Game Thread Game Nine: #1 tOSU 44, Minnesota 0 (10/28/06)

[UpNorthBuckeye]

The bad weather doesn't scare me except for one thing - injuries.

Otherwise, our habit of playing two deep at every position will help us a lot. I just think it is tiring to try to play on soggy turf (and that Ohio Stadium turf oughta be coming up in chunks).

The injury thing is scary, someone might tear an ACL sliding sideways or something.

But really: on a muddy field, can Minnesota's D stop Beanie Wells running behind Rehring, Boone, Datish and Stan White, Jr???

Shoot, Troy is still gonna have stats like, 16-21, 3 TDs, 265 yards.

Go Bucks!

 

[daddyphatsacs]

The weather situation got more interesting, a high wind watch just was issued for tomorrow. It's listed below.

HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH
SATURDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING.

SUSTAINED WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 20 TO 30 MPH CAN BE
EXPECTED ON SATURDAY WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

SUSTAINED WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 20 TO 30 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ON SATURDAY WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH.

Hopefully the wind down on the field won't be as bad...not sure how much will be blocked by the stadium structure.

 

[JXC]

It's it's rainy and that windy, this may not be one of Troy's best days. He has experience this year with Penn State and Michigan State...but the wind at Michigan State wasn't that bad...it was no where near 55 MPH. The worst wind i've seen a game played in personally was probably Purdue 2002. Krenzel threw that TD pass into the face of that win, probably as hard as he could throw the ball...the wind just caught it and dropped it right in Jenkins hands.

All I care about is a W and no injuries in this game. If we get that then you can't go wrong. If it's a close game or there is bad weather or other things to deal with, that just adds experience to the team...but if it causes injuries or a chance to lose, then it worries me.

 

[Taosman]

I get the game on ABC east coast.
Uh Oh! We go up by 4 tds, that means more "Bogus coverage"!

 

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

I hope I don't blow out of C Deck.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Ohio State vs. Minnesota: Position-by-position analysis, prediction


By Kyle Nagel
Staff Writer


Saturday, October 28, 2006


You would think that the Ohio State fans would be a little more worried about the Buckeyes' game this afternoon against Minnesota and the following matchups against Illinois and Northwestern if they had been challenged by the teams they're supposed to beat. But that hasn't happened.
It was pretty well accepted that Texas and Iowa provided the toughest two challenges before Michigan on the OSU schedule. Every other team the Buckeyes were supposed to handle ? and they have, by an average winning margin of 29 points.
Quarterback

Minnesota senior Bryan Cupito is good (193.5 passing ypg, 59.4 completion percentage). But, as good as Troy Smith? Not quite. Smith is 30th nationally with 230.1 total yards per game.
EDGE: OSU
Running back
It's eerie how similar the rushing numbers are. Each team has three backs that carry
the ball, and Minnesota has gained a solid reputation as a running team.
EDGE: Even
Receivers
Both teams have multiple receivers who can provide big plays (a combined 11 players from the two teams have caught a pass for at least 30 yards), but OSU is just too deep.
EDGE: OSU
Offensive line
Minnesota may have older players, but OSU has the size (312.8 pounds average to Gophers' 298). It's also eight sacks allowed (OSU) to 13 sacks allowed (Minnesota).
EDGE: OSU

Defensive line
With three fifth-year seniors on the line, Ohio State has great leadership. That line also has claimed or aided 28 sacks, while Minnesota has 16.
EDGE: OSU

Linebackers
Tough to find a better middle linebacker than OSU's James Laurinaitis, but Minnesota has a good one in junior Mike Sherels. Gophers have good speed, but not the bulk to go with it.
EDGE: OSU

Defensive backs
Minnesota stands ninth in the conference in pass defense, and Ohio State is third.
Troy Smith likes the 223 passing yards per game that the Gophers allow.
EDGE: OSU

Special teams
You've got the top two punt returners in the Big Ten (Ted Ginn Jr., Minnesota's
Dominic Jones), and comparable numbers in punting and field goals.
EDGE: Even

Prediction
Ohio State 31, Minnesota 6

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

OSU SPOTLIGHT
Buckeye blowouts build depth


By Kyle Nagel
Staff Writer


Saturday, October 28, 2006


As the Ohio State football team has moved through its schedule this season with relative ease, the Buckeyes haven't faced much second-half drama.
In each game, OSU (8-0) has held firm control by the fourth quarter, at the latest. They've entered the halftime locker room with an average lead of two touchdowns while maintaining the country's top ranking entering today's homecoming game against Minnesota.
Such leads and lack of late-game sweats have allowed coach Jim Tressel to produce something invaluable for college football teams ? experience for his younger players.
In eight games, 26 players have been credited with some sort of offensive yardage, and all four of the Buckeyes scholarship, non-redshirting quarterbacks have seen playing time.
Meanwhile, 36 players have made at least one tackle (although a few of those are offensive players following turnovers).
Even last year, as the Buckeyes went up big, Tressel inserted the inexperienced players, which eased the transition of nine new defensive starters when this season began.
"A lot of the guys that have gotten reps haven't necessarily got them when the fire's real hot and the game is on the line, and I don't know that you know totally about someone until they're in that situation," Tressel said.
Some worried about how the OSU defense would react to losing starters David Patterson (defensive tackle) and Anderson Russell (free safety) to injuries. In the two games Patterson has missed, the defense has allowed seven points to Michigan State and three to Indiana.
Antonio Smith, a fifth-year senior cornerback, credits the Buckeyes' depth.
"The defensive unit, a lot of people didn't give us a lot of credit, saying we were young and inexperienced," Smith said. "But one thing we knew within ourselves was we have a lot of talent and a lot of depth at every position.
"When a guy goes down, the next guy is ready to step in, and it's not much of a drop-off. We practice like that each week."
One concern could be playing the starters enough to keep them sharp. As the Ohio State lead increased against Indiana last Saturday in what became a 44-3 victory, multiple defense players were substituted.
"I hope that we're getting the seasoning we need, but we'll find out," Tressel said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

Mason returns home to OSU

BY JON SPENCER | THE MANSFIELD NEWS JOURNAL

COLUMBUS - There will be extra electricity inside Ohio Stadium today. Golf legend and Ohio State alum Jack Nicklaus is dotting the "i" in Script Ohio. The 1961 national championship squad is holding a reunion. And it's homecoming, which is a big deal to folks wearing Buckeye necklaces even if it is soooo high school to OSU tailback Antonio Pittman.
He'll be feeling the love, as usual, just not a special buzz. "It's not like a dance for us," Pittman said flatly.
If anybody gets sentimental, it will be the guy running the show on the other sideline. Minnesota coach Glen Mason is an OSU graduate and former assistant.
Another wave of nostalgia is sure to hit Mason before today's game against the top-ranked Buckeyes. It will provide temporary relief - at least until kickoff - for a man dealing with a lot of grief back home
Mason is under fire because his 10-year plan at Minnesota hasn't produced a program deserving of mention with the Ohio States and Michigans. No matter that he doesn't have the resources to compete consistently with those schools or that the program was in shambles upon his arrival in 1997.
What matters is that a string of four straight bowl appearances is about to be snapped. The 3-5 Gophers are 0-4 in the Big Ten, magnifying the fact that they've never finished higher than fourth in the standings or cracked the top 10 in the polls under Mason.
If Mason can survive October, he can survive anything. The month began with an overtime loss to Penn State, decided by a missed extra point. Then came a 48-12 blowout by Wisconsin followed by last week's embarrassing 10-9 win at home over I-AA North Dakota State. The Gophers were thoroughly beaten everywhere but on the scoreboard and needed a blocked field goal on the final play to escape.
Taking the frustration to another level for Mason was criticism this week from former star tailback Laurence Maroney. While disagreeing with fans who want Mason fired, he questioned the coach's ability to recognize and utilize his talent.
Maroney is one of only three backs in Big Ten history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. Now an NFL Rookie of the Year candidate with the New England Patriots, he said Mason wasn't the reason he skipped his final season with the Gophers.
But Maroney's exit, the loss of tandem 1,000-yard back Chris Russell (grades) and the departure of three offensive linemen, including All-America center Greg Eslinger, crippled the Gophers.
After ranking in the top five nationally in rushing the last three years, Minnesota is seventh in the Big Ten this season. That has put more of the onus on senior quarterback Bryan Cupito, a McNicholas product and one of 17 Ohioans on the Gophers' roster.
Cupito was definitely up to the challenge last year against the Buckeyes, throwing for 396 yards in the Gophers' 45-31 loss. Minnesota's 578 yards in that game was the second-highest total ever allowed by Ohio State, but the Gophers couldn't overcome a 100-yard kickoff return by Ted Ginn Jr., three touchdown passes by Troy Smith or Pittman's performance (186 yards rushing, two TDs).

No. 1 Ohio State vs. MinnesotaKickoff: 3:30 p.m. today, Ohio Stadium

Records: Ohio State 8-0 (4-0 Big Ten), Minnesota 3-5 (0-4)

TV: ABC

Radio: WOXY-FM (97.7), WING-AM (1410), WAOL-FM (99.5)

Series: Ohio State leads 38-7.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

OSU vs. MINNESOTA TODAY
Saturday, October 28, 2006

KICKOFF 3:30 p.m. today, Ohio Stadium, Columbus

TV ABC (Channel 5) with Mark Jones, David Norrie and Stacey Dales.
RADIO Ohio State Radio Network (WHBC-AM 1480, WKNR-AM 850, WAKR-AM 1590) with Paul Keels, Jim Lachey and Marty Bannister.
ODDS Ohio State is a 27 point favorite.
THE SERIES The Buckeyes lead the series, 38-7, and have lost just three times in 22 games against Minnesota at Ohio Stadium. The Golden Gophers' last win was a 29-17 victory in 2000 in Columbus. OSU has won 19 of the last 20 games.
THEY'RE FROM MINNESOTA Actress Loni Anderson is a Minnesota graduate and Jessica Lange was an art major before going abroad. Robert Zimmerman enrolled as a freshman in 1959 and later changed his name to Bob Dylan. He left college before the end of his freshman year. The late Henry Fonda was a journalism major, but he did not graduate. Famous athletes who graduate or attended Minnesota include Bronco Nagurski, Kevin McHale, Leo Nomellini, Flip Saunders and Dave Winfield.
GETTING TO KNOW GLEN MASON This is Mason's 10th season at Minnesota and he has done there what he's done everywhere he has coached: Resurrect a struggling program. In fact, Minnesota fans have long forgotten the lean years before Mason's arrival and booed him in last week's ugly win against Division I-AA North Dakota State. This is his 21st season as a Division I head coach. Mason was a finalist for the head coaching position at Ohio State when Jim Tressel was hired. The New Jersey native has an Ohio background. He played football for the Buckeyes and graduated from OSU in 1972. In 1978-79, he was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes and the offensive coordinator from 1980-85. The next year, he was hired as Kent State's head coach. The Golden Gophers have gone to six bowl games in the last seven years under Mason. Mason, 56, is married to a dentist, Kate, and they have five children.
WHEN OSU HAS THE BALL The Big Ten's ninth-ranked defense comes to Ohio Stadium after the Buckeyes hung 540 yards of offense Indiana. RB Antonio Pittman should have a solid game. The OSU OL has a decided advantage as another smallish group stands in front of them. OTs Kirk Barton and Alex Boone will get a good test going against DEs Willy VanDeSteeg and Steve Davis. However, both DEs can take themselves out of plays, which means QB Troy Smith on the perimeter with run-pass options should be open. Smith plays well against Minnesota, but he could be in for a big game today. Now is usually the point in the schedule that Tressel starts to unveil more and more offense as the Buckeyes are pointing toward a Nov. 18 game against Michigan. This could be the time when Smith separates himself from the rest of the Heisman Trophy candidates. The Buckeyes are averaging 410 yards of offense. Pittman averages 97 yards rushing, so look for him to go well over 100 today to raise his average. The Buckeyes are putting up points and yards because they have turned the ball over just four times in the last seven games. Meanwhile, opposing offenses have turned it over 16 times. There is some question as to how much WR Ted Ginn Jr. will play. The guess is he will play in the first half and yield to Roy Hall, Ray Small, Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie.
WHEN MINNESOTA HAS THE BALL The Golden Gophers are averaging 359 yards, but they're going against a Buckeye defense that allows 270. More of a concern is the 8 points the Buckeyes are averaging a week. Minnesota scored 10 points against North Dakota State, and that game was in the Metrodome. QB Bryan Cupito is a solid player, and one of the better QBs the Buckeyes will face this season. But the OL has struggled to protect him. Cupito has been sacked 13 times. Usually, Cupito makes good decisions. He's only thrown four interceptions. The RBs are Amir Pinnix and Alex Daniels. Pinnix is the better of the two, averaging about 5 yards a carry and has emerged as a go-to guy the last couple of weeks. Logan Payne and Matt Spaeth catch most of the passes. They each have 35 receptions, double that of the next WR on Minnesota's roster.
NOTABLE GlenOak graduate Jason Giannini is the place-kicker for the Gophers. He has made 6-of-9 field goals and 25-of-27 PATs. His longest FG was a 41-yarder against Temple. ... Minnesota has 17 players on its roster from Ohio. That's the most players from a state other than Minnesota. ... OSU defense has given up 17 combined points in the last three games. Minnesota has scored 20 or more points in 50 of its last 60 games. ... It's homecoming week at Ohio State, and the 1956 and '61 teams will have reunions and be introduced at halftime. Golfing great Jack Nicklaus will dot the "i" in Script Ohio. ... The Buckeye defense has held opponents to a TD or less in six of their eight games. ... An OSU win today would make this the 10th team in Buckeye history to start 9-0. ... During the Buckeyes' 15-game winning streak, they have wins over Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Penn State and Iowa. Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas are college football's top three all-time winning programs. TODD PORTER

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

OHIO STATE INSIDER

Last year's Gopher onslaught left impression



Friday, October 27, 2006

Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter

Columbus -- The reminders are taped inside the lockers of the Buckeyes this week: 578 yards allowed against Minnesota last season, the second-most yards ever given up by an Ohio State defense, with 396 of those yards coming through the air.
"It reminds us you'd better be ready to go," Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "Last year we came in saying that if we stopped the run, we'd be all right, and they put up almost 400 yards throwing."
The quarterback (Bryan Cupito) and two of the five leading receivers (Logan Payne and Ernie Wheelwright) return from that effort, but the Buckeyes are catching a break with the absence of tight end Matt Spaeth. He's the Gophers' second-leading receiver this season, but will be out Saturday with an injury. Minnesota is averaging 359 yards of offense per game this season (49th in the country), and gained just 249 yards in a 10-9 win over Division I-AA North Dakota State last week.
"We've fallen off the map offensively," said Minnesota coach Glen Mason, who also took no pleasure in last season's big stats. "When you start looking at statistics, it doesn't mean anything unless you win the game. We gained the second-most yards in Ohio State history on that defense, but it doesn't mean anything."
Still the Buckeyes are somewhat haunted by the aerial display that took place inside the Metrodome last season in a 45-31 Ohio State victory, especially since Minnesota's receivers are coached by Luke Tressel, the nephew of Ohio State's head man.
"My daughter said last year she hoped that we would win and that Minnesota's receivers would have a great game," Jim Tressel said, "and I told her, This year you'd better not have the same wish, because they had too great a game.' "
Uncle Tressel:
This is the second time this season an opposing coach might be yelling "uncle" when Ohio State gets done with his team. It's Luke Tressel this Saturday, and earlier this season, Ohio State faced Mike Tressel, the linebackers coach for Cincinnati.
Both young Tressels are the sons of Ohio State running backs coach Dick Tressel. The sons informed their mom, Connie, that she doesn't have to be conflicted on game day.
"Both sons have come to a realization, and they told their mom, You're allowed to cheer for the Buckeyes because we can't be national champions and they can be,' " Dick Tressel said. "How's that for a fair deal?"
Could have been a Gopher:
Laurinaitis, the only Minnesota player on the Ohio roster, was close to being a member of the visiting team in this game. He originally committed to the Gophers, or so some people thought, and Ohio State didn't recruit him until his senior year of high school
"It was a communication thing," Laurinaitis said. "It was taken as a commitment and that's how it went. After I had my visit here, it was a no-brainer for me."
Laurinaitis has several friends on the team, including his best friend, Minnesota starting safety Dom Barber, who's the younger brother of former Gopher running back Marion Barber. So he doesn't think the team he almost played for or his home state is out to get him.
"I don't think there's any hard feelings," Laurinaitis said. "Lots of people said they were happy for me rather than hating on me for leaving and coming here."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

OSU remembers Minnesota shipwreck

Saturday, October 28, 2006

By RUSTY MILLER AP Sports Writer


COLUMBUS - The Ohio State Buckeyes still are scratching their heads over what went wrong last year at Minnesota.

They won the game, 45-31, but remain mortified that the Golden Gophers had 578 yards of offense and 396 yards passing against a Buckeye defense that featured three first-round NFL draft picks and three other players taken in the top four rounds.

"That's definitely been emphasized, about how Minnesota got all those yards against us," defensive back Antonio Smith said. "It might have been the second-most in history, or 100 years, or whatever it may be."

Close. The 578 yards is the second-most against Ohio State in 117 years of intercollegiate football, overshadowed only by the 659 yards amassed by Illinois in 1980 (also in an Ohio State victory).

Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito's 396 yards passing ranks in the top 10 all-time against the Buckeyes.

"We certainly didn't have the best defensive game we've ever had," Coach Jim Tressel said.

The Buckeyes defense, which shares the national lead with LSU by allowing just 8.25 points per game this season, has probably watched enough film featuring Cupito and Minnesota to be sick of the Golden Gophers by now.
But Minnesota Coach Glen Mason said the gaudy numbers don't tell the whole story.

"When you start looking at statistics, it doesn't mean anything unless you win the game," he said.

The Gophers came into that game with one of the nation's top running offenses, built around tailback Laurence Maroney. He rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown, but the stunning part was how often and how effectively the Gophers passed the ball.

Cupito seemed to find every hole in a suddenly porous Ohio State secondary, completing 26 of 35 passes and one touchdown.

"We came in and we knew about them being the No. 1 rushing team in the Big Ten and us being the No. 1 rushing defense," said Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis, a Minnesota native who leads the Buckeyes in tackles in his first year as a starter. "Those were the headlines and everything. Then they come out and throw for, who knows, 400-some yards. It kind of throws you off guard."

The Buckeyes have vowed they won't be thrown off guard - or thrown against - this season.

Cupito is fifth in the Big Ten in passing, averaging 194 yards passing per game. Amir Pinnix, taking Maroney's spot, is fifth in rushing at 93 yards a game.

With nine new starters on defense, the Buckeyes are ranked second in the conference against the run and first in turnover margin and tackles for minus yardage.

Minnesota has 17 Ohio natives on its roster, most whom feel they were spurned by the Buckeyes.
"I've been waiting for this game since I got here," said Cupito, a Cincinnati native. "I've got a lot of family and friends coming, so I'm excited. A lot of the Ohio guys are excited."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ToledoBlade

Gophers well-grounded against OSU

By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER


COLUMBUS - If Minnesota is going to pull off the unimaginable and upset the No. 1 team in the nation here today, the Golden Gophers won't likely do it with gimmickry, mirrors, and voodoo football.

They'll do it the way they normally do things - run, run, run a lot, and then pass a bit here and there. Minnesota is the only team in the country that has rushed for 2,000 yards and passed for 2,000 yards in each of the last seven seasons, so there is no denying that quest for balance.

"They do a lot of the same things they have done in the past," Ohio State linebacker and Minnesota native James Laurinaitis said.

"They are a running team and have a good running back. Their quarterback Bryan Cupito had a career game against us last year. They are able to do a lot of things well and they are going to test us. We just have to do our best to stop them."

The Gophers sent last year's featured running back, Laurence Maroney, to the NFL, but junior Amir Pinnix has moved in and is currently fifth in the Big Ten with 747 yards rushing and a 5.2 yards per carry average.
"Pinnix looks good to me," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.

"There's only one ball and you give it to one back, and they've been giving it to him and he's been doing a good job. They're still doing those things that give you problems. They make you put a lot of people in the box to stop them and they do a great job with play action [passes]. They're still who they are."

For his part, Minnesota coach Glen Mason has a pretty good idea who the Buckeyes are.

"There's a reason why they're ranked No. 1 - they're not a good football team, they're a great team," Mason said. "I don't normally describe teams that way, but they are the real deal in every way, shape and form."

Mason said his primary concern, in a game plan full of concerns, is Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, a Heisman Trophy candidate who the Minnesota coach said is the most talented player he has seen in some time.

"They're dangerous offensively and it starts with their quarterback, Troy Smith," Mason said.

"It is not hype with this guy, I can tell you that. The last time I looked at a guy and thought about the best player in the country in the same regard was when Barry Sanders was at Oklahoma State. The guy is really something. And along with that, he has some awfully good football players around him."

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

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

TimesRecorder

OSU homecoming brings relief for Gophers coach
By JON SPENCER
For The Advocate

COLUMBUS -- There will be extra electricity inside Ohio Stadium today. Golf legend and Ohio State alum Jack Nicklaus is dotting the "i" in Script Ohio. The 1961 national championship team is holding a reunion. And, lest we forget, it's homecoming, which is a big deal to folks wearing Buckeye necklaces even if it is soooo high school to OSU tailback Antonio Pittman.
He'll be feeling the love, as usual, just not a special buzz. "It's not like a dance for us," Pittman said flatly.

If anybody gets sentimental, it will be the guy running the show on the other sideline. Minnesota coach Glen Mason is an OSU graduate and former assistant. He admitted to getting weepy while walking around campus before his Gophers spoiled homecoming and a perfect season for the Buckeyes in 2000.
Another wave of nostalgia is sure to hit Mason before today's game against the top-ranked Buckeyes. It will provide temporary relief -- at least until kickoff -- for a man dealing with a lot of grief back home.
Mason is under fire because his 10-year plan at Minnesota hasn't produced a program deserving of mention with the Ohio States and Michigans. No matter he doesn't have the resources to consistently compete with those schools or that the program was in shambles upon his arrival in 1997.
What matters is that a string of four straight bowl appearances is about to be snapped. The 3-5 Gophers are 0-4 in the Big Ten, magnifying the fact that they've never finished higher than fourth in the standings or cracked the top 10 in the polls under Mason.
Chants of "Fire Mason" from the Minnesota student body will probably still be ringing in his ears until that first roar from the crowd in the Horseshoe today.
"I'm a tough SOB," said Mason, whose new five-year, $8.6 million contract, signed after last season, gives him reason to feel bulletproof. "If you're worried about criticism, you probably shouldn't be a major college football coach."
If Mason can survive October he can survive anything. The month began with an overtime loss to Penn State, decided by a missed extra point. Then came a 48-12 blowout by Wisconsin, followed by last week's embarrassing 10-9 win at home over I-AA North Dakota State. The Gophers were thoroughly beaten everywhere but on the scoreboard and needed a blocked field goal on the final play to escape.
Taking the frustration to another level for Mason was criticism this week from former star tailback Laurence Maroney. While disagreeing with fans who want Mason fired, he questioned the coach's ability to recognize and properly utilize his talent.
"I don't think they need a new coach," Maroney said to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I just think he needs to open his eyes and look at his team."
Maroney is one of only three backs in Big Ten history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. Now an NFL Rookie of the Year candidate with the New England Patriots, he said Mason wasn't the reason he skipped his final season with the Gophers.
But Maroney's early exit, the unexpected loss of tandem 1,000-yard back Chris Russell (grades) and the departure of three offensive linemen, including All-America center Greg Eslinger, crippled the Gophers
After ranking in the top five nationally in rushing the last three years, Minnesota is seventh in the Big Ten this season. That has put more of the onus on senior quarterback Bryan Cupito, a Cincinnati McNicholas product and one of 17 Ohioans on the Gophers' roster.
Cupito was definitely up to the challenge last year against the Buckeyes, throwing for 396 yards in the Gophers' 45-31 loss. Minnesota's 578 yards in that game was the second-highest total ever allowed by Ohio State, but the Gophers couldn't overcome a 100-yard kickoff return by Ted Ginn Jr., three touchdown passes by Troy Smith or Pittman's breakout performance (186 yards rushing, two TDs). "We know Cupito had a career day against us last year," said middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, the only Minnesota native on OSU's roster. "The headlines last year were all about them being the No. 1 rushing team and us being the No. 1 rushing defense and then they come out and throw for some 400 yards. It threw us off-guard. So we've got to expect the unexpected from them."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Have son, and willing to travel
Wheelwrights won?t have to hit the road this weekend to see Ernie IV play for Minnesota

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ernie Wheelwright, scoring on a 42-yard pass play against Toledo, is 10 th on Minnesota?s career list with 1,397 receiving yards.


When Ernie Wheelwright III wheels his Cadillac into a parking spot somewhere near Ohio Stadium today, the engine might want to keep right on running.
It won?t be because of bad gasoline or a shoddy mechanic. It?s just that every Big Ten weekend going on three seasons now, by the time Wheelwright and his family got 10 miles from their east Columbus home, they were just getting started.
Ernie Wheelwright IV is a junior receiver for Minnesota. With the exception of some faraway Gophers games, EW III has made the scene. He will today when Minnesota plays at top-ranked Ohio State.
"I know he loves the trips, especially now that he?s got that Cadillac," Ernie IV said.
Maybe his father goes in style, but it?s not to show off his wheels.
"I love the Big Ten, I love the excitement that goes with games in the Big Ten, and more than that, I am proud of my son," he said. "I sure would do this all over again. I just love the fact he is getting the experience of being a part of Big Ten football, the greatest conference there is."
There was a time when Ernie IV wasn?t assured of that. As far back as his sophomore season at Walnut Ridge High School, Ohio State showed interest in him, first under coach John Cooper and then Jim Tressel. It was looking more and more as if those commutes to home college games were going to be a snap.
But Ernie IV had a problem. By the time his senior season rolled around, his academic numbers didn?t match what OSU had in mind under the enhanced pre-enrollment guidelines set by then-athletic director Andy Geiger.
If only Ernie IV had known earlier what his real problem was. His senior year he was diagnosed with a learning disability that hurt him most of all in math. His pride kept him from pursuing the truth sooner, he said. But once he got help, his math work jumped dramatically.
"Discovering that helped me not only get to college, it?s going to help the rest of my life," Ernie IV said.
The bottom line: "Don?t be afraid to ask for help," he said.
Gophers coach Glen Mason wasn?t afraid to take a chance on a 6-foot-5, 215-pound receiver who went on to become the MVP of the Ohio North-South Classic all-star game.
Ernie IV spent a redshirt season as a freshman in 2003 but since has started 28 of the Gophers? past 32 games. He?s 10 th on Minnesota?s careerreceiving yards list with 1,397.
If he had to go more than 500 miles from home to get that chance, "It?s been worth it," said Ernie IV, scheduled to graduate in a little more than a year. "It?s been a blessing in a lot of ways, one of which was getting me away from home, where I couldn?t just rely on my parents for so many things. It was getting me to a place where I had to meet new people, make a lot of new friends, and mature."
Meanwhile, his father has been glad to steer the Caddy down the road, because he said he?s witnessing more than mere Big Ten football.
"I?ve always told him football could be gone today or tomorrow, but your schooling, you take that with you until you die," he said. "He knows that. That?s why I?m so proud of him."
[email protected]