Football Flashback: “HOLY BUCKEYES!” – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
“Krenzel under center…they are going to put the I-back behind the fullback here on fourth down. Will it be up to the offensive line? No, Krenzel is going to throw for it. They gotta get it off…they go for the ballgame. Touchdown! Touchdown! Michael Jenkins on fourth and one! Would you believe it! Craig Krenzel strikes with a minute and a half left … HOLY BUCKEYES!” – Brent Musburger, ABC-TV play-by-play
Trailing, 6-3, and facing a fourth-and-one with 1:42 to play, the Buckeyes scored on 37-yard pass from Craig Krenzel to Michael Jenkins. Then, as he has made a habit of doing in recent weeks, sophomore Chris Gamble saved the day with a leaping interception that allowed the Buckeyes to run out the clock and escape with a 10-6 win.
The Buckeye defense was again superb, holding the Boilers, who had entered the game averaging 29 points a game, to a pair of field goals.
Cornerback Dustin Fox and linebacker Matt Wilhelm also had interceptions for Ohio State. The pick by Fox came in the end zone after Purdue had driven to the OSU 15 on its opening possession. Wilhelm’s diving grab set up Ohio State’s first score, a 22-yard Mike Nugent field goal as time expired in the first half. Nugent’s kick knotted the score at 3-3.
Wilhelm also came up with a big play in the fourth quarter, a tackle for loss of Purdue quarterback Brandon Kirsch at the OSU 10-yard line that forced the Boilers to settle for a field goal rather than a touchdown. Wilhelm finished the game with 8 tackles, one behind All-America Mike Doss.
The game-winning drive, which covered 46 yards in four plays, was OSU’s longest drive of the day and included a 13-yard completion to tight end Ben Harstock on third down.
