No. 13/11 Ohio State vs. Illinois Game Notes – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Buckeyes open Big Ten play at home against the Illini at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC
#13/11 Ohio State (2-1, 0-0) vs. Illinois (1-1, 0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Ohio Stadium (102,329), Columbus, Ohio
The Broadcasts
Television: Saturday’s game will be televised on ABC regional with Ron Franklin and Ed Cunningham in the booth. The game will be mirrored on ESPN.
Radio: WBNS (FM 97.1 The Fan) is the flagship station for the 73-station Ohio State radio network. The Jim Tressel pregame show airs 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Paul Keels will call the play-by-play with former Buckeye Jim Lachey in the booth and Marty Bannister on the sidelines. The game can also be heard on Sirius satellite radio Channel 123 and on Touchdown Radio.
ESPN360.com On September 26 when Ohio State faces off against Illinois the game will be available live online via ESPN360.com — ESPN’s signature broadband sports TV network. The game is available completely free to any student on campus (in fact, to any student on any U.S. college campus — nearly 18 million people). This season, ESPN360.com will feature more than 300 college football games.
FIRST AND 10
• This is the 96th meeting between the schools in football; Ohio State leads the series, 61-30-4
• Since joining the Big Ten Conference in 1913, Ohio State is 69-23-4 in conference openers
• Sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor leads the Big Ten in total offense at 263.0 yards per game
• Saturday will be Coach Jim Tressel’s 300th career game as a head coach. Tressel is 85-20 in nine seasons at Ohio State and 220-77-2 in his 24th season overall
• Illinois coach Ron Zook was an Ohio State assistant from 1988-90. Saturday will be the third-consecutive week where Ohio State’s opposing head coach was a former Ohio State assistant
• Ohio State has won at least 10 games in each of the last four years, played in the national championship game twice and two other BCS bowls
• Ohio State is the Big Ten preseason favorite, followed by Penn State and Michigan State
• Forty former Buckeyes were on 2009 NFL opening-day rosters
• Ohio State has won four Big Ten titles in a row
• Crowds of more than 100,000 have seen the last 50 games at Ohio Stadium
ILLINOIS AT A GLANCE
Illinois is 1-1 after opening the season with a 37-9 loss to Missouri before rebounding the next week to post a 45-17 win over Illinois State in Champaign. The Illini had a bye week Saturday.
Illinois is led on offense by senior quarterback Juice Williams and junior wide receiver Arrelious Benn, who has been out with an ankle injury suffered in the opener against Missouri. Backup QB Eddie McGee replaced an injured Williams two weeks ago against Illinois State and led the Illini to a 45-17 win over Illinois State Sept. 12, passing for 164 yards and picking up another 55 on the ground. Sophomore running back Jason Ford is Illinois’ top gainer on the ground. He posted 137 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown in the win over the Redbirds. As a team, Illinois is second in the Big Ten with 247.0 yards per game on the ground, an average of 6.1 yards per rush.
The Illini are led by fifth-year head coach Ron Zook (Miami Ohio, 1976), who was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes from 1988-90 under John Cooper.
SERIES RECORD
Ohio State and Illinois will be meeting for the 96th time since the series was inaugurated in 1902. Until the series was interrupted in 2003, the two teams had played every year from 1914 to 2002.
Ohio State leads the series 61-30-4 and has a 26-18-4 advantage in Columbus. Between 1968 and 1982, the Buckeyes put together a 15-game winning streak against the Illini, the longest streak in the series by either team. Illinois won five in a row between 1988 and 1992.
Ohio State has won four of the last five meetings, but Illinois was a 28-21 winner in the last game in Columbus (2007) and has won three of the last four matchups at Ohio Stadium.
ILLIBUCK TROPHY
Illibuck is a wooden replica of a turtle presented to the winner of the Ohio State-Illinois football game. The tradition began with a live turtle in 1925. Illibuck is the second oldest trophy exchanged in the Big Ten, behind the Little Brown Jug between Minnesota and Michigan.
BIG TEN OPENERS
Since joining the Big Ten Conference in 1913, Ohio State is 69-23-4 in conference openers.
Tressel In Big Ten Openers (7-1)
2001: Ohio State 27, at Indiana 14
2002: Ohio State 45, Indiana 17
2003: Ohio State 20, Northwestern 0
2004: Northwestern 33, Ohio State 27 (OT)
2005: Ohio State 31, Iowa 6
2006: Ohio State 28, Penn State 6
2007: Ohio State 58, Northwestern 7
2008: Ohio State 34, Minnesota 21
SILVER BULLETS
Ohio State’s defensive squads have held opponents to fewer than 21 points 41 times since 2006, the best among FBS teams. The Buckeyes are 39-3 in those games.
The 38-0 shutout of Toledo (which had averaged 42.5 points in its first two games) was the first by the Buckeyes since a 43-0 shutout of Youngstown State in the 2008 season opener and the fourth shutout of the Tressel era. The Buckeyes held the Rockets to just 210 total yards, only 13 of those on the ground, and forced Toledo to punt on its first 10 possessions.
Against the USC Trojans, Ohio State’s defense did not allow a first down until the 13:15 mark of the second quarter and held the Trojans to only 5 yards of total offense on its first three possessions. The previous week, USC totaled 620 yards of total offense against San Jose State.
“BOOM” TD STREAK REACHES SEVEN
Sophomore tailback Dan “Boom” Herron has scored at least one touchdown in seven consecutive games dating to last season. In his last five games he has rushed for 268 yards with six touchdowns on 63 carries — an average of 4.3 yards per carry.
TOTAL OFFENSE
Terrelle Pryor currently leads the Big Ten in total offense at 263.0 yards per game. His 372 yards of total offense against Toledo marked a career high for the sophomore signalcaller, and the best total offense game of his career. His previous high was 232 against Penn State last season. The Toledo win was the first time an Ohio State player had 300+ yards of total offense since Troy Smith had 328 against Michigan in 2006. Pryor’s performance was the fifth best total offense game in OSU history.
412 – Art Schlichter (Florida State, 1981)
408 – Troy Smith (Notre Dame, 2005)
388 – Joe Germaine (Penn State, 1997)
386 – Troy Smith (Michigan, 2004)
372 – Terrelle Pryor (Toledo, 2009)
Against the Rockets, Pryor recorded career highs with 17 completions, 27 attempts and 262 yards. He also rushed 12 times for 110 yards, including a career-long 43-yarder in the third quarter. It was the second 100-yard rushing game of his career; he rushed for 110 yards at Illinois last season.
Pryor’s 200-Yard Total Offense Games
| Tot (Run/Pass) | Opp |
| 372 (110/262) | vs. Toledo, 2009 |
| 232 (6/226) | Penn State, 2008 |
| 230 (33/197) | @ Northwestern, 2008 |
| 213 (36/177) | USC, 2009 |
| 205 (66/139) | Troy, 2008 |
| 204 (30/174) | Navy, 2009 |
OHIO STATE NAMES CAPTAINS
Seniors Kurt Coleman, Austin Spitler and Doug Worthington were elected as 2009 captains of the Ohio State football team. An offensive game captain will be selected each week. Jim Cordle served as captain against Navy and Jake Ballard was the fourth captain for the USC contest. Bryant Browning was offensive captain for Toledo.
The last time Ohio State had only defensive players as permanent captains was in 2002, when Mike Doss and Donnie Nickey were captains of the national championship squad.
BUCKS WIN 77 PERCENT OF OHIO STADIUM GAMES
The Buckeyes boast an all-time record of 386-107-20 (.772) in Ohio Stadium since that facility opened in 1922.
The crowd of 106,033 against Southern California was the largest ever to watch a game at Ohio Stadium, besting last year’s crowd of 105,711 against Penn State. The attendance of 105,092 against Navy was an opening day record for Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State has hosted 50 consecutive crowds of 100,000 or larger at Ohio Stadium; three of last year’s crowds ranked among the top 10 all-time. Ohio State’s all-time record in Columbus is 529-154-35 in 718 games.
FOR STARTERS
When the Ohio State-Illinois game kicks off, the Buckeyes will have a total of 35 players with at least one game of starting experience.
Those are: Anderson Russell (32); Kurt Coleman, Jim Cordle (27); Doug Worthington (25); Cameron Heyward (23); Bryant Browning, Chimdi Chekwa (16); Jake Ballard, Mike Brewster, Thaddeus Gibson, Terrelle Pryor (13); Ross Homan, Jermale Hines, Lawrence Wilson (9); Todd Denlinger (8); Dexter Larimore (6), Dan Herron, Dane Sanzenbacher (5), Rob Rose, Ray Small (4); Andrew Miller, Justin Boren, Zach Boren, Brian Rolle, DeVier Posey (3); Andre Amos, Tyler Moeller, Austin Spitler (2); Aaron Gant, Brandon Saine, Jake Stoneburner, Devon Torrence, Duron Carter, J.B. Shugarts (1).
Getting their first Ohio State start against Navy were six players: Andre Amos, Justin Boren, Zach Boren, Andrew Miller, DeVier Posey and Brian Rolle. Jake Stoneburner made his first start against USC. Devon Torrence, Duron Carter and J.B. Shugarts were first time starters vs. Toledo.
The Boren brothers, products of Pickerington, Ohio, are the first siblings to start in the same game for the Buckeyes since John (LB) and Mike (NG) Sullivan from Mentor, Ohio, started nine games together during the 1988 season.
IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES
Under Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes are 24-2 at Ohio Stadium versus non-conference teams, the only loss coming to USC this season and 25-22 to No. 2 Texas in 2005. The Buckeyes are 29-4 overall in regular season non-conference games since 2001.
IN SEPTEMBER
The Buckeyes boast an all-time record of 148-23-5 in September games. Ohio State is 121-11-4 in September home games and 27-12-1 on the road that month.
OHIO STATE W/L RECORDS
Seasons: 120th
All-Time Record: 810-308-53
Big Ten: 450-189-28
Ohio Stadium: 386-107-20
Bowl Games: 18-22
AVERAGE PER DOWN
Here’s a breakdown of how the 2009 Ohio State offense is operating on first, second, third and fourth down.
On first down, the Buckeyes have run a total of 81 plays, gaining 355 yards for an average of 4.4 yards per play. On second down, OSU has tried 66 plays for 455 yards, a 6.9 average. On third down, the Buckeyes have run 40 plays, gaining 351 yards for an 8.8 average. Ohio State has tried only three fourth-down attempts, gaining 5 yards.
Ohio State’s touchdowns this season have come once on first down (a rushing TD), five times on second down (one passing and four rushing), and three times on third down (all passes).
OHIO STATE REPRESENTED AT JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Buckeye freshmen Storm Klein (LB, Newark, Ohio) and Jack Mewhort (OL, Toledo, Ohio) spent three weeks this summer as part of USA Football’s Junior National Team in the inaugural IFAF Junior World Championships held in Canton, Ohio. Team USA won the gold medal with wins over France (78-0), Mexico (55-0) and Canada (41-3) in the championship game. Klein (who was also a team captain) and Mewhort were both named to the all-tournament team.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Seven Ohio State true freshmen made their first collegiate appearance in the opener against Navy: DB C.J. Barnett, FB Zach Boren, WR Duron Carter, TE Reid Fragel, FB Adam Homan, LB Storm Klein and DT John Simon. RB Jordan Hall, another true freshman, saw his first action against Toledo.
OPENING DAY NUMBERS
After the 31-27 victory over Navy before an Ohio Stadium opening day record 105,092 fans, the Buckeyes have an all-time opening day record of 104-12-4 and have won their last 31 home openers. OSU’s last opening day loss at home was to Penn State in 1978. The Buckeyes’ last opening day loss away from Columbus was to Miami in the 1999 Kickoff Classic.
All-time, the Buckeyes are 108-8-4 in home openers since 1890. Prior to the Navy game, the largest opening day crowd at Ohio Stadium was 105,078 in the 2003 opener vs. Washington.
Ohio State has not lost a home opener since Sept. 16, 1978 to be exact. No. 6 Ohio State suffered a 19-0 loss to No. 5 Penn State in Woody Hayes’ final season as head coach.
PAIR OF BUCKEYES WIN BIG TEN TITLE ON THE TRACK
Junior defensive back Chimdi Chekwa and sophomore wide receiver Lamaar Thomas were a part of Ohio State’s Big Ten champion 4x100m relay team at the 2009 Big Ten Track and Field Championships in May. Thomas ran the third leg and Chekwa the fourth to take first place in 40.63 seconds. The win helped the Buckeyes to a second-place team finish overall, their highest since 2001.
ON SCHOLARSHIP
Three Ohio State seniors have received scholarship aid for the 2009 autumn quarter that begins Sept. 23: Marcus Williams, who is in physical therapy school; Andrew Moses, who is working toward a second bachelor’s degree after earning his first in political science; and Jon Thoma, who is completing his degree in communication. Three additional seniors – Ryan Schuck, Joe Gantz and Tom Ingham – will receive scholarship aid for the winter quarter.
THE GRADUATES
Six members of the 2009 Buckeye squad have already earned their bachelor’s degrees: Andrew Moses (political science), Aaron Pettrey (social and behavioral sciences), Anderson Russell (communication), Austin Spitler (communication), Marcus Williams (health sciences), Lawrence Wilson (communication). Nine more members of the team are expected to graduate following the autumn quarter.
HONOR ROLL
In 2008, 27 Ohio State football players were named to the Big Ten’s all-academic team; the Buckeyes have led the conference over the past seven years. Additionally, 46 Ohio State football players qualified for the annual OSU Scholar-Athlete Dinner in May, which requires a grade-point average of 3.00 or better for the past academic year.
COACH TO CURE MD
The Illinois weekend marks a special observance by the American Football Coaches Association. Coach to Cure MD, a national charity project of the AFCA, culminates as thousands of coaches nationwide in all levels of collegiate football will come together to raise awareness and research funding for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the most prolific genetic killer diagnosed in childhood.
On September 26, AFCA members will wear a “Coach to Cure MD” logo patch on the sidelines and college football fans will be asked to donate to research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Football fans can donate to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research by either going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word “CURE” to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill and standard text message rates apply).
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood and primarily affects boys across all races and cultures. Boys and young men with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy develop progressive muscle weakness that eventually causes loss of mobility, wheelchair dependency and a decline in respiratory and cardiac function. Currently, there is no cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and limited therapeutic options exist.
CHRIS SPIELMAN TO ENTER COLLEGE FB HALL
Two-time Ohio State All-American linebacker Chris Spielman, the 28th Buckeye inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, was recognized at halftime of the Navy game. The four-year letterwinner (1984-87) and the winner of the 1987 Lombardi Award will be inducted at a ceremony in South Bend, Ind. in the summer of 2010.
Spielman, hailing from Massillon Washington High School, ranks third all-time in tackles (546) at Ohio State and first in solo stops (283). Perhaps the most notable performance by Spielman was his 29-tackle day against Michigan in 1986.
Tenacious and hard-hitting on the field, the linebacker is just as strong away from the field, as is his wife, Stefanie. In 1998, the couple learned that Stefanie had breast cancer. Despite the physical and emotional strain of dealing with such a disease, and the unthinkable worries, the couple has been tireless advocates for cancer research and they have helped to raise millions to fight the disease.
After his playing days in Columbus, Spielman was drafted in the second round by Detroit in 1988 and went on to play for the Lions and Buffalo Bills before finishing up his career with the Cleveland Browns. The 12-year NFL veteran and four-time Pro Bowler then made the move to the broadcast booth where he is a college football analyst for ESPN and co-hosts The Big Show on WBNS radio in Columbus. He and Stefanie are the parents of four children.
NOT SINCE 1922-24
Ohio State ranks second among all NCAA Div. I programs with 84 consecutive seasons since last posting back-to-back losing records. The Buckeyes have not been under .500 for two or more consecutive seasons since 1922-24, which trails only Tennessee; the Vols have not had back-to-back losing seasons since 1909-11, a span of 97 consecutive seasons.
| School | Years | Last |
| Tennessee | 97 | 1909-11 |
| Ohio State | 84 | 1922-24 |
| Southern Miss | 74 | 1933-34 |
| Arizona State | 61 | 1946-47 |
| Alabama | 51 | 1854-57 |
TYSON GENTRY HONORED BY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Ohio State alumnus Tyson Gentry, a former football player for the Buckeyes, will be presented with the E. Gordon Gee Spirit of Ohio State Award at the 2009 Alumni Awards on Sept. 25 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus.
“Tyson has shown exceptional perseverance and dedication in earning his college degree,” said Archie Griffin, president and CEO of Ohio State University Alumni Association. “He clearly has the ability to overcome significant obstacles in pursuit of the things that are important to him. He truly represents the best of the Buckeye spirit.”
The E. Gordon Gee Spirit of Ohio State Award is presented to Ohio State alumni who demonstrate a devotion to Ohio State and promote school spirit with integrity and honor in an effort to elevate the university and its history.
Gentry graduated from Ohio State in June with a B.A. in Speech and Hearing Sciences. He came to Ohio State and walked on the football team in 2004 as a punter, hoping to play for the Buckeyes like his father, Bob, did in the early 1970s. In April of 2006, Gentry moved to receiver for spring practices and suffered a broken vertebra in his neck that left him partially paralyzed.
For more information, visit www.ohiostatealumni.org/awards/history.php.
HORSESHOE RECEIVES SCOREBOARD, SIGNAGE UPGRADES
“The Horseshoe” will present fans with new signage displays and scoreboards in the north endzone and on the east and west fascias of the stadium’s C-Deck.
For the first time in the stadium’s history, the scoreboard in the north endzone offers fans a video screen. At 17-feet-by-44-feet, the LED board offers fans replays and other game-day features typically only seen on the video board in the south endzone.
The ribbon boards on the east and west side have been replaced and expanded to reach endzone-to-endzone and feature an improved LED display.
In addition to the new boards, tribute signage for Ohio State’s seven national championship teams (1942, ‘54, ‘57, ‘61, ‘68, ‘70, 2002) is on display near the new scoreboard in the north endzone, accenting the seven currently retired Ohio State jersey numbers of Chic Harley (17), Les Horvath (22), Eddie George (27), Vic Janowicz (31), Howard “Hopalong” Cassady (40), Bill Willis (99) and Archie Griffin (45) also displayed on the north end.
As a result of the expanded ribbon boards, the Woody Hayes tribute signage has moved to the southeast corner of the C-Deck face. All three signage areas are backlit for more prominent display during primetime telecasts.
BOUNCING BACK
During the Jim Tressel era at Ohio State, in the games following the Buckeyes’ 17 losses, OSU has an 18-2 record. Twelve of those games were at Ohio Stadium, where the Buckeyes under Tressel are 11-1 in the game following a loss. Only once during the Tressel era has Ohio State recorded back-to-back losses, a three-game stretch with losses at Northwestern, to Wisconsin and at Iowa in October, 2004.
IN NIGHT GAMES
Ohio State is now 6-3 at home (26-13 away from home) in night games (games starting 5 p.m. or later local time) since 1959 and 32-16 in night games all-time. Under Coach Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes are 14-10 in night games and 7-3 in Big Ten night games away from Ohio Stadium. Tressel’s teams are 2-3 at home in night games.
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS
Ohio State is 127-104-12 all-time when facing a ranked opponent, and 39-41-7 on the road against ranked teams. Under Coach Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes are 33-13 overall and 12-6 on the road against ranked teams.
WHERE THEY GO NEXT
Ohio State opens 2009 Big Ten road play at Indiana Saturday, Oct. 3, in a 7 p.m. game that will be televised by the Big Ten Network. Illinois hosts Penn State that day.
