No. 2/2 Buckeyes Down No. 12/12 Miami, 36-24 – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Recap | Notes | Quotes | Photos | Box Score (html) | Box Score (pdf) | Postgame Transcript
Video: Highlights | Head Coach Jim Tressel | Ohio State Players
Audio: Miami Head Coach Randy Shannon
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Now the fans will have something else to talk about. Saturday in front of 105,545 fans in Ohio Stadium, No. 2 Ohio State rolled to a 36-24 win over No. 12 Miami. Ohio State is 2-0 on the young season. Miami drops to 1-1.
There was no controversial call to be rehashed … no late-game heroics needed … no what-if plays. On an overcast Columbus afternoon with some spotty rain showers, Ohio State rebounded from an early 10-3 deficit and received a terrific defensive effort that was most opportunistic with four interceptions that led to 16 points.
“Today we saw two teams that played awfully hard against one another,” Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said. “It was a battle with good speed, hitting and intensity going on. When you create four takeaways you’re going to have a chance, and when you have zero giveaways, you’re going to have a real good chance.
“It’s going to be fun to watch both these teams’ rest of the season play. We are going to go back to work tomorrow and study what we have to do better and get after it.”
Offensively, the Buckeyes got 233 passing yards and 113 rushing yards from Terrelle Pryor and a school-record tying five field goals from kicker Devin Barclay. Touchdowns were scored by Brandon Saine (18-yard pass from Pryor), Dan “Boom” Herron (4-yard run) and Pryor (13-yard run). DeVier Posey caught four passes for 105 yards.
Barclay’s fifth field goal of the game tied him in the record books with Josh Huston (2005 vs. Texas), Mike Nugent (2004 vs. N.C. State) and Bob Atha (1981 vs. Indiana), and extended the lead to 36-17. In the game, Devon Torrence had a career-high tying eight tackles, a pass break-up and a blocked field goal attempt on Miami’s second possession of the second half to lead the Buckeye defense. Chimdi Chekwa had two interceptions, two pass break-ups and six tackles. Ross Homan had a team-high 10 tackles and defensive linemen Cameron Heyward and Nathan Williams each recorded interceptions.
Heyward’s interception and 80-yard return was huge. It came on Miami’s first possession of the second half and the Hurricanes were driving, having reached the Ohio State 9. He dropped back into coverage over the middle, made the pick and followed his blockers all the way to the Miami 15. Pryor scored two plays later to give the Buckeyes a 33-17 lead and the ’Canes were unable to recover.
On the drive following Pryor’s score, Miami drove down to the Buckeyes’ 22-yard line, but could not convert on third-and-long. The next play, Torrence blocked the 39-yard field goal attempt by senior placekicker Matt Bosher with five minutes remaining to go in the third.
Herron caught a 47-yard pass from Pryor on the second play following the blocked field goal. The long play would then set up a 24-yard field goal from Barclay at 1:29 to put his name in the record books. The Hurricanes would make the score 36-24 after a 9-yard touchdown catch by junior tight end Chase Ford to begin the final quarter, but it was the last time they would see the endzone as the Buckeye defense stood strong in the final minutes.
Ohio State led 26-17 at halftime, converting three first-half interceptions into nine points and that helped offset two Miami return touchdowns.
Pryor threw for 178 first-half yards and one score and the Buckeyes outgained the Hurricanes, 260 yards to 106 yards.
Ohio State recorded the first big play of the game and it was made by its defense. C.J. Barnett broke up a third down Jacory Harris pass and the deflected ball was grabbed by Williams and returned 33 yards to the UM 10. Barclay’s 24-yard field goal gave the home team a 3-0 lead 9 minutes into the first quarter.
Miami responded with its own big play. Lamar Miller returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards to give the Hurricanes a 7-3 lead. One series later Miami drove into Ohio State territory before Bosher connected on a 51-yard field goal to extend the ’Canes’ lead to 10-3.
Pryor hit Posey with a 62-yard pass play on the Buckeyes’ next play from scrimmage, giving the team a first down at the UM 18. The very next play Pryor rifled a bullet to Saine in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown and a 10-all tie after Barclay’s extra point.
Ohio State regained the lead on its next possession; a 41-yard field goal by Barclay capped a 10-play, 36-yard drive.
Chekwa, one of nine Buckeyes, including three starters, from the state of Florida, intercepted Harris on the next play from scrimmage and returned the ball a short distance to the Miami 19. Two plays later Herron scored from the 4 to give Ohio State a 20-10 lead off 17-consecutive points.
That run ended with just over 3 minutes to go in the half as lightning struck again against the Ohio State special teams. This time, Travis Benjamin returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown – the third return score against Ohio State this year – that cut the lead to 20-17.
Barclay’s third field goal of the half – a 21-yarder – pushed the lead to 23-17 at the half. Chekwa’s second interception and 15-yard return on the ’Canes’ next play set Ohio State up with a first down on the UM 27 with 49 seconds left in the half.
The No. 2-ranked Buckeyes take the field at noon next Saturday, Sept. 18, vs. Ohio University in Ohio Stadium. The Bobcats are 1-0 on the season after defeating Wofford last week and are currently battling Toledo in the first quarter.
