Game Thread Game Four: #1 Ohio State 28, #24 Penn State 6 (9/23/06)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OHIO STATE NOTEBOOK
Buckeyes get charge out of raucous crowd

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Tim May and Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> Former Penn State player Adam Taliaferro, left, chats with Ohio State?s Tyson Gentry in Ohio Stadium. The two spoke at halftime to raise awareness of spinal injuries, which each has suffered.


The Buckeyes wanted bedlam from the 105,266 in Ohio Stadium yesterday, just as the Penn State crowd did in the teams? meeting last season. They got it in their 28-6 victory.
"They responded to the challenge; they stepped up big," OSU guard T.J. Downing said of the Ohio State fans.
It was most apparent in the most significant moment. Penn State, trailing 14-3, faced fourth down 1 foot from the OSU goal line with just under eight minutes left. Lined up in a power formation, Penn State right guard Rich Ohrmberger was called for illegal procedure, so the Nittany Lions had to settle for a field goal from 5 yards back.
"That?s a combination of our crowd getting to him, and the defense moving around, he?s getting a little nervous, maybe," linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Safety Brandon Mitchell was more emphatic.
"That was all crowd," Mitchell said. "Definitely on that goal line stand it was extremely loud, probably the loudest I?ve ever heard The ?Shoe."
Bye - bye old turf

A work crew is expected to move into Ohio Stadium this morning to start scraping off the field, a university spokesman said last night. The turf, which had been deteriorating the past two games, will be replaced by new grass and be ready for play the next home game Oct. 7.
There were no major complaints about the field, despite the rain.
OSU receiver Ted Ginn Jr. said the footing was soft, though, and "it was hard to plant. You had to have very good patience in your routes, and break down very good on your blocks so you wouldn?t overrun them. There?s a lot of things you have to think about that you might not have to think about with a dry surface."
He misplayed a couple of punts, but that was more because of the rain.
"But to be a great football player you?ve got to fight through all of that," said Ginn, who had three punt returns for 29 yards, with a long of 14.
Touching moment

Injured Ohio State player Tyson Gentry got a warm round of applause when he was introduced at halftime. Wheelchairbound, he raised an arm in acknowledgement.
Former Penn State player Adam Taliaferro, who recovered from a serious spinal-cord injury suffered in the stadium six years ago yesterday, was alongside.
Taliaferro made a full recovery. He and Gentry had spoken on the phone several times since Gentry?s injury in April but had not met until this weekend.
"It was great to see how strong he is," Taliaferro said in an interview on ABC. "If anyone can get through this, Tyson can. He?s going hard through it."
Not total satisfaction

On the scoreboard, it was a lopsided win. But in the stats, the Ohio State offense generated just 253 yards, only 5 more than Penn State.That?s not good enough, right tackle Kirk Barton said, especially in a first half that saw OSU shut out.
"We were frustrated because that?s not how we need to play," Barton said. "We need to help our defense out ... . We need to start playing on their level."
Buckeye bits
OSU got two interceptionreturn touchdowns in the same game for the first time since Sept. 7, 2002, vs. Kent State. ...Receiver Brian Robiskie?s 37-yard TD catch was the first career score for the sophomore.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Mistakes hurt Nittany Lions? chance at upset

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




He had a young quarterback playing in a loud, hostile environment, a new right guard thrust into the same and a slumping kicker he said has a bad back. So regardless of the mistakes that cost his team a chance to take down No. 1, Penn State coach Joe Paterno was forgiving.
"It?s a question of consistency and discipline and kids used to playing under pressure," Paterno said after Ohio State subdued the Nittany Lions yesterday, beating them 28-6 in Ohio Stadium, a score that was not indicative of the struggle. The Buckeyes returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the final 2:31 as Penn State was forced to pass.
"I thought we played hard. We were very competitive until the end when we made those mistakes," Paterno said.
"We?ve still got to learn to make some plays. That?s a good football team we were playing, and in their stadium. We had a chance to win it. We couldn?t do it."
In a game dictated by field position, defense and rain, Penn State led 3-0 at halftime and trailed 7-3 after three quarters. But what might have been.
"We made some boneheaded plays," running back Tony Hunt said.
The Nittany Lions drove 61 yards to a first-and-goal at the OSU 9-yard line in the final minutes of the first half before a busted play on first down resulted in quarterback Anthony Morelli being sacked for a loss of 5 yards. Penn State settled for a field goal.
"I don?t know (what happened). I think the play just got mixed up," Morelli said. "Me and the running back just went our own ways and I just tried to make something happen."
An interception by Penn State on the second play of the second half gave it the ball on the OSU 26, but three plays netted 1 yard and Kevin Kelly missed a 42-yard field goal attempt, his fourth miss in the past two games.
"I think any time you miss points in a game between two teams that are fairly competitive, it?s going to hurt you," Paterno said. "If we could have kicked that one, it?s 14-6 and you don?t have to rush maybe as much as we had to rush (at the end of the game) and we don?t make a couple of mistakes."
Still trailing 14-3 in the fourth quarter, Penn State had fourth-and-goal at the OSU 1 and went for the touchdown. But sophomore right guard Rich Ohrnberger, playing in his first significant game, jumped before the ball was snapped and the 5-yard penalty forced the Lions to settle for a field goal.
"It hurt," Morelli said. "There?s another chance we had to put more points on the board and be in the game. It just wasn?t our day."
Morelli, a junior starting his fourth game, had his day turn to a nightmare at the end, intercepted on consecutive series as the Buckeyes dropped extra defenders into coverage because they knew Penn State had to pass.
"We sustained drives on Ohio State," Morelli said. "We just shot ourselves in the foot one too many times."
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Dispatch

PENN STATE NOTEBOOK
Illness caused Paterno to bolt for locker room

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




Joe Paterno said he had never left the field during a game, as a player or coach, until yesterday in Ohio Stadium.
"Sixty years," he said. "It?s the first time I?ve walked off."
How hard was it to do?
"Well," he said, smiling, "it was easier than if I had stayed."
The 79-year-old Penn State coach said "a little (gastrointestinal) disease" was the reason he twice ran from the Penn State sideline to the locker room during Ohio State?s 28-6 victory over the Nittany Lions yesterday.
Paterno first exited with just under eight minutes left in the second quarter and stayed in the locker room through halftime. He returned with his team for the start of the second half but bolted again before a play was run.
"I had some kind of bug during the week," Paterno said during his postgame news conference. "I?m not the kind of guy that likes to take pills or see doctors. I thought I?d be fine, but all of a sudden ..."
He stopped, then told reporters he?d rather talk about the game.
"You guys writing for medical journals or what?" he said.
Running back Tony Hunt said he didn?t know what to think when he saw Paterno take off in the second quarter.
"I thought he was going to yell at the referee," Hunt said.
Hunting for yards

Hunt was the second back in four games to rush for 100 yards or more against Ohio State. Garrett Wolfe of Northern Illinois rushed for 171 in the opener. Selvin Young and Jamaal Charles of Texas combined for 164.
"We thought we could come in and run the ball," Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli said. "A couple of teams before had showed they could run the ball on them. It was in the game plan, run the ball a little bit and open up the pass."
Hunt said the offensive line was "really moving people around."
"I felt we did a good job moving the ball, especially later in the game. We just made some mental mistakes. But I think we wore them down and started beating them physically."
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ToledoBlade

Ohio State slams door
Defensive scores lift Buckeyes

By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER


COLUMBUS - The defense was supposed to be the ugly stepchild of the Ohio State football family - too young, too inexperienced, and too vulnerable to be much of an asset.

Well, that defense morphed into something handsome and virile and led a 28-6 dismantling of Penn State yesterday.

While the Buckeyes' offense trudged and slogged most of the afternoon, the defense intercepted three passes, returning two of them for touchdowns to distort the score of what had been a close game until the final minutes.

"The defense showed up big time today, and this is just what we've been waiting for," said cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, who returned an interception 61 yards for a score when Ohio State was nursing an eight-point lead with less than three minutes to play in the game. On Penn State's next series, corner Antonio Smith took an interception back 55 yards for another touchdown.

"Creating turnovers is something we've been working on as a defense. We've been preaching that since last year," senior tackle David Patterson said.

MULTIMEDIA? Ohio State vs. Penn State slideshow.The No. 1 ranked Buckeyes (4-0) weathered a wobbly performance from quarterback Troy Smith, who was picked off twice and passed for just 115 yards. Ohio State had a modest 253 yards on the day - its lowest output of the season by far.

"Offensively, we just didn't get going, and we didn't play with the consistency we need," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "But whenever you hold people to six points, you ought to have a chance."

The Ohio State pressure on Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli produced three sacks in addition to the turnovers.

"We got behind and had to throw the ball more than we would have liked," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "They held Texas to a touchdown on their own field, so we knew it wasn't going to be easy."

Smith was picked off on Ohio State's first possession of the game, ending a streak of 152 pass attempts without throwing an interception.

The only points of the first half came after a pass interference call on Jenkins set the Nittany Lions up at the OSU 40. Tony Hunt broke a couple of tackles in the backfield and got loose for a 15-yard gain as Penn State moved to the 13, and after Jenkins was called for roughing the kicker on a missed field goal attempt, Kevin Kelly moved closer with the penalty and hit a 21-yarder for a 3-0 edge.

Ohio State's longest drive of the day followed a missed Penn State field goal attempt in the third as Smith blended short passes with the running of Antonio Pittman. A screen pass to Pittman gained 17 yards and set the Buckeyes up at the 12, and on the next play Pittman broke out of a pack along the line, got hit inside the five, and extended himself to get the ball in the end zone for the touchdown. The Buckeyes struck again early in the fourth quarter with an improvisational duet by Smith and end Brian Robiskie. Working from the Penn State 37, Smith got flushed from the pocket, reversed his field under a rush, and then drilled a laser to Robiskie breaking across the goal line for a 37-yard touchdown.

Kelly closed the gap to 14-6 with a 23-yard field goal with 7:33 left in the game, but the Nittany Lions expected more after a 34-yard burst by Hunt set up a Penn State first down at the Ohio State five. On fourth down at the one, an offside penalty forced Penn State to settle for three points.

The Jenkins interception came on the next Penn State series as he snared the ball inside Ohio State territory, shot down the sideline, and cut back to avoid several tackles. That put Ohio State up 21-6, and Smith repeated the effort on the following series with his interception and return for a score.

Contact Matt Markey at:
[email protected]
or 419-724-6510.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Pick and roll

Interceptions ensure Buckeyes' win

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter

Columbus -- The field was wet, the offense soggy, and with Penn State in striking distance in the fourth quarter Saturday, Ohio State's defense found itself in an ideal and familiar position.
Quinn Pitcock's helmet was in a quarterback's stomach and Malcolm Jenkins' fingers were on the football.
Pitcock's pressure on Nittany Lions quarterback Anthony Morelli led to the second interception this season for Jenkins, and when the sophomore cornerback returned the pick 61 yards for a touchdown, the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes knew they would survive.
"We're doing a good job once we get in trouble of getting a turnover and making a play," Jenkins said.
Ohio State's off-kilter 28-6 win over Penn State featured two interceptions of quarterback Troy Smith, a scoreless first half for the offense and Penn State coach Joe Paterno running off the field for a bathroom break. But in times of need, running back Antonio Pittman proved again he's a necessity, not a luxury, pounding out 110 yards.
And the defense saved the Big Ten opener, with senior cornerback Antonio Smith adding his own interception return for a touchdown a little more than a minute after Jenkins.
Three interceptions Saturday gave Ohio State nine turnovers in four games this season after the Buckeyes forced just 12 in 12 games last year.
Without the Jenkins pick, which came with Ohio State ahead, 14-6, with 2:31 to play and Penn State having moved 36 yards on what looked like another long drive to come, there might be a new No. 1 today.
"I hit him as he was throwing," Pitcock said, describing the way he forced Penn State's raw quarterback into another mistake, "and I was actually kind of mad he threw it. But by the time I looked up, Malcolm was by me, and that kind of sealed the deal."
The deal definitely was in doubt after Penn State held a 3-0 lead at the half. Penn State gained just 84 first-half yards, but Ohio State managed only 99, Smith throwing his first interception in six games on his second pass of the game. Kevin Kelly's 21-yard field goal with no time left in the half, after Jenkins was called for roughing the kicker when Kelly shanked his first effort, gave the Nittany Lions the edge.
"Every play of the first half it seemed something wasn't working," Ohio State receiver Anthony Gonzalez said. "We were totally out of sync."
It looked a lot like last week against Cincinnati, when Ohio State trailed after the first quarter and led only 13-7 at the half. No one's made the Buckeyes (4-0) pay yet, but at No. 14 Iowa next week, a stumbling start could dig a deep hole.
"I guess we can afford it with the defense we've got," Buckeyes offensive lineman T.J. Downing said, "but sooner or later that will come back to haunt you. We've got to put the ball in the end zone in the first half. We can't wait till the second half to start it up."
That start came on a nine-play, 75-yard drive in the third quarter, Pittman gaining 49 of the yards, including slipping through a tiny gap in the line for the finishing 12-yard touchdown run.
"For the second week in a row, Antonio Pittman gave us a little burst at the time we needed it," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.
Smith then made his one stunning play of the game, turning his back and reversing field on a scramble before finding Brian Robiskie for a 37-yard touchdown and 14-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.
"When you're down and out and when things aren't going the way you want them to go, you've just got to keep going," said Smith, who finished the day 12-of-22 for 115 yards. "But the interceptions earlier in the game are something that we have to, that I have to, square away."
Ohio State barely outgained No. 24 Penn State (2-2), 253 yards to 248. The rain that forced most of the 105,266 fans at Ohio Stadium into ponchos didn't help the offensive game plan. Top receivers Gonzalez (two catches for 16 yards) and Ted Ginn Jr. (two catches for 15 yards) were neutralized.
"I don't think the weather had anything to do with it," Smith said. "Those are excuses we stay away from."
The defense has no need for excuses. Penn State did manage two long drives of 67 yards and 74 yards. But a goal-line stand, including a stuff on a third-down run from the 1-yard line, forced that second long march to end in a field goal.
"They were pounding the ball pretty good, but we pulled together and held them out," defensive end Jay Richardson said.
So walking to the locker room after the game, there were a lot of little smiles, from relief and satisfaction that the Big Ten season began with a victory.
"When you're No. 1, it doesn't matter how you win," Richardson said. "It's just that you win."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Bests from the Ohio State-Penn State game



Sunday, September 24, 2006



Best save

Troy Smith was 12-for-22 for 115 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown Saturday. Hardly the numbers of a Heisman Trophy front-runner. But his scrambling 37-yard touchdown pass to Brian Robiskie, when he actually threw the ball 53 yards in the air, is the kind of highlight that will look great on a Heisman reel. It might save his front-runner status and forgive the rest of a less-than-perfect day.

Best lesson

Malcolm Jenkins scored his first touchdown as a Buckeye when he returned an interception 61 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, increasing OSU's lead to 21-6. But for a moment he thought it wasn't a score. After catching the replay on the scoreboard, he thought he might have spiked the ball too soon. "I guess I was too excited," Jenkins said, "it being my first pick taking it to the crib. I thought I crossed the line before I saw the replay, but it was kind of crazy."

Best hit

Penn State running back Tony Hunt was trying a stutter-step in the hole on a second down run in the third quarter when strong safety Brandon Mitchell filled the gap and drove Mitchell to the ground for no gain. Mitchell was plugging Nittany Lions all over the field Saturday, separating Derrick Williams from the ball on one incompletion, nearly blocking a punt, and driving receiver Jordan Norwood to the turf after another completion.

Best change

The field is coming up. Ohio State starts tearing up the grass in Ohio Stadium today, will do some more prep work on Monday and start the resodding process on Tuesday. Everything will be ready to go by the time the Buckeyes return home to face Bowling Green on Oct. 7. The new turf will cost OSU about $100,000 and it might have a life of just four games, with an artificial surface a possibility for next year.

Best reason to be scared of T.J. Downing

As if the mohawk wasn't enough. Saturday, Ohio State's senior guard got a little riled up when Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny suffered a cut during the game and had to leave after getting blood on his uniform. Downing's reaction? "You want to see more, you want to get more on you. You see the blood, you can't stop. You can't hold back, you've got to keep getting more blood on you."

-- Doug Lesmerises

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

OHIO STATE INSIDER
Ill Paterno retreats to locker room


Sunday, September 24, 2006

Jodie Valade
Plain Dealer Reporter

Columbus- Joe Paterno hated that he had to do it. In 60 years of the college game, from the time the legendary Penn State coach was a player at Brown until this, his 41st year of coaching, Paterno has never had to walk off the field in the middle of a game. Not for any reason.
Saturday, with 7:05 left in the first half, Paterno made his first dash to the locker room, sprinting through the end zone just in front of Nittany Lions punter Jeremy Kapinos before he unleashed a 68-yard kick.
Difficult as it was for him to leave, the 79-year-old Paterno said he had no choice but to retreat to the locker room because of a bout with the flu.
It was easier than if I had stayed," Paterno joked.
Paterno said a "G.I. disease" that had bothered him during the week forced him to the locker room for the final minutes of the first half and most of the third quarter. He returned briefly to start the second half, but retreated once again before reappearing in the fourth quarter and finally staying on the sidelines.
"I got off the field, did a couple of things, felt better, and got back on the field," Paterno said, shrugging.
He playfully grew irritated with reporters who tried to ask specifics about his illness.
"Can we drop that? Because I'll say something that will make headlines," Paterno said. "Let's talk about the game. What, are you guys writing for a medical journal?"
Most of the Ohio State players and coaches didn't even notice Paterno's comings and goings.
"I talked to him before the game and after the game and never saw him in between," Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said.
Playing favorite:
This was the kind of game Antonio Pittman relishes. It was rainy. It was muddy. It was Big Ten, grind-it-out football, and the Buckeyes tailback was running the ball against Penn State.
"Without a doubt, that's what football is all about," Pittman said.
The junior's favorite kind of conditions helped him record the 11th 100-yard rushing game of his career. His 110 yards on 20 carries followed his 155-yard game last week at Cincinnati. Pittman is beginning to provide legitimate balance to an offense that had been focused primarily on passing.
"We always want to have a 100-yard back," Tressel said. "In fact, we'd love to have two if we could."
For now, the Buckeyes will have to settle for one.
"He's such a hard worker," receiver Anthony Gonzalez said. "He's a little pit bull."
Loud and clear:
When the Buckeyes fell to Penn State last year, Ohio State players credited the noise in Beaver Stadium, the raucous white-out crowd screaming throughout the game, as a major factor in the loss.
Tressel challenged Ohio State students to repay the favor by turning Ohio Stadium into a rowdy sea of red. Though the solid red was spotted with orange-and-yellow rain ponchos when the downpour began Saturday, the crowd remained loud throughout.
Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins praised the crowd for causing a fourth-and-goal false-start penalty when Penn State had the ball on the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter while trailing, 14-3.
The penalty pushed the Nittany Lions back 5 yards and forced a field goal.
Quick hits:
Gonzalez had two receptions for 16 yards, but the junior from St. Ignatius wasn't happy with his game. "To be quite honest, that was probably the worst game I've played since I've been here," he said. . . . Don't tell the Ohio State defense it is starting to become the anchor for the Buckeyes like it was last year. The defense would prefer it continued to get little respect. "That's one of the things that makes us good - we have a chip on our shoulders," safety Brandon Mitchell said.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4654

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- In about the time it took 79-year-old Joe Paterno to jog to the locker room, Troy Smith and No. 1 Ohio State's defense turned a close game into a rout.
Smith threw an acrobatic 37-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter, then Malcolm Jenkins and Antonio Smith returned interceptions for touchdowns as the Buckeyes beat No. 24 Penn State 28-6 on Saturday.
"In the Big Ten, it's always a four-quarter game," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "We won a four-quarter game."
Paterno, the Nittany Lions' coach for the last 41 years, ambled to the locker room midway through the second quarter and didn't return until the start of the fourth because he was suffering from the flu.
He got back just in time to see Smith turn a possible sack into a critical score as the Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) expanded a 7-3 lead on Brian Robiskie's 37-yard touchdown catch.
"That play that Smith made when we almost had him, he threw that ball on the button in end zone," Paterno said. "That was a super play."
On a day when Penn State's defense put the clamps on Smith and his favorite target, Ted Ginn Jr., the Buckeyes persevered.
"The mark of a championship-caliber team is to keep plugging along -- to keep going, keep going, keep going," said Smith, who said he went against a Tressel rule by reversing field on the pass to Robiskie. "I tried to improvise and keep things going."
With the Nittany Lions (2-2, 0-1) seeking a touchdown and 2-point conversion that would tie it, Jenkins picked off an Anthony Morelli pass and raced down the left sideline 61 yards for a score to make it 21-6 with 2:31 left.
The play was reviewed by officials to check if Jenkins had stepped out at the Penn State 35. But several replay angles appeared to show Jenkins spiking the ball to the ground before he got into the end zone.
"I was lucky they didn't review me spiking the ball on the 1-yard line," Jenkins said with a grin.
Moments later, Antonio Smith stepped in front of a pass by Morelli meant for Deon Butler and sped along the same route as Jenkins for a 55-yard score.
Just that quickly -- a span of a little under 12 minutes, the last two TDs separated by less than 90 seconds -- the Buckeyes made the win appear easier than it really was.
The victory extended Ohio State's winning streak to 11 in a row, dating to last year's 17-10 loss at Penn State. The teams ended up sharing the Big Ten title in 2005.
"The game lived up to exactly what it was supposed to be," Ohio State center Doug Datish said. "It was a backyard brawl."
Penn State took a 3-0 lead at the half when Tony Hunt (24 carries, 135 yards) and Morelli (16-of-25 for 105 yards with three interceptions) led the Nittany Lions into field-goal range. Kevin Kelly yanked a 23-yard attempt with 3 seconds left but he was roughed by Jenkins. Given a second chance. Kelly converted a 21-yarder with no time left.
A heavy downpour slowed to a sprinkle in the second half.
The Buckeyes finally broke through on their second possession of the third quarter, driving 75 yards in nine plays, capped by Antonio Pittman's 12-yard run up the middle. Pittman finished with 110 yards rushing on 20 carries.
Paterno probably wished he hadn't come back for the final quarter.
Just five plays after Paterno returned, Troy Smith (12-of-22 for 115 yards and two interceptions) made it 14-3, rolling right to avoid the rush and then doubling back before heaving the ball 60 yards to Robiskie in the Ohio State end zone.
"We have a saying: 'Who says we can't score every time we get the ball?"' said Smith, who had a string of 152 consecutive passes without an interception end on his second throw of the day.
Paterno said he saw enough to know the difference in the outcome.
"We were very competitive until the end when we made two major mistakes," he said, running his hand through his wet hair. "That's a good football team we were playing in a tough stadium. We had a chance to win it."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

TelegraphForum

Buckeyes switch over to secondary power
By JON SPENCER
For The Advocate



COLUMBUS -- A trend continued Saturday that kept Ohio State wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez scratching his clean-shaven head. In the Buckeyes' last three home games with Penn State, the offense has failed to outscore the defense -- and Ohio State has won them all.

It's a little crazy," Gonzalez said after two fourth-quarter interception returns for touchdowns cemented a 28-6 victory in the Big Ten opener for the top-ranked Buckeyes. "I don't know what it is about the Penn State defense, but for some reason we always struggle against them. It's always a grind-it-out type of game. "We were fortunate to get the win, primarily because of our defense."

Interception returns of 61 yards by Malcolm Jenkins and 55 yards by Antonio Smith in the final 2:31 made a day-long struggle under rainy skies look more like a rout.
Everyone who viewed the game knows differently, but that's only one reason coaching icon Joe Paterno once again left Ohio Stadium feeling queasy. An undisclosed bug sent his 79-year-old legs running for the locker room halfway through the second quarter.
Too bad he didn't stay there.
Paterno returned in time for the fourth quarter when it was still a 7-3 game, only to see the Buckeyes score on a broken play, his offense get stoned at the goal -line and two ill-fated passes go back the other way to seal Penn State's fate.
"It was a lot easier (to go off the field) than if I would've stayed on," Paterno said. "What are you guys writing ... a medical journal?"
Paterno had a right to be cranky. The Lions have allowed three offensive touchdowns in their last three visits to Columbus and have nothing to show for it. They've been done in by four defensive touchdowns -- all on interceptions -- and a special teams score.
This time, Penn State was victimized by a young defense. Now, everyone sees playmakers, led by sophomore middle linebacker James Laurinaitis.
Not only did he post a team-high 10 tackles and outplay Penn State's Paul Posluszny, the reigning Butkus Award winner, but Laurinaitis recorded his third interception of the year.
Asked if he's bidding for a spot in the secondary, Laurinaitis joked, "I don't have the speed to be a defensive back. Next time I get one I'm going to have to pitch it back to Malcolm (Jenkins)."
The 24th-ranked Lions (2-2) were in deep trouble even before Jenkins' tightrope act on his zig-zagging sideline return preceded Smith's copycat heroics.
Ohio State (4-0) overcame a 3-0 halftime deficit, finally breaking into the scoring column on a 12-yard run by Antonio Pittman (20 carries, 110 yards) with 9:06 left in the third quarter.
But the killer blow came on a fourth-quarter play that initially spelled trouble for the Buckeyes.
Flushed from the pocket, quarterback Troy Smith spun away from end Tim Shaw and fired a 37-yard pass to sophomore split end Brian Robiskie in the middle of the end zone.
That stretched the lead to 14-3 with 12:56 to play and loomed even larger when the Lions had to settle for a field goal after stalling at the 1-yard line on the ensuing series.
Two interceptions and underwhelming numbers (12-of-22, 115 yards) might have cost Smith his frontrunner status in the Heisman race.
But he's still at the controls of an unbeaten team, which will always get the attention of voters.
"You always know he can keep a play going," said Robiskie, savoring the first touchdown of his career. "A 'hitch' was called and when I turned back for the ball, I saw he was rolling out. I just decided to keep working because I knew he wasn't going to quit."
None of the Buckeyes did, earning points with coach Jim Tressel if not style points with the pollsters.
"I've never been accused of style," Tressel said. "I know when you get into conference play, there's nothing stylish about it. They're battles."


Originally published September 24, 2006

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Reverse puts OSU in drive

Troy Smith's scramble sends Buckeyes on way to victory

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

COLUMBUS - In terms of importance, sophomore cornerback Malcolm Jenkins made the biggest of Ohio State's big plays Saturday with his interception and 61-yard return for the game-clinching touchdown in a 28-6 win over Penn State.
But in terms of lore, Troy Smith's scrambling 37-yard scoring strike to Brian Robiskie will be the moment that is talked about for years.
With OSU leading by four points early in the fourth quarter, senior quarterback Smith disdained coach Jim Tressel's advice and reversed field to escape the rush of Penn State defensive end Tim Shaw. Then Smith paused at his 48-yard line, set his feet and fired a bullet to Robiskie, a sophomore who was streaking toward the middle of the end zone. Robiskie leaped to pull it in.
``He's one of the best quarterbacks I've ever seen in college football,'' OSU junior right tackle Kirk Barton said. ``When he made that play I was like, `Hello, Heisman.' ''
For most of the rainy afternoon at Ohio Stadium, neither a Heisman Trophy for Smith nor a national title appeared to be in OSU's future. But the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) poured on 21 fourth-quarter points, scoring twice on interception returns by Jenkins and former walk-on Antonio Smith in the final 2:31.
They avenged a disappointing loss in State College last year, stopping Penn State (2-2, 0-1) in both teams' Big Ten opener.
Ohio State, which will visit No. 14 Iowa on Saturday (8 p.m., WEWS, Ch. 5), came up with three interceptions, including sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis' third in the past three games. The Buckeyes have picked off eight passes this season after getting six all of last year. They have nine takeaways, three away from the 2005 total.
It was the first time OSU had returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a game since Sept. 7, 2002, in a 51-17 home victory over Kent State.
``You can't give up big plays in a game like this,'' said Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who spent part of the second and third quarters in the locker room due to the flu.
OSU junior tailback Antonio Pittman of Buchtel High School had his second consecutive 100-yard game with 20 carries for 110 yards and a 12-yard touchdown with 9:06 left in the third quarter to put OSU ahead for good at 7-3. Pittman had 49 of the drive's 75 yards, rushing three times for 32 yards and catching a screen pass for 17. He has scored in nine consecutive games.
Except for one play, Smith was unspectacular, completing 12-of-22 passes for 115 yards. He threw two interceptions, snapping his streak of 152 attempts without an interception. He also ran three times for 18 yards. But in a span of perhaps 10 seconds, his sub-par day was forgotten.
``The first read wasn't there,'' Smith said of the touchdown throw to Robiskie. ``I tried to come back and look to the other side of the field, but it was kind of clogged up and crowded. I just tried to improvise and keep things going. The Penn State defender was making up ground on me.
``I did one of the things Coach always says don't do and that's reverse field. Brian Robiskie stayed with me. We practice scrambling drills like that all the time. The line gave me enough time to reverse field and put the ball in the air and Robo went up and made a great catch. You need moments like that when you're down and out, when things aren't going the way you want them to go.''
Tressel didn't like Smith's decision on the play, but he liked the result.
``I don't like Troy to reverse field that deep because if it's a fast guy, we're going to have a problem,'' Tressel said. ``Like if he wants to change the play, that's fine if it works. If he wants to reverse field, it better be a touchdown. But like he said, sometimes there's moments where you just feel like you need to do something.''
Smith said Robiskie also might have bent the rules.
``Usually the guys who are deep are supposed to come back and the guys who are up close are supposed to go deep,'' Smith said. ``We all mixed and matched a little bit on that play.''
Robiskie said that wasn't the case.
``I think I was running a short hitch,'' Robiskie said. ``I saw Troy had rolled out, so I kind of rolled outside and went downfield. I saw Troy roll back to the left, so I took it back across the field. I couldn't quit on him.''
As for the catch, Robiskie said: ``I know that ball was in the air for a long time. I was waiting for it to come down.''
Junior slot receiver Anthony Gonzalez could imagine how agonizing that was for Robiskie.
``That ball was sitting up there for a long time. I'm just glad he caught it,'' Gonzalez said. ``Not that I doubted he was going to catch it because he always catches everything.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Buckeyes' defense intercepts attention

Lack of star power only energizes performance, leaving JoePa nothing but ill

By Tom Reed

COLUMBUS - The Ohio State defense kept everyone wearing Penn State blue out of the end zone Saturday afternoon except for the fleet-footed, flu-ridden Joe Paterno.
Bolting unexpectedly from the visitors' sidelines, Paterno, the 79-year-old Penn State coach, cut diagonally across the field and dashed untouched to the locker room midway through the second quarter. It brought new meaning to the phrase: ``Joe Must Go.''
The well-known coach was fine. The unheralded Buckeyes' defense was better.
OSU defenders not only outplayed their highly touted offensive teammates, they outscored the Nittany Lions in a 28-6 victory at Ohio Stadium.
The Buckeyes' defense used a pivotal fourth-quarter goal-line stand and two touchdowns off interceptions to transform a potential upset into a bizarre 22-point win.
Not bad for a unit that is supposed to be a liability in OSU's pursuit of another national title. Nine new starters. A walk-on playing cornerback. Who are these guys?
You've heard of Grey's Anatomy. This is Scarlet & Gray's Anonymity.
``We've got a chip on our shoulder because nobody thinks we're any good,'' OSU senior safety Brandon Mitchell said. ``It just gives us more motivation.''
This isn't the shut-down Buckeyes defense of a season ago. It lacks the flair. It lacks the hair. No A.J. Hawk. No Bobby Carpenter. No Donte Whitner. No sure-fire NFL first-rounders.
Four games into the season, however, the No. 1 Buckeyes have not yielded a rushing touchdown. They have created nine turnovers. They entered play Saturday ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense (8.7 points) and improved on the total.
Does that mean players such as defensive tackle David Patterson, end Vernon Gholston and safety Mitchell might start getting some individual recognition?
``I hope not,'' defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said. ``The strength of this defense is that these guys don't care who gets the credit.''
The Heisman hopefuls reside on the other side of the game day flip cards. Quarterback Troy Smith and receiver Ted Ginn Jr. command much of the attention. Running back Antonio Pittman and receiver Anthony Gonzalez receive their share, as well.
The Buckeyes' offense had little working for it against the Nittany Lions. Scoreless at halftime. Ordinary for long stretches. It's the kind of performance some pundits thought could get the Buckeyes beat -- and it still might.
OSU cannot afford another flat effort against Iowa and its veteran quarterback Drew Tate. You can bet Tate or Chad Henne would have done more with the opportunities that Penn State's Anthony Morelli squandered.
Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel still must take comfort knowing his defense can keep the team in a game long enough for the offense to make a play as it did Saturday with Smith's 37-yard thunderbolt to Brian Robiskie.
``They've incrementally gotten better,'' Tressel said of his defense.
The Buckeyes' defense remains a work in progress, especially against the run. Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe rushed for 171 yards. Penn State's Tony Hunt ground out 135 yards.
Opponents are running everywhere except in the end zone. OSU held the Lions off the board after Smith's third-quarter interception gave them possession at the Buckeyes' 26. The goal-line stand in the fourth quarter prevented the Nittany Lions from closing within a touchdown.
Such character tests are how an inexperienced defense gains confidence. A couple of interception returns for touchdowns can't hurt either. The Buckeyes have football boosters with more high profiles than cornerbacks Malcolm Jenkins and Antonio Smith, but the first-year starters each contributed fourth-quarter touchdowns.
``I was really happy for those guys,'' said linebacker James Laurinaitis, who collected his third interception. ``Malcolm and Antonio deserve their credibility.''
Antonio Smith embodies the no-fame defense. The senior arrived at OSU on an academic scholarship, walked on to the football team and spent three seasons toiling on special teams.
Having waited for his chance, Smith is now running with it.
He might not keep pace with Paterno, who has outrun time, but Smith and the Buckeyes' defense definitely have found their stride.

 

[NightmaresDad]

If he takes a good angle theres no way he can slip. If I remember the replay correctly (the one from the endzone cam), Freeman came from the left of the screen and Hunt cut across his face. He needs to take a better angle so he can't cut back. Maybe I am recalling the replay wrong but I beleive that is what happened.

No, Freeman was in the hole the whole time. Laurinaitis is the one who took himself completely out of the play by going way over to his left, then getting sealed off. Freeman was there to make the play but slipped.
Laurinaitis had a great first quarter, then spent the rest of the game now having a clue where the ball was on about half the plays.
But we kind of knew this was going to happen - inconsistencies, giving up more big plays / yards, but also alot of talent and making big plays.
Those D-Linemen are studs, though, for sure.

 

[scooter1369]

The crowd was fired up yesterday. I didn't get home until nearly 9pm after hanging out in the RV lot with some friends and getting a light for my Macanudo from a Penn State fan.

My voice is gone. Worst its been since Texas last year. Tried to say something to my kids this morning and it came out sounding like a cat's dying breath.

As a favor a for a close friend, I walked a guy about my age through his first Ohio State game. This guy is a Miami Hurricanes fan. He couldn't imagine the scene on Lane Avenue. It had him in awe. We stopped by the gameday set at about 2:00. Nothing was going on but the scUM/Wisky game on the big screen. We high tailed it for the Shoe. He commented on how big the stadium looked. But once inside he said "The place looks so much bigger on TV."

He was a band geek in high school, so the ramp entrance impressed him. As did Script Ohio. When the entered the field, I looked over at him and was wide eyed mouthing "WOW" to himself. He leaned over and said something like "is it always this loud?" I told him hadn't heard shit yet, wait til a third down.

All in all, by the end of the day, Mr. Da "U" fan was yelling "OH" and getting deafening "IO"s in return.

Saving souls, one Saturday at a time, in the Church of Chic Harley.

 

[Buckeye86]

He was a band geek in high school, so the ramp entrance impressed him. As did Script Ohio. When the entered the field, I looked over at him and was wide eyed mouthing "WOW" to himself. He leaned over and said something like "is it always this loud?" I told him hadn't heard shit yet, wait til a third down.

That 4th and goal when they jumped offsides and had to settle for a field goal was probably the loudest it got all day. Hopefully some recruits came away impressed.

Also, it seems like more and more fans are staying (at least half this time) to sing Carmen Ohio with the team... very cool.

 

[Best Buckeye]

Also, it seems like more and more fans are staying (at least half this time) to sing Carmen Ohio with the team... very cool.

I thought there was more than half that stayed after the Cinci game. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy lol

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Some post-game thoughts:

1. If someone said, "Ohio State didn't win that game, Penn State lost it," I would be hard-pressed to disagree with him. A missed FG, a false start on fourth-and-goal from the one, an ugly "pick six" during the potential game-tying drive. That being said, a win is a win is a win, and a win against Penn State has for some reason been a very difficult task during the Tressel regime. On to Iowa City.

2. The reason that the pass defense was so solid yesterday was that the Bucks got great pressure from the front four and rarely (if ever) blitzed. It also helped that Morelli played like a high school QB - not the kind of performance that one would expect from a former 5-star, blue chip, all-everything recruit. But I'll take it.

3. The pass to Robiskie might have been Smith's "Holy Buckeye" moment, but the defense had to go and ruin it for him by returning two interceptions for touchdowns.

4. Alex Boone played much better yesterday, and looked good both run blocking and pass blocking. A lot of Pitt's better runs were to the left side, and on his 12-yard TD, Boone picked off a LB down field to help get Pitt the extra few yards he needed for paydirt.

5. Freeman and Kerr need to find nice cozy spots on the bench. The run defense really suffers when those two are in the game. And speaking of the run defense, if it doesn't stiffen up a little bit (quite a little bit, actually), I can see some RB having a Biakabatuka-like performance against the Bucks. Or maybe Garrett Wolfe already did that....

6. Laurinaitis is a playmaker. Period. Right place, right time, makes the most of his chances, and all that. He also does the dirty work. Can he still improve? Yes - but that's a good thing (can you imagine him being even better...? ) Comparing him to other Buckeye MLB's as sophomores, he's a little behind Spielman and Katzemoyer, but ahead of Tovar and Wilhelm; all four were All-Americans. JL will be one as well.

7. Jenkins is good. No, I mean GOOD!

8. Props to Yao Smith for some extra icing on the cake. After last year's debacle in Happy Valley, the pick sixes were very nice going away presents for the Nits.

9. Troy played kind of like he played last year against Penn State, except that he made the one big play when it counted. Let's hope that this year's post-PSU performance also matches last year's.

10. Ginn and Gonzo didn't do much, but that's what happens when your QB has an off day, the opposing defense takes away your favorite routes, and the weather doesn't cooperate. They'll be back - soon.

11. Pitt was Pitt - solid but not spectacular, which is often what a team needs in games like yesterday's. Grind it out, move the chains, score a TD, wait for Troy to make a Heisman play, let the defense ice the victory.

12. The other Pit - Quinn Pitcock - had another great day, consistently blowing up PSU's interior line. He's playing like an All-American. The knock against Pitcock beforfe this season (at least my knock against him) was that he wasn't a playmaker. Oh, he'd do the dirty work inside, but he never seemed to make the big play. Not so this season - he's a terror on the interior of the Buckeyes' defensive line. Through just four games this season, Quinn already has 14 tackles, 5.5 TFL's, and 4 sacks; last year, he had 28 tackles, 3 TFL's, and just one sack for the entire season.

13. Some kid named Robert Rose might just have a future with this team.

14. The differences between this year's defense and last year's are: (a) this year, the defense is much more opportunistic, forcing many more turnovers. And, not only are they taking the ball away, but they are doing it at crucial moments of the game, often when the opponent is in or near the red zone, and they are getting huge field position advantages from the turnovers (plays of 61, 55, 49, 48, and 25 yards, two scores). (b) The d-line play is much better - you win in the trenches, and the Bucks' defensive line is talented and deep.

15. Teams with discipline and character win ugly games.