yard scores.
Bowling Green turned it over again on its next possession, with lineman Vernon Gholston grabbing a tipped pass at the Falcons 21.
Three plays later, Pittman sidestepped a tackler at the goal line to make it 21-0.
The crowd booed loudly each time Bowling Green’s Alonso Rojas – a rugby-style kicker – punted out of bounds to avoid putting the ball in Ginn’s hands.
The Falcons put together an impressive drive to start the second half, moving 85 yards in 15 plays on a mix Anthony Turner’s passes and Chris Bullock’s runs. On first down from the Ohio State 12, Turner, who completed 16-of-24 passes for 179 yards with one interception, play faked and sprinted left, then threw a pass over the middle that Corey Partridge snagged with one hand for the touchdown.
The Buckeyes came right back on a lengthy 14-play drive, scoring when Smith hit Small on the right side.
