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Game Thread Game Seven: #1 Ohio State 38, Michigan State 7 (10/14/06)

Official Site

Defense Holds Off Michigan State

Buckeyes hold Spartans to 161 total yards.

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Oct. 14, 2006

Notes


EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -Troy Smith did nothing to hurt his Heisman candidacy and the Ohio State defense was dominant in a 38-7 victory over Michigan State on Saturday.
The top-ranked Buckeyes (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) extended the nation's longest winning streak to 14 games and had little trouble with the fading Spartans (3-4, 0-3).
Michigan State entered the game averaging 31 points per contest. But the Spartans gained just 79 yards in the first half and trailed 24-0 at the break.
Buckeyes came in allowing just nine points per game and kept Michigan State off the scoreboard until A.J. Jimmerson's 6-yard TD run with 1:07 remaining.
Smith completed 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns to boost his Heisman Trophy resume. Anthony Gonzalez caught seven passes for 118 yards and a TD, and Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.
The Spartans had upset the Buckeyes the last two times they played with Ohio State ranked No. 1 - in 1974 and 1998.
There was no threat of a similar upset Saturday.
Michigan State won three straight to start the season, including a quality win at Pitt. But the Spartans have struggled since blowing a 16-point, fourth-quarter lead and losing to Notre Dame on Sept. 23. They've now lost four straight, making coach John L. Smith's future with the school murky at best.
The Spartans had an early chance to steal momentum from Ohio State, recovering Chris Wells' fumble at the Buckeyes' 31 just three plays into the game. But a holding penalty and a sack took the Spartans out of scoring range.

Ohio State responded with an 80-yard, 12-play drive - capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Antonio Pittman - to take a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. A 37-yard catch by Ginn, who broke a tackle near midfield, moved the Buckeyes into Michigan State territory. Michigan State drove to the Ohio State 36 early in the second quarter, but failed on a fourth-and-2 on a draw by quarterback Drew Stanton.
Ohio State then marched downfield and took a 10-0 lead on Aaron Pettrey's 32-yard field goal.
Stanton was jarred by Ohio State defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock on the Spartans' next possession, appearing to hurt his back. Stanton was knocked out of the game for good midway through the third quarter, hitting his head on a large sideline Gatorade container after a hit by linebacker Marcus Freeman.
He walked back to the Michigan State sideline under his own power, but was replaced by backup Brian Hoyer on the Spartans' next possession.
Michigan State defensive back Greg Cooper was carted off the field in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury after tackling Pittman. The Spartans played the entire game without leading rusher Javon Ringer (knee) and receiver Matt Trannon (ankle).
Stanton completed 8 of 16 passes for 54 yards. He was intercepted by Freeman in the second quarter.
Ginn's 60-yard punt return made it 17-0 with about five minutes left in the first half, taking Michigan State out of it for good. It was the sixth punt return for a TD in Ginn's career.
The Buckeyes have won five straight against Michigan State.
 
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LEAN GREEN: Spartans manhandled as they suffer a fourth straight loss

By SHANNON SHELTON
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER


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Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn Jr., runs after a catch against Spartans' defender Kendell Davis-Clark. (RASHAUN RUCKER/Detroit Free Press)

EAST LANSING - Drew Stanton warned of this possibility last week.

If Michigan State played as poorly against Ohio State as it did against Michigan, Stanton said it "could get ugly."

The Spartan quarterback was prophetic.

Ugly was falling behind 24-0 at halftime on the way to a 38-7 loss to the Buckeyes, with only A.J. Jimmerson's late touchdown run saving the Spartans from an uglier result.

Ugly was Stanton getting his head slammed against a Gatorade bucket on the sidelines in the third quarter, forcing him to leave the game.

Ugly was cornerback Greg Cooper being carted off on a stretcher after taking a hit in the third quarter that left him unable to move under his own power.

And ugly was seeing entire sections of Spartan Stadium left empty after disgusted fans began their exodus at halftime.

It was evident early that there would be no repeat of 1974 or 1998, when the Spartans upset No. 1 Buckeye teams caught off guard. This OSU team was ready, applying plenty of defensive pressure and beating the Spartan offense with its speed. The Buckeyes' offense, conducted by Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Smith, was as precise as ever, moving the ball almost at will.

MSU (3-4, 0-3 Big Ten) gave up 423 yards of offense in its fourth consecutive loss of the season. The day also marked the third consecutive game in which Stanton failed to complete a touchdown pass. His last came against Notre Dame on Sept. 23.

And MSU squandered the little bit of momentum it had early when the Spartans again did themselves in with mistakes.

In the first quarter, Cooper recovered a fumble by Ohio State freshman Chris Wells, giving MSU good field position at the Buckeyes' 31-yard line. On their first snap, Stanton completed a 17-yard pass to Jehuu Caulcrick, but a holding penalty denied the Spartans a first down. With a seven-yard net gain, MSU was at 1st-and-3.

The Spartans failed to get the final three yards over the next three plays, and Stanton was sacked for a 16-yard loss on third-and-four.

Two holding penalties stalled MSU's next drive. On third-and-five, Jerramy Scott ran for seven yards, but another holding penalty pushed the Spartans back. MSU managed to pick up the first down when Stanton ran for eight yards on the next play, but on the ensuing first-and-10, Stanton's seven-yard pass to Carl Grimes was negated by another holding call.

The Spartans faced a third-and-21 situation, and Caulcrick got just five yards on the ground. At the end of the first quarter, the Spartans had lost 30 yards on three penalties and had two dropped passes.

Midway through the second quarter, with Ohio State up, 10-0, A.J. Trapasso's 37-yard punt for Ohio State rolled out of bounds at MSU's 4, and the Spartans got only five yards on their next series. Brandon Fields punted 51 yards from MSU's 9, and Ted Ginn Jr. returned it 60 yards for an Ohio State touchdown.

The Buckeyes set up their next touchdown when Marcus Freeman intercepted a Stanton pass at MSU's 39 on the Spartans' next possession. In less than two minutes, Ohio State scored again, as Smith completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Gonzalez with 39 seconds left in the half.

Ohio State scored two more touchdowns in the second half. Smith finished with 234 yards and two touchdowns on 15-of-22 passing.
 
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Texas?
Iowa?
MSU?
...
Michigan?

I honestly think our defense played its most physical game of the season. The middle of our defense was plugged shut by the "bulldog" and the "animal". Our LBers and safeties made some nice tackles and did not give up any big plays. Our CBs did not give up anything and made sure tackles. If our young players, Jamario, Terry, Freeman, Laurinaitis and Gholston keep improving at this pace and get more and more physical as the season progresses, Michigan should not feel confident about its chances.
 
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osugrad21;633810; said:
...after the holding call following the initial fumble by tOSU.


JLS just seemed to accept his fate after that one...


he seems like he is going to just snap someday very soon. poor guy has to deal with his team making all of the mental mistakes early in the games that just kill him. I wont be suprised to hear it when he gets checked into a mental hospital
 
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Had a blast at the game, tho it was freezing in the wind. Sat on the goalline, but was in perfect position for most of the big plays (Wells fumble, MSU screen called back, huge blunder on punt coverage in endzone, Ginn PR, high-flying gonzo td.

The wind was VERY difficult at the game today... not sure how visible this was on TV. It was strong and swirling all day... seemed to affect Troy and Stanton on their touch passes to the sidelines.

Defense stepped up their game bigtime today...
 
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buckeyebri;633552; said:
Awesome!!!!

I think someone talked to Teddy about just running a punt back straight up field......
No. Teddy just saw the Sparty uniforms and said, "Kick ass, my breakout game is here."

Teddy's back. God I love playing Sparty. Three seasons in a row now.
 
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