Football
Buckeyes Storm Past Lions, 21-10
By John Porentas
It was clear and sunny when the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions kicked
it off in Ohio Stadium on Saturday, but the Buckeyes (5-3, 2-3) got
two lightning bolts in the first period to put 14 points on the board
without the aid of a first down, then went on to cruise to a 21-10
win in wind-swept Ohio Stadium before a crowd of 104,947.
The win was OSU's second straight and OSU sixth-in-a-row in Columbus
over Penn State (2-6, 0-5) since Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference.
Ohio Stadium is the only Big Ten stadium in which Penn State has not
won a conference game.
Lighting bolt number one was a 67 yard punt return by true freshman
sensation Ted Ginn Jr. to put the Buckeyes up 7-0, his second punt
return for a score of the season. Ginn's return was set up by key
blocks by the OSU return team, but Ginn's world-class speed made it
no-contest on the return.
"He's got gear, with the ball in his hand," said OSU Head
Coach Jim Tressel.
"There are some track guys that are out there masquerading as
football players. He's a football player. He has track speed,"
Tressel said.
Ginn's bolt to the endzone was threatened momentarily near the end
of the run when it appeared that Penn State punter Jeremy Kapinos
had an angle on him, but Ginn's speed took him past Kapinos and into
the endzone.
"No shot. No shot at all," said a smiling Ginn when asked
if Kapinos ever had a chance to stop him.
"Once you see daylight, and you see a punter, there's no reason
to put a move on him. Just get to the endzone," Ginn said.
It didn't take long for lightning to strike again
when Penn State's next possession was cut short by an interception
by OSU defensive back Tyler Everett.
On third-and-seven from his own 23-yard line, Penn
State quarterback Michael Robinson flipped a bubble screen into the
left flat, but Everett read the play perfectly, made a tremendous
break on the ball and came up with the INT. Everett raced untouched
to the endzone to put OSU up 14-0 and leave the Nittany Lions reeling.
It almost appeared that Everett knew exactly what
play was coming. After the game, Everett said he actually did.
"We saw it in their tendencies, we saw throughout
the week in watching film," said Everett.
"You knew when they lined up in that formation
with those players what they were trying to do.
"Once I saw the guy in the flat coming in, I
knew it had to be the jailbreak screen, so I broke on it," Everett
said.
With Everett's touchdown the Buckeyes held a 14-0
lead despite having run just three offensive plays for a total of
five yards.
Penn State outgained OSU 58 yards to 12 in the first
quarter, but the quarter ended with OSU leading 14-0. The Lions finally
got on the board in the second period when they put together a six-play,
41 yard drive following a Troy Smith fumble recovered by the Lions'
Derek Wake at the OSU 41-yard line. Tailback Tony Hunt covered the
last three yards for the score to cut the OSU lead to 14-7.
The Buckeyes were able to answer Penn State's score
with a seven-play, 35 yard drive that was set up by a 62 yard kickoff
return by Maurice Hall following Penn State's touchdown. The return
by Hall propelled him into the top spot for career return yardage
and put the Buckeyes in excellent field position on the Penn State
35.
OSU converted two third-downs on the scoring drive,
one on a pass from Troy Smith to Ginn for seven yards on a third-and-three
at the OSU 28 and one on a run of 11 yards by Smith on third-and-four
from the OSU 15. On first-and-goal from the four, senior Brandon Joe
got into the endzone behind a great block from left tackle Rob Sims
for Joe's first touchdown of his Buckeye career.
"I told Rob Sims after the play I could have
walked that in. I didn't do much. I just carried it," said Joe.
Penn State dominated the first half stats, outgaining
OSU 157 yards to 63, but big plays on defense and special teams allowed
the Buckeyes to take a 21-7 lead to the halftime locker room.
Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith attempted just three
passes in the first half, completing two of them for nine yards. Robinson
ended the first half at 4-of-14 with two interceptions.
The only scoring in the second half came on a 21 yard field goal
by Penn State kicker Robbie Gould with 9:31 remaining in the fourth
quarter. The Lions had driven 49 yards in 13 plays to the OSU three-yard
line, but elected to kick the field goal on fourth-and-goal.
Penn State's offense managed 246 total yards in the loss, 177 of
them on the ground. Though they did move the ball on the ground at
times, what the Lions lacked were explosive plays that would have
changed the field position.
"They play good solid defense. They're not domineering, but
they're solid, they're sound, they stay in good position, they don't
give you any easy ones. If they make you go a long way with their
kicking game, it's problems," said Penn State Head Coach Joe
Paterno.
"We just didn't allow the big plays," agreed linebacker
Anthony Schlegel.
"Granted he (Robinson) made some plays, and some of their yards
were from him scrambling, but the thing se did today is not give up
the big plays," Schlegel said.
"As a defensive player you can't go home too happy," added
OSU cornerback Dustin Fox.
"We're happy about the win, it's great to get a win, but when
they run the ball up and down the field on you it's not so great."
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, rushed for 143 yards and passed for 59 behind
six-of-eight passing by Smith. Hall led the Buckeyes in rushing with
65 net yards on 14 carries (4.6 yards per carry).
Return to O-Zone
Columns and Features