coshoctontribune
Lessons in mind, Holmes wins one for mentor
By JON SPENCER
Gannett News Service
OSU wide receiver Santonio Holmes has put up 17 catches for 407 yards and seven touchdowns in the past four games. <!-- SCRIPT FOR PRESENTATION OF HEADLINES. The values below can be modified --><STYLE type=text/css><!--.topix-head { font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; color: #00000}.topix-affil { font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; color: #000000}--></STYLE><!--Important: Make sure to update the var topixID= with your site's TopixID-->
Santonio Holmes felt like a prize fighter without his corner man -- like Rocky Balboa without his Mick.
Ohio State wide receivers coach Darrell Hazell wasn't there Saturday to push and prod his protege against overmatched Illinois. Hazell took ill before the game and was rushed to the hospital with what was described as a gastric ailment.
Holmes, perhaps emboldened by the Jack Tatum Hit of the Week award he received for his blocking against Minnesota, wanted to take out his misery on anyone wearing orange and blue.
"I was frustrated, not because of the guys jawing and talking (on the Illini defense), but because I didn't know how coach Hazell was feeling," Holmes said. "I just wanted to hit someone in the mouth, knowing that when he gets a chance to see the film he can see how hard we played.
"He's always talking to us about playing the complete game, being physical. My focus, the only thing on my mind, was thinking about how he was doing."
By game's end, the Buckeyes were told Hazell was resting comfortably, as were they after a lackluster first half turned into a 40-2 knockout. Just when it looked like quarterback Troy Smith might need a whiff of smelling salts, he threw a touchdown pass to Holmes and then another, stretching a somewhat iffy 6-0 lead to 19-0.
It might as well have been 190-0 the way the OSU defense was playing.
After catching two TDs for the third time in four weeks, Holmes sounded like he was dedicating the game to Hazell.
"He's made me a lot tougher," he said. "In the past (before Hazell arrived last year), a lot of time I just wanted to take (a practice) off. I'd say, coach, I'm hurting; I don't want to practice. He's one of those guys, you tell him you're hurt, he's going to turn his back on you. He doesn't want to hear it. I think it's for the better because he's made me a complete receiver."
And, some would say, a complete idiot if Holmes bypasses the NFL draft and returns for his senior season. He might have had something to prove at the end of last season, after snagging only 29 passes and two TDs over the final eight games, but he doesn't anymore.
He's already caught a career-high nine touchdown passes, the sixth-best single-season total in school history, with three games to go. His nearly 19 yards-per-catch average on 39 receptions leads the Big Ten. His 41-yard scoring grab Saturday put him over 2,000 yards for his career, something only six other Buckeyes have accomplished.
Suddenly, Ohio State has more weapons than any team this side of USC. Watching the Buckeyes fatten up on soft Big Ten defenses has been a sight to behold. Check out these individual stats during the current four-game winning streak:
Quarterback Troy Smith: 51 of 79 passing, .646 pct., 1,006 yards, 10 TDs, 1 Int
Tailback Antonio Pittman: 89 carries, 516 yards, 5.8 avg., 4 TDs
Wide receiver Ted Ginn: 15 catches, 328 yards, 21.9 avg., 2 TDs; 1 kick return TD; 1 punt return TD
Holmes: 17 catches, 407 yards, 23.9 avg., 7 TDs
"A lot of times, it seems like we're a team waiting to explode," wideout Anthony Gonzalez said. "If you get the ball to Ted enough and Santonio enough and Pittman enough, they're going to find a way to get into the end zone. That's just the reality of this offense."
After last year's second-half skid, Holmes again resembles the playmaker who put up monster numbers in 2003 as a midseason replacement for the injured Drew Carter.
"I'm not worried about numbers because I'm pretty sure everybody (in the NFL) has seen what I'm capable of doing," Holmes said. "Just going out there and playing for the team is what it's all about."
What about his other team, the one that includes sons Santonio III and NiCori? Holmes, a family management major, doesn't have to go to class (I'm speaking figuratively here, coach) to know how much easier it would be to manage his family on an NFL salary.
"I can't speak on (leaving early)," he said. "I'm just excited about the way things are going for the team. Maybe I'll decide in bowl practice or after a bowl game. We'll just have to wait and see."
Oh, he's so gone.
In Saturday's final home game against Northwestern, fans inside the 'Shoe will be saluting and saying bon voyage to 15 seniors. Plus one.
One of the great ones -- with or without his corner man.
Originally published November 7, 2005
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