Postgame Notes From No. 1/1 Ohio State vs. Northern Illinois – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 2, 2006
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Attendance: 103,896
Ohio State Postgame Notes
The Buckeyes have an all-time opening day record of 101-12-4and have won their last 28 home openers. OSU’s last opening-dayloss at home was to Penn State in 1978. With the win Saturday, OhioState now has posted a 21-1 record against teams from theMid-American Conference. The Buckeyes lone loss was to Akron in1895 by a 14-6 count. Ohio State now has won 38 of its last 39 homegames against non-conference opponents. With the win Saturday, OhioState has won 28 of its last 30 games at home. The losses cameagainst Wisconsin in 2004 and Texas in 2005. With the win Saturday,the Buckeyes hold a 53-9-1 record when ranked as the top teamnationally. The Buckeyes were last ranked No. 1 in a regular-seasongame Nov. 7, 1998, in a loss to Michigan State at Ohio Stadium.Ohio State had won nine of its last 10 as a No. 1-ranked teambefore the loss to the Spartans.
Overall, the Buckeyes are 284-68-9 when carrying a Top 10 ranking and 391-123-14 as a Top 25 team.
Season Openers as No. 1
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 10/17/42* | Purdue | W | 26-0 |
| 9/27/58 | No. 20 SMU | W | 23-20 |
| 9/27/69 | TCU | W | 62-0 |
| 9/26/70 | Texas A&M | W | 56-13 |
| 9/13/80 | Syracuse | W | 31-21 |
| 9/5/98 | at No. 11 WVU | W | 34-17 |
| 9/2/06 | Northern Illinois | W | 35-12 |
* First Associated Press poll released Oct. 17 Jim Tressel’srecord with the Buckeyes now is 51-13 and his career record is186-70-2. The Buckeyes are 32-4 at home under Tressel’s direction.With the win Saturday, Ohio State now is 776-300-53 in 117 seasonsand owns an Ohio Stadium record of 367-104-20 since 1922. UnderTressel, the Buckeyes now are 37-3 when leading at the half and39-3 when ahead after three quarters.
Offensive Notes
With the 35-12 win Saturday, Ohio State has scored 35-pluspoints in seven of its last eight games, dating back to a 35-24victory over Michigan State at Ohio Stadium Oct. 15, 2005.
The Buckeyes have scored at least one touchdown in 114-consecutive games.
Ohio State scored on its first four possessions Saturday. TheBuckeyes scored on four consecutive possessions against Texas lastseason on three Josh Huston field goals and a touchdown receptionby Santonio Holmes in the second quarter.
The last time the Buckeyes scored four touchdowns on four-consecutive possessions was against Kent State in the first half Sept. 7, 2002, in Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State scored touchdowns on its first three drives in thefirst quarter. The last time the Buckeyes scored three times in aquarter was last season at Minnesota, when Holmes had a touchdownreception, Huston kicked a field goal and flanker Ted Ginn Jr.returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score.
The last time Ohio State scored three touchdowns in a quarter was against San Jose State in the third quarter Oct. 12, 2002.
Ohio State last scored 28 points in a half vs. Northwestern inthe first half last season in Ohio Stadium. Ohio State quarterbackTroy Smith connected with Ginn Jr. for a 5-yard touchdown pass onthe Buckeyes’ opening drive of the game. The drive covered 66 yardson eight plays. Dating back to last season, Ohio State has scored atouchdown on its opening drive in four-consecutive games and six ofits last seven.
Offensive Player Notes
Smith opened the game converting his first five passes withthree of the throws going for touchdowns. Smith now has eightcareer games passing for two touchdowns or more and has four gameswith three passing TDs.
Smith finished the game 18-for-25 with 297 yards passing to mark his eighth career game with 200-plus yards passing. He has passed for at least 200 yards in seven of his last eight games.
Smith’s career total offense total of 4,438 yards is 11th all-time in Ohio State history. He surpassed the 4,158 total yards accumulated by former quarterback Rex Kern from 1968-70.
Ginn Jr. finished Saturday with four catches for 123 yardsSaturday, marking his fourth career game with 100 yards receiving.The game Saturday against NIU served as Ginn Jr.’s first careergame with two touchdown grabs. He now has eight career touchdowncatches.
Overall, the game marked Ginn Jr.’s third career contest with two touchdowns and second-consecutive game with a pair of scores. Ginn Jr. caught a touchdown pass and ran for a touchdown against Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. Ginn Jr. now has eight career receptions of 50 yards or more, including his 58-yard score in the first quarter and 57-yard grab in the fourth period vs. Northern Illinois.
Junior tailback Antonio Pittman ran 19 times for 111 yardsSaturday for his ninth career 100-yard rushing game. Pittman scoredhis ninth career touchdown Saturday. He has scored at least one TDin each of his last six games. Anthony Gonzalez scored on a 15-yardtouchdown reception, the fifth TD of his career. Freshman receiverBrian Hartline started his first career game Saturday and pulled ina 31-yard pass on the Buckeyes’ opening play. The catch was thefirst of Hartline’s career.
Brian Robiskie, a sophomore receiver, also started his first game Saturday.
Freshman Ray Small also recorded his first reception Saturdaywith a 5-yard grab in the second quarter. Freshman tailback ChrisWells scored Ohio State’s fourth touchdown Saturday on an 8-yardrun on the opening play of the second quarter. Sophomore tailbackMaurice Wells had a 30-yard reception in the first quarterSaturday, marking his longest career catch and the third receptionof his career.
Defensive Notes
Northern Illinois’ Garrett Wolfe, the returning NCAA rushingleader after averaging 175.6 ypg last season, became the firstopposing running back to gain 100 yards since Minnesota’s LaurenceMaroney carried 25 times for 127 yards in Minneapolis Oct. 29,2005.
Wolfe became the first opposing player to run for 100 yards at Ohio Stadium since Wisconsin’s Anthony Davis rushed for 168 yards on 39 carries Oct. 9, 2004. Wolfe is just the third opposing player to reach 100 yards rushing at Ohio Stadium since the 2001 season. San Diego State’s Larry Ned had 112 yards Oct. 20, 2001.
Wolfe also had five catches for 114 yards.
As a team NIU had 151 yards rushing on 33 carries, the mostsince Wisconsin rushed for 184 net yards Oct. 9, 2004. Sophomoredefensive end Vernon Gholston, senior linebacker John Kerr,sophomore linebacker Marcus Freeman, senior cornerback AntonioSmith, sophomore safety Nick Patterson all started their firstgames Saturday.
Defensive Player Notes
Gholston had two sacks Saturday, the first two of his career.Senior safety Brandon Mitchell recorded his first career sack inthe fourth quarter. Mitchell finished the game with a career-best10 tackles. Marcus Freeman (9 tackles), Anderson Russell (6tackles) and Gholston all recorded career highs in tackles.Defensive end Lawrence Wilson recorded his first career sack in thefourth quarter. Junior linebacker Larry Grant recorded his firstcareer interception Saturday. He returned the turnover 49 yards.
Special Teams
Sophomore Ryan Pretorious missed his first career field goaltry in the second quarter, a 51-yard attempt. Freshman AaronPettrey missed his first career try of 44 yards in the secondquarter. Jamario O’Neal had two kickoff returns for 48 total yards,the first kickoff returns of his career.
Miscellaneous
Members of the 1996 Rose Bowl Champion squad were recognized athalftime of the Northern Illinois game. The 11-1 Buckeyes wereco-Big Ten Champions and defeated Arizona State 20-17 in OhioState’s last Rose Bowl appearance. Ahmed Plummer, whostarred in the defensive backfield for the Buckeyes from 1996-99,served as Ohio State’s honorary captain Saturday when the Buckeyestook on Northern Illinois.
