FOOTBALL FLASHBACK: BUCKEYES REDEDICATE OHIO STADIUM WITH WIN OVER AKRON – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Buckeyes opened the 2001 campaign Sept. 8 with a 28-14 win over Akron in front of a then-Ohio Stadium record crowd of 102,602. The game marked the debut of Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel and the unveiling of refurbished Ohio Stadium.
“I saw a lot of things I liked out there,” Tressel said. “We played hard, we competed, we played with class and we played through our fatigue. We made some mistakes, but I didn’t expect us to be perfect. We need to get to work now and get better. I tend to believe that a team does make the most improvement between the first and second games.”
The Buckeyes rolled up 525 yards in total offense and ran 85 plays (20 more than Akron) on a hot, humid day.
Quarterbacks Steve Bellisari and Scott McMullen combined to throw for 289 yards, spreading the ball around to seven receivers. Bellisari had a pair of touchdown passes and sophomore split end Michael Jenkins had six receptions for 106 yards in his first career start.
Senior tailback Jonathan Wells ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. The Buckeyes netted 236 yards rushing.
Meanwhile, the Ohio State defense limited the Zips to 248 yards (114 rushing and 134 passing) and one touchdown. Senior linebacker Joe Cooper had a team-high 9.5 tackles.
The Buckeyes led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and were ahead 21-0 before Akron got on the board with just over two minutes to play in the first half. The two teams traded long touchdowns in the second half, the Buckeyes scoring on a 61-yard pass in the third quarter, and the Zips on an 87-yard interception return in the fourth.
