OHIO STATE NOTEBOOK
Pittman ignites Buckeyes? ground game
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Tim May and Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
CHRIS RUSSELL Ohio State?s Antonio Pittman motors past two Iowa defenders on a first-half run. He rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown.
Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman returns an interception in the fourth quarter.
IOWA CITY, Iowa ? In the midst of a Troy Smith touchdown passing show, Antonio Pittman often becomes a member of the also-contributed column in Ohio State victories.
So it was again last night in Kinnick Stadium, as top-ranked OSU knocked off No. 13 Iowa 38-17. Though Smith threw a career-high four touchdown passes, in the end Pittman had his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season, winding up with 117 yards on 22 carries.
He also scored the team?s second touchdown, pushing his streak to 10 games with at least one score, dating to his first two collegiate TDs at Minnesota last year.
Together with freshman Chris Wells, who gained a season-high 78 yards on seven carries, and Smith, who had his best rushing game of the season (20 yards), the Buckeyes ran for a seasonhigh 214 yards.
Pittman got most of his yards by starting inside and then bouncing outside. The reason was simple, at least to him, and he credited the offensive line for most of it.
"The ends were slanting, the guards were able to pull all the way around, and it led us to a lot of yards," Pittman said.
Left guard Steve Rehring said the line has been developing chemistry.
"We?re starting to know our strengths; we communicate well now," he said. "The offensive line takes a little while to figure out each other. But now that?s happening, and we?re running the ball well and passing it well."
But they aren?t looking for check marks such as 100-yard backs, etc., he said.
"Whatever gets the ?W?, that?s all that matters," Rehring said. "Pitt would probably say the same. We?d love to get Pitt 100 yards a game or 200 yards a game. ? But as long as we (win), that?s all that matters."
It?s a symmetry thing
For a while it appeared Iowa was going to run all over the Ohio State defense, with backs Albert Young and Damian Sims slashing here and there. But in the end, the Hawkeyes had just 87 net yards and Young (48) and Sims (38) didn?t come close to 100.
"That?s one thing about having an explosive offense, they can get up quick," OSU linebacker James Laurinaitis said, referring to the Buckeyes? 21-10 halftime lead. "When they get up, it sometimes makes the other team one dimensional, so they couldn?t really run the ball that much the second half."
Quiet season high
Ted Ginn Jr. didn?t catch a touchdown pass, and he didn?t take a punt or kickoff back for a score, either. But he did grab a season-high seven passes, for 69 yards, keeping alive several drives with some ripping catches of Smith bullet passes, even though Ginn was the focus of Iowa?s defense.
Ginn said the "Be bold, wear gold" promotion by the Hawkeyes, who urged their fans to dress as such, was a plus for the OSU pass-catchers.
"All that yellow, it helped us out, it kept it bright in there," Ginn said. "I thought they were going to be all black."
Buckeye bits
Roy Hall?s 6-yard catch with 2:19 left in the second quarter was his first touchdown reception in 27 games, since a win over Marshall on Sept. 11, 2004. ? Ohio State gave up its first rushing touchdown of the season when Young scored from 15 yards with 11:10 left in the second quarter. ? Ginn caught at least one pass for the 24 th consecutive game. ? Ohio State has scored at least 24 points in 12 consecutive games.
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