Buckeyes Put Unbeaten Streak on Line vs. Spartans – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 9, 2006
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THIS WEEK
Ohio State puts its 13-game winning streak and No. 1 ranking on the line this week at Michigan State. The 6-0 Buckeyes and the 3-3 Spartans are scheduled for a 3:36 p.m. EDT kickoff Saturday in soldout Spartan Stadium (75,005). ABC will televise the game.
WBNS Radio will carry the game with network programming beginning 60 minutes before kickoff. The Jim Tressel show begins 30 minutes prior to kickoff.
Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes, who are coming off a 35-7 win over visiting Bowling Green last weekend, are 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference with wins at home against Penn State (28-6) and on the road at Iowa (38-17). The Buckeyes continue to hold down the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press, USA Today and Harris Interactive polls and own the nation’s longest winning streak. Michigan State is 0-2 in league play. The Spartans dropped a 31-13 decision at Michigan last Saturday and a 20-17 verdict to visiting Illinois two weeks ago.
OSU TRAVEL PLANS
Ohio State will depart Rickenbacker Airport via private charter Friday and will stay at the Sheraton Lansing. The team will hold a brief walk-through Friday night and return to Columbus immediately following the game Saturday. Coach Jim Tressel will be available to meet with the media at the walk-through Friday.
BUCKEYES STILL CONSENSUS NO. 1
For what is now the seventh-consecutive week, Ohio State continues to hold down the No. 1 spot in both major polls. The Buckeyes received 62 of 63 first-place votes in the coaches’ poll and 63 of a possible 65 votes in the Associated Press Poll in voting this week. Additionally, for the third week in a row, Ohio State is No. 1 in the Harris Interactive Poll with 112 of a possible 114 first-place votes.
The Buckeyes have been in the Top 25 for 20-consecutive weeks, have held down a Top 10 spot for eight straight and have been No. 1 in the past seven, beginning with the preseason voting.
OHIO STATE AWARDS CANDIDATES
Seven Ohio State players are listed on the various postseason awards watch lists. Senior Troy Smith and junior Ted Ginn Jr. both are preseason Heisman Trophy candidates. The pair also is listed on the 2006 Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list. Additionally, senior center Doug Datish (Rimington, Lombardi), Ginn Jr. (Biletnikoff), Smith (Manning), sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis (Bednarik, Lombardi and Butkus), junior offensive tackle Kirk Barton and senior defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock (Lombardi), and junior running back Antonio Pittman (Doak Walker) are listed on various watch lists as major awards candidates.
BUCKEYES BEST FALCONS
Troy Smith threw for three touchdowns, Antonio Pittman ran for two and Ted Ginn Jr. caught a career-high 10 passes as Ohio State downed visiting Bowling Green, 35-7, Saturday in Ohio Stadium.
The Ohio State defense recorded its 13th takeaway of the year and held its opponent to seven points or less for the fourth time in six outings.
In addition to 13-consecutive wins, Jim Tressel’s team also has won nine straight in Ohio Stadium.
Smith completed 17 of 20 passes for 191 yards, including touchdown strikes to Rory Nicol, Ted Ginn Jr. and Ray Small. It was Nicol’s first touchdown catch of the year and Small’s first as a collegian. Ginn’s score covered 57 yards and was the longest play of the day.
Pittman carried the ball just 13 times, but scored on a pair of 8-yard runs to equal his entire touchdown output of a year ago (7).
Defensive tackle Vernon Gholston picked off his first career interception and had two tackles-for-loss and a sack. He is the team leader in tackles-for-loss with nine. His interception and 8-yard return gives the Buckeyes an interception in every game this year.
Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis paced the Buckeyes in tackles with nine. Jenkins had six solos to lead both teams. Laurinaitis now has a team-high 50 tackles on the year.
TRESSEL ON THE BGSU GAME
“It wasn’t our best game; we didn’t play as well as we are capable of playing, but the bottom line is we came out with a win. We can certainly learn from our mistakes and get better. Now we have to turn our attention to Michigan State. It’s all Big Ten from here on out and that means it will be tough.”
BIG TEN HONORS FOR SMITH
On the heels of a 17-for-20 (.850) passing performance that resulted in three touchdowns in a 35-7 win over Bowling Green last week, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith has been named as the Big Ten co-offensive player of the week. Smith, who completed his first nine passes, recorded the third best game in Ohio State history in terms of completion percentage. Only Bill Mrukowski (10-of-11 in 1961 against Indiana for a .909 figure) and Stanley Jackson (13-of-15 against Indiana in 1997 for a .867 percentage) have had more accurate days for the Buckeyes. In addition to his passing performance, which elevated his season completion percentage to .682, Smith ran for a season-high 54 yards against the Falcons. Smith is 19-2 as a starter, 9-1 against ranked teams and 8-1 when he rushes for more than 50 yards.
BUCKEYES ON THE OFFENSIVE
Through the first six games of 2006, the Ohio State offense is averaging 32.8 points and 386.7 yards per game. Ohio State has scored at least 24 points in every game this year and is 21-of-26 in the red zone with 18 touchdowns and three field goals. OSU has committed just four turnovers (two lost fumbles in the season opener against Northern Illinois and two interceptions against Penn State) and has converted 44 percent of its third-down opportunities.
The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents in every quarter and have a commanding 76-16 edge in the fourth stanza. Ohio State has scored 24 or more points in each of the past 13 games. The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in passing efficiency with a 167.7 figure and are third in pass offense (235.2) and scoring offense (32.8).
BUCKEYES NO. 1 AGAINST THE SCORE
The Ohio State defense, which has nine new starters from a year ago, has surrendered just 56 points, is allowing a respectable 300.7 yards per game, has recorded 48 tackles-for-loss, including 20 sacks, and has 14 takeaways to its credit. The Buckeyes already have more interceptions (12) and takeaways than they did all of last year. Ohio State’s takeaways have resulted in 59 points for the OSU offense. OSU’s opponents have managed but four takeaways and have no points to show for those miscues. The Buckeyes lead the nation in scoring defense (9.3) and interceptions (12) and are third in turnover margin (1.67). They lead the Big Ten in sacks (ninth nationally) and are fourth in total defense
OHIO STATE-MSU SERIES INFO
Ohio State leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 24-12, including an 11-5 mark in East Lansing. The Buckeyes have won the last four games between the schools, beginning in 2000. OSU coach Jim Tressel is 3-0 against MSU, including a 35-24 win last year in Columbus. The teams did not play in 2001 and 2002, Tressel’s first two years at Ohio State.
Michigan State’s most recent win over Ohio State came in 1999 in East Lansing with the Spartans downing the Buckeyes 23-7. In 1998, MSU upended then-No. 1 Ohio State, 28-24, in Columbus, knocking the Buckeyes from the unbeaten ranks and crushing their dreams of a perfect season and the national championship. The Spartans also knocked the Buckeyes off their No. 1 perch in 1974, pulling off a down-to-the-wire 16-13 win in East Lansing.
MORE ON LAST YEAR
Ohio State trailed 17-7 late in the second period when Ashton Youboty returned a blocked field goal 72 yards for a touchdown as time ran out in the first half. OSU took a 21-17 lead on a 57-yard pass from Troy Smith to Ted Ginn Jr. with 10:21 to play in the third quarter, but fell behind 24-21 when Michigan State responded with a 6-yard TD run by Jason Teague. Ohio State scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the first on a 46-yard pass from Smith to Santonio Holmes and the second on a 1-yard run by Smith, to secure the victory. The win was the first in Ohio State’s current 13-game winning streak.
OHIO STATE IN BIG TEN PLAY
Over the years, Ohio State has either won outright or shared 30 Big Ten titles. The co-championship last year was OSU’s second under Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes also shared the title in 2002, notching a perfect 8-0 record. With a 2-0 league record this year, Ohio State owns an all-time Big Ten record of 429-187-28 in 94 seasons of league competition.
| Ohio State vs. | W | L | T |
| Chicago | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| Illinois | 59 | 29 | 4 |
| Indiana | 64 | 12 | 5 |
| Iowa | 44 | 14 | 3 |
| Michigan | 39 | 57 | 6 |
| Michigan St. | 24 | 12 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 38 | 7 | 0 |
| Northwestern | 56 | 14 | 1 |
| Penn State | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Purdue | 35 | 12 | 2 |
| Wisconsin | 50 | 17 | 5 |
| TOTAL | 430 | 187 | 28 |
OHIO STATE COACH Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel is in his sixth season as head coach at Ohio State. His record with the Buckeyes is 56-13, including a 32-10 slate in the Big Ten, and his career ledger now stands at 191-70-2 (.730) in his 21st season as a head coach.
Tressel took over the Buckeyes in 2001, directing them to a 7-5 record that year. In 2002, he led Ohio State to a 14-0 record and the school’s first consensus national championship since 1968.
In 2003, the Buckeyes won their first five games to extend their winning streak to 19 and finished with an 11-2 record. The 2004 squad, which had to replace 14 NFL drafted players, won five of its last six games en route to an 8-4 finish.
A season ago, Tressel guided the Buckeyes to a 10-2 overall record with seven-consecutive victories down the stretch, which included a 34-20 victory over Notre Dame in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in January. The current 13-game win streak is second only to the 19-consecutive wins under Tressel in 2002 (14-0) and 2003 (5-0 to start season).
Tressel’s teams have appeared in five bowl games and are 4-1 in those contests, including three BCS wins in the Fiesta Bowl over the last four seasons. They also are 4-1 against Michigan in one of the most intense and storied rivalries in all of sports.
Eleven of Tressel’s players have won first-team All-America honors and four have won major awards, including linebacker A.J. Hawk, the recipient of the 2005 Lombardi Award.
Tressel is a master in close games. Since coming to Ohio State, he is 17-9 in games decided by a touchdown or less and 4-1 in overtime games.
He is at his best against the best with a 24-7 record against teams ranked in the Top 25 and a 7-2 mark against teams ranked in the Top 10.
The 53-year-old Tressel is a 1975 graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College.
MORE ON TRESSEL
Ohio State’s 38-17 victory over Iowa this year was Jim Tressel’s 55th win with the Buckeyes. No Ohio State coach has reached that mark as quickly. By way of comparison, Earle Bruce recorded his 55th win in 70 games, Woody Hayes notched No. 55 in game 74 and John Wilce did so in game 77. Both Bruce and Hayes were in their eighth years at Ohio State. Wilce was in his 11th season.
MOVING UP THE CHARTS
Quarterback Troy Smith is the all-time completion percentage leader in Ohio State history, connecting on 62.7 percent of his passes (318-507). He also ranks eighth in career passing yardage (4,438 yards) and ninth in career total offense (5,481) entering the game at Michigan State this week.
Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. has moved into ninth place on the all-time OSU receiving list with 109 receptions. Ginn also ranks 12th in career receiving yards with 1,621, for an average of 15.1 yards per reception.
The speedy Ginn has caught at least one pass in 25-consecutive games (beginning with Iowa in 2004) and has multiple catches in 23-consecutive games. His 10 receptions against Bowling Green last week is a career best, bettering his previous high of nine set last year at Michigan.
Ginn, who led the nation in punt returns as a freshman and kick returns last year, has returned six kicks for touchdowns – five punts and one kickoff. He needs three more scores on punt returns to break the NCAA record in that category.
SACRED TURF
Through the first five games of the 2006 campaign, the Ohio State defense has allowed just six touchdowns – five passing and one via the rush. The Buckeyes are allowing 9.3 points a game and have held four of their first six opponents to seven points or less and five-of-six to just one touchdown.
PITTMAN TAKES OVER SCORING LEAD
Tailback Antonio Pittman has taken over the Ohio State scoring lead with 42 points on seven touchdowns. The hard-running junior has scored a touchdown in each of Ohio State’s first six games, including a pair of scores in the 35-7 win over Bowling Green last Saturday. Pittman has at least one rushing touchdown in 11-consecutive games and has 14 touchdowns in that span.
Pittman also leads the Buckeyes in rushing with 628 yards on 109 carries, an average of 5.8 yards per attempt and 104.7 yards per game. He has topped the 100-yard mark four times this year and 12 times during his career. He currently ranks fourth in the Big Ten in average yards per game.
SMITH BIG TEN LEADER
Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith is completing 68.2 percent of his passes (101 of 148) and has thrown for 1,261 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He leads the Big Ten in passing efficiency (170.6) and touchdown passes (15). Smith’s 17-of-30 (85%) showing against Bowling Green is the third best single-game performance in OSU history in terms of completion percentage, surpassed only by Bill Mrukowski (10-of-11 for .909) and Stanley Jackson (13-of-15 for .867). Smith, who is seventh nationally in passing efficiency, hit his first eight passes against Bowling Green.
With 39 career touchdown passes, Smith ranks fourth in OSU annals behind Bobby Hoying (57), Joe Germaine (56) and Art Schlichter (50). Smith had 16 touchdown passes all of last year and did not pass the 1,000-yard mark until week seven. He has at least one touchdown pass in 12 of his last 13 games and two or more in five of the Buckeyes’ six games this year.
SMITH OFF AND RUNNING
Quarterback Troy Smith picked up an errant snap from center and scrambled 34 yards to the Bowling Green 8-yard line Saturday, in the process converting a third-and-26. It was the second longest run of his career, surpassed only by a 46-yard jaunt against Michigan in 2004. Smith finished the BG game with 54 yards on the ground. The Buckeyes are 8-1 when he rushes for 50 or more yards. He has accounted for 1,042 yards rushing during his career
Smith, who made his first start against Indiana in 2004, is now 19-2 as a starter, including a 9-1 mark against ranked opponents.
OSU “FUN BUNCH” CUTTING UP
The Buckeye “Fun Bunch” of quarterback Troy Smith, wide receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez and tailback Antonio Pittman is off to a rollicking start. Smith has completed 68.2 percent of his passes for 1,261 yards and 15 touchdowns. The 6-1 senior has thrown for 200 or more yards in nine of his last 13 starts, including the first three games this year. Ginn has a team-high six touchdown grabs on 33 receptions and is averaging 13.9 yards per catch, while Gonzalez has 27 receptions, is averaging 15.0 yards per catch and has four TD receptions. Pittman is the Buckeyes’ leading ground gainer with 628 yards on 109 carries and has a team-leading seven touchdowns to his credit. The hard-running junior has four 100-yard games this year and is averaging 104.7 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry. Pittman, fast establishing himself as an All-America candidate, has equaled his touchdown total of a year ago and is well on his way to a second-consecutive 1,000-yard season. A fifth member of the group, split end Roy Hall, who missed the first two games of the season with a high ankle sprain, hauled in his first touchdown catch of the year at Iowa and had a season-high four receptions against Bowling Green.
MAKING THEM COUNT
Junior split end Anthony Gonzalez is the Buckeyes’ second-leading receiver with 27 catches on the year. Twenty-four of those receptions have resulted in first downs by the sure-handed speedster. Gonzalez needs just one reception to equal his entire output of 2005. He already has surpassed his yardage total of a year ago (404 to 373) as well as his touchdown total (4 to 3). Gonzalez is tied for fourth in the Big Ten in receptions per game (4.5) and seventh in receiving yardage per game (67.3).
DEFENSIVE TACKLES SET TONE
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel likes what he has seen from defensive tackles Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson, the Buckeyes’ lone two returning starters from the 10-2 team in 2005.
“As far as I am concerned they are the best two defensive tackles in the country,” noted Tressel. “And in addition to being terrific players, they are both excellent leaders. Our front four is the strength of our defense and Quinn and David set the tone.”
Pitcock has 6.5 tackles-for-loss, including a team-high five sacks, and 22 tackles on the season. Patterson, who was credited with a career-high seven tackles against Penn State, has 15 stops on the year, including three tackles-for-loss.
GINN ENJOYS CAREER DAY
Ohio State flanker Ted Ginn Jr. had a career-high 10 receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown in the win over Bowling Green Saturday. The 10 receptions represent a career high, surpassing his previous best of nine at Michigan last year. With 33 catches on the year, Ginn has moved up to second in the Big Ten in receptions per game with an average of 5.5. The Buckeye junior also is third in receiving yards per game at 76.5.
LAURINAITIS LEADS BIG TEN
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis leads the Big Ten in interceptions with four and is in a four-way tie for the league lead in forced fumbles with two. He is tied for fifth in tackles with 50 stops (8.3 per game), including 25 solos, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks. The four picks by Laurinaitis are the most by an Ohio State linebacker since Andy Katzenmoyer’s four in 1996. The OSU single-season record for interceptions by a linebacker is six, set in 1986 by Chris Spielman. Laurinaitis had picks in four-consecutive games (Texas, Cincinnati, Penn State and Iowa) before having that streak ended against Bowling Green.
BUCKEYE SACK PACK
Ohio State leads the Big Ten in sacks with 20. The Buckeyes are led by defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock with 5.0, followed by Vernon Gholston with 4.5. True freshman Robert Rose has 3.0 in limited action and James Laurinaitis has 2.0.
THE GLENVILLE CONNECTION
Quarterback Troy Smith and flanker Ted Ginn Jr., both of whom prepped at Glenville High School, continue to form one of college football’s most dangerous duos. When the two hooked up on a 57-yard scoring strike against Bowling Green Saturday, it marked their eighth play of more than 50 yards.
OSU PLAYERS OF THE GAME
The Ohio State coaching staff has selected Troy Smith as offensive player of the game this week, Vernon Gholston as the defensive player, Andre Amos as the special teams player, Rory Nicol as the offensive lineman and Quinn Pitcock as the attack force player. Scout team honors went to Jon Thoma for special teams, Matt Daniels for defense and Dan Dye on offense.
OHIO STATE AT HOME
The win over Bowling Green gives the Buckeyes an all-time record of 370-104-20 in Ohio Stadium. Ohio State has won eight straight, and 13 of the last 14, games played in the Horseshoe.
OSU IMPROVES RECORD AS NO. 1
With the victory over Bowling Green, Ohio State is now 57-8-1 when ranked as the nation’s No. 1 team. Overall, the Buckeyes are 289-68-9 when carrying a Top 10 ranking and 396-123-14 as a Top 25 team. Ohio State has opened the season No. 1 seven times, second only to Oklahoma (9). The Buckeyes own the record for most appearances (53) in the first 57 years of the Associated Press Poll.
BUCKEYES STAY PERFECT IN NO. 1 VS. NO. 2 SHOWDOWNS
The Sept. 9 showdown in Austin between top-ranked Ohio State and second-ranked Texas was the earliest regular-season match-up in college football annals between a No. 1 and a No. 2 team. Ohio State has been involved in two such games previously, the first in the 1969 Rose Bowl and the second in the 2002 national championship game at the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. OSU won both, downing the University of Southern California, 27-16, in the former and Miami of Florida, 31-24 in two overtimes, in the latter. On both occasions, the Buckeyes were the No. 2 ranked team.
BUCKEYES RECORD IMPRESSIVE WINS
In their last eight games, Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes have recorded wins over five of college football’s most successful programs – Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Penn State and Iowa. Michigan tops the all-time victories list with 855 wins (855-280-36), Notre Dame is second at 816-267-42 and Texas ranks third at 805-311-33. The Buckeyes are fifth all-time with 781 wins, followed by No. 6 Alabama (778 wins) and No. 7 Penn State (774-341-42). Iowa ranks No. 41 on the all-time wins list (551-494-39).
BUCKEYES GET HIGH GRADES
A league-best 18 Ohio State football players were named to the Big Ten’s All-Academic team last fall, marking the fourth year in a row the Buckeyes have led the conference in that area. Additionally, a record 46 Ohio State football players qualified for last spring’s annual OSU Scholar-Athlete Dinner, which requires a grade-point average of 3.00 or better for the past academic year. As a team, the Buckeyes have an overall GPA of 2.83. A total of 52 football student-athletes earned a 3.00 or better during Ohio State’s spring quarter and 46 had a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 after spring grades were calculated.
BUCKEYE GRADUATES
Quarterback Troy Smith (communication), center Doug Datish (history), strong safety Brandon Mitchell (political science) and fullback Stan White Jr. (finance) all are working toward graduate degrees while playing football for the Buckeyes this season. Two most recent student-athletes to earn their degrees are All-America linebacker A.J. Hawk and Richard Schafrath, who lettered from 1956-58. Both were awarded degrees following the 2006 summer quarter. Other 2005-06 graduates include Bobby Carpenter, Angelo Chattams, R.J. Coleman, John Conroy, Ryan Hamby, Rob Harley, Mike Roberts, Anthony Schlegel, Brandon Schnittker, Rob Sims, Steve Winner and Ashton Youboty.
THE BUCKEYES ALL-TIME
Ohio State enters the game at Michigan State with an all-time record of 781-300-53 in 116 seasons of competition. That includes a Big Ten record of 430-187-28 since 1913, an Ohio Stadium slate of 370-104-20 since 1922 and a bowl mark of 18-19.
OSU COACHES IN THE PRESS BOX
Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman and quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels will be in the press box for the Buckeyes during the game as will cornerbacks coach Tim Beckman and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell.
BUCKEYE NOTES
Senior Roy Hall had a season-high four receptions against Bowling Green. Hall’s career high is five, which he has reached twice – against Wisconsin in 2004 and against Miami (Ohio) in 2005 … Defensive end Vernon Gholston picked off his first career interception against Bowling Green, returning it 8 yards to set up an OSU touchdown. Not only was it Gholston’s first pick as a Buckeye, it was his first at any level. Gholston also had a pair of tackles-for-loss, including a sack against BG. He leads the Buckeyes in tackles-for-loss with nine, including 4.5 sacks. Gholston has 24 tackles on the year. The third-year sophomore did not have any tackles prior to this season … True freshman Ray Small was on the receiving end of his first career touchdown catch against Bowling Green, hauling in a Troy Smith pass in the flat and darting 11 yards into the end zone. Small has seven receptions on the year and is averaging 10.1 yards per catch … True freshman Aaron Gant saw his first action of the year against Bowling Green. The Buckeye coaching staff had planned to redshirt Gant, but a season-ending injury to safety Anderson Russell at Iowa necessitated Gant’s move into the two-deep … Safety Jamario O’Neal and linebacker Larry Grant each made their first career starts against Bowling Green. O’Neal had three tackles and Grant two … Freshman defensive back Kurt Coleman blocked a Bowling Green field goal attempt that led to Ohio State’s second touchdown, an 8-yard run by Antonio Pittman and a 14-0 lead.
OHIO STATE 24, TEXAS 7
Led by Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Anthony Gonzalez and Antonio Pittman on offense and bolstered by a young but quickly coming-of-age defense, top-ranked Ohio State solidified its place in the polls with its 17-point victory over the defending national champion Longhorns.
Smith enhanced his early season Heisman Trophy status by completing 17 of 26 passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns against a veteran Texas defense, giving him five touchdown passes and 566 passing yards in his first two games. After two games, the 6-1, 215-pound quarterback has completed 68.4 percent of his passes and leads the Big Ten in passing efficiency with a 194.2 figure.
Ginn, the Buckeyes’ other Heisman hopeful, was on the receiving end of five passes for 97 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown grab just before halftime that put Ohio State in front 14-7 going into the locker room. Ginn’s grab capped off a business-like 5-play, 66-yard drive that began with 1:55 remaining in the second quarter. The speedy flanker set the tone early with a 46-yard catch-and-run on the Buckeyes’ second play from scrimmage.
The Buckeyes also received a career-best performance from Gonzalez, who hauled in eight catches for 142 yards. The junior split end and honor student got Ohio State on the board with 1:04 to play in the first quarter by latching on to a 14-yard pass from Smith that put the icing on a 50-yard drive.
Pittman led the Buckeyes in rushing for the second consecutive week, finishing with 74 yards on 16 carries, an average of 4.6 yards per attempt. His 2-yard touchdown run with 6:31 to play capped off the scoring and put the game out of reach. The Buckeyes, who took over the ball at their own 28-yard line after a missed Texas field goal, marched 72 yards in 10 plays for the score.
The Buckeye defense limited the Texas offense to 326 total yards and just the one touchdown and set up two OSU scores with timely takeaways.
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis was involved in both turnovers. First, he forced a first-quarter fumble at the OSU 1-yard line that cornerback Donald Washington scooped up and returned 49 yards to set up the Smith-to-Ginn touchdown pass. Then, on the first play of the third quarter, he intercepted a Colt McCoy pass and ran it back 25 yards to the Texas 31-yard line. Kicker Aaron Pettrey gave the Buckeyes a 10-point cushion with a 31-yard field goal.
With the aggressive defensive front keeping the pressure on throughout the evening, Laurinaitis finished with a game-best and career-high 13 tackles to go along with two forced fumbles, his first career interception and a pass broken up. Safety Brandon Mitchell was credited with nine stops, while Washington, who was making his first start at corner, had five. Cover corner Malcolm Jenkins and nickel back Antonio Smith each had five stops as Ohio State kept Texas under 40 points for the first time in 13 games.
Sophomore punter A. J. Trapasso kept the Longhorns corralled in their own territory by averaging 50.8 yards per punt on six kicks – the third best single-game performance in Ohio State history. That average includes a 39-yard punt at the end of the game that rolled out-of-bounds on the Texas 6-yard line. The Longhorns’ average field position after a Trapasso thumper was their own 21-yard line.
The victory squared the series at 1-1 and gave Ohio State an all-time record of 4-0 in the Lone Star state.
OHIO STATE 37, CINCINNATI 7
Ohio State ran its record to 3-0 with a 37-7 victory over visiting Cincinnati. The win was the Buckeyes’ 10th in a row.
After falling behind 7-3 at the end of the first quarter (the first time all year that OSU has trailed), the Buckeyes scored 34 unanswered points en route to their seventh consecutive win in Ohio Stadium.
Quarterback Troy Smith again led the Buckeyes to victory, completing 21 of 30 passes for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns. OSU rolled up 444 yards in total offense and scoring drives of 85, 80 and 72 yards – their three longest drives of the year.
Smith connected with Ted Ginn Jr. on a pair of scoring strikes in the second and third quarters to give OSU a comfortable 20-7 lead. But it was Antonio Pittman who put the game out of reach with a 48-yard scoring jaunt with just over nine minutes to go in the fourth period. Pittman finished his afternoon with 155 yards on 16 carries, an impressive 9.7 yards per attempt. Backup tailback Maurice Wells scored the other OSU touchdown on a nine-yard run. Aaron Pettrey added field goals of 47 and 43 yards and Ryan Pretorius hit from 52-yards away to complete the scoring.
Gonzalez and Ginn each had five receptions to pace the receiving corps as four different quarterbacks hooked up with 11 different receivers.
The Ohio State defense limited the Bearcats to 212 yards of total offense, including a scant 64 in the second half. Senior tackle Quinn Pitcock had a career-high three sacks and narrowly missed two more. He finished the day with five tackles. With Pitcock leading the way, the Buckeyes recorded eight sacks, 10 tackles for loss and had three interceptions.
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes with nine tackles, including a sack, and picked off his second interception of the year.
OHIO STATE 28, PENN STATE 6
Ohio State opened its Big Ten season with a 28-6 win over visiting Penn State. In winning their third straight conference home opener, the Buckeyes needed a pair of fourth-quarter interception returns for touchdowns to salt the game away.
Holding on to a less-than-comfortable 14-6 lead, the Buckeyes got a lift from cornerback Malcolm Jenkins whose 61-yard return gave them a 21-6 lead with 2:31 to play. Moments later cornerback Antonio Smith picked off his first career interception and returned it 55 yards to the north end zone and the game was officially over.
The Buckeyes also had an interception earlier in the game by linebacker James Laurinaitis, giving them eight on the year to that point, three more than all of last year. The OSU defense limited Penn State to 248 yards and allowed the Nittany Lions to convert just three of 14 third-down opportunities.
Ohio State’s other two touchdowns came on a 12-yard run by Antonio Pittman, who finished the game with 110 yards, and a 37-yard pass from Troy Smith to Brian Robiskie. The former gave the Buckeyes their first lead at 7-3 after the Nittany Lions had taken a 3-0 lead into the locker room at intermission. On the latter, Smith rolled to his right, reversed his field and somehow threw a perfect strike to Robiskie, giving the Buckeyes a 14-3 lead.
The two teams combined for just 501 yards in total offense on a rainy, windy afternoon in Ohio Stadium.
OHIO STATE 38, IOWA 17
Led by senior quarterback Troy Smith’s career-high four touchdown passes and a spirited defense that came up with four takeaways, top-ranked Ohio State downed No. 13 Iowa, 38-17, in Iowa City, knocking the Hawkeyes from the unbeaten ranks in front of a highly-partisan Kinnick Stadium crowd of 70,585.
With the win, OSU improved to 5-0 on the year and 2-0 in Big Ten play. It was the Buckeyes third win of the year over a Top 25 team (No. 2 Texas and No. 24 Penn State were the other two) and their second win in prime time on the road and on national TV.
Smith, who ran his record as a starter to 18-2, put the Buckeyes ahead to stay with a 12-yard pass to split end Anthony Gonzalez with 11:34 to play in the first quarter.
The senior signal caller added a 6-yard strike to Roy Hall in the second quarter, teamed up again with Gonzalez from 30 yards out in the third period and capped off the scoring with a 12-yard toss to Brian Robiskie with 4:23 to play in the fourth. In addition to completing 16 of 25 passes for 186 yards and the four TD tosses, Smith also rushed for 20 yards in another near flawless performance at the OSU helm.
Gonzalez was on the receiving end of five of those passes, all going for first downs. On his 30-yard touchdown grab, Gonzalez had the first down, but then reversed his field and circled around right end and somehow tight roped down the sideline and into the end zone on one of the more spectacular plays of the season. Ted Ginn Jr. led all receivers with seven receptions for 69 yards.
Tailback Antonio Pittman rushed 25 times for 117 yards and a touchdown, while freshman Chris “Beanie” Wells added 78 yards for the Buckeyes who rolled up a season-high 214 yards on the ground.
The OSU defense, meanwhile, recorded three interceptions and a fumble recovery to keep the Iowa offense in check.
Safety Brandon Mitchell played a role in two of those takeaways, snagging a second quarter interception that led to Pittman’s touchdown and recovering a fourth-quarter fumble that halted an Iowa drive.
Linebackers Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis also had interceptions, both of those coming in the fourth quarter as Iowa turned the ball over on its final three possessions of the night.
The OSU defense also recorded five tackles-for-loss, including sacks by Freeman and Laurinaitis, and limited Iowa to 87 yards on the ground.
PITCOCK HAS CAREER DAY
Defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock came within a shoestring of tying and perhaps setting the Ohio State single-game record for sacks against Cincinnati. The 6-3, 295-pound senior bull rushed his way through the Bearcats’ offensive line en route to a career-high three sacks for minus 24 yards. Pitcock narrowly missed two other sacks, UC quarterback Dustin Grutza somehow slipping out of his grasp. The OSU single-game sack record of four is shared by Bobby Carpenter (Michigan State, 2005) and Jason Simmons (Washington State, 1991). Pitcock had one sack all of last year.
BUCKEYE CAPTAINS
Seniors Troy Smith, Doug Datish, Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson were voted by their teammates as captains of the 2006 Ohio State football team. Smith (QB) and Datish (C) will lead from the offensive side while Pitcock and Patterson represent the defense from the defensive tackle spot. The four entered the season with 128 games of combined experience as Buckeyes.
ABOUT THE SPARTANS
Michigan State won its first three games – home games against Idaho and Eastern Michigan and on the road at Pittsburgh – but has since lost three games, falling to No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 6 Michigan and Illinois. The Spartans are 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten and will travel to Northwestern next week after playing host to top-ranked Ohio State Saturday.
The Spartans are averaging 31.2 points and 413 yards per game. Quarterback Drew Stanton, who threw for 252 yards at Michigan last Saturday, is averaging 197.8 yards per game and has completed 101-of-163 passes for 1,187 yards and eight touchdowns. He has thrown six interceptions and has a 131.97 efficiency rating. Kerry Reed and Matt Trannon have combined for 51 receptions and six touchdowns. Reed has 26 catches for 334 yards and four TDs, while Trannon has 25 grabs for 274 yards and two scores. Javon Ringer is averaging 87.6 yards on the ground with one TD, while Stanton has run for four scores and is averaging 50.3 yards rushing.
Defensively, Michigan State is limiting opponents to an average of 25.7 points and 334.2 yards per game. The Spartans are allowing 209.8 yards passing and 124.3 yards rushing and have seven sacks on the year. The unit has recovered three fumbles and has five interceptions. Opponents are only 32 percent effective on third down, though are 8-of-11 on fourth down. Otis Wiley leads the team with 46 tackles while David Herron Jr. and Nehemiah Warrick have 36 and 35 tackles, respectively. Wiley paces the defense with five tackles for loss and Clifton Ryan has three sacks. Demond Williams has two interceptions.
MICHIGAN STATE’S LAST GAME
Michigan State lost 31-13 last Saturday at Michigan, dropping its third straight game. Michigan quarterback Chad Henne threw three touchdown passes – two to Mario Manningham – as the Wolverines claimed a fifth-consecutive win in the series. Michigan had not allowed a rushing touchdown all season until Jehuu Caulcrick barreled into the end zone from the 1-yard line near the end of the third quarter to make it a 24-7 game. Michigan State’s Drew Stanton, despite playing with bruised ribs, was 20-of-35 for 252 yards and two interceptions. He scored on a 2-yard quarterback draw that made it 31-13 with seven minutes remaining in the game.
COACH JOHN L. SMITH
John L. Smith (Weber State, 1971) is in his fourth season with the Spartans and is 21-21 at the school. His first team at Michigan State finished 8-5 after losing to Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl. The Spartans finished 5-7 in 2004 and 5-6 in 2005. Smith came to East Lansing from Louisville, where he guided the Cardinals to bowl games in each of his five seasons. A native of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Smith owns a 131-81 overall record in a career that also includes stops at Idaho and Utah State. In the 1993 Division I-AA playoffs, Smith’s Idaho team lost at Youngstown State (35-16), which was coached by current Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel. Tressel’s team went on to win the national championship that season.
NEXT WEEK
Ohio State returns home to host Indiana in the first game of a two-game home stand. Kickoff is scheduled for shortly after noon EDT. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
