Ohio State football
Pryor's progress is right on target
Turnovers aside, Tressel sees good technique on field
Sunday, November 2, 2008 3:51 AM
By
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Terrelle Pryor
One of the reasons Jim Tressel likes Terrelle Pryor is because, even as a freshman, Pryor gets it.
"When you turn over the ball, you lose games," Pryor said.
The Ohio State quarterback might as well have been quoting from his coach's 10 commandments. It was senior starter Todd Boeckman's three critical turnovers in a 35-3 loss at Southern California that accelerated Tressel's decision to make Pryor -- just four months out of high school -- the starter.
Before the Buckeyes took on third-ranked Penn State, Pryor had not exactly lit up the field statistically, but he had adhered to the turnover commandment. He'd thrown just two interceptions.
Then in the last 11 minutes against the Nittany Lions, he looked like a wide-eyed freshman. He eschewed a called quarterback sneak on third-and-1 at midfield, improvised with a keeper to the outside and gave up a fumble that set up Penn State's go-ahead touchdown. He followed two possessions later by throwing an interception that sealed the Nittany Lions' win.
Continued.................
