Antonio Pittman had yet another quietly stellar day, and the Buckeye defense put points on the board yet again in the Penn State series as OSU outlasted the Nittany Lions 28-6 in front of an Ohio Stadium crowd of 105,266 soggy fans.
That was the same period that saw the Scarlet and Gray defense salt the game away with a pair of interception returns for scores. Since Penn State joined the Big Ten, this was the 14th time the Bucks and Lions had teed up. With Saturday’s pick-sixes, Ohio State has now produced defensive scores in seven of those contests-
- 1998- Jerry Rudzinski falls on a Kevin Thompson fumble in the end zone during OSU’s 28-9 win
- 1999- Gary Berry pounces on another Kevin Thompson fumble in the end zone for the Bucks’ only touchdown in a 23-10 loss
- 2000- Mike Collins rumbles 11 yards to paydirt with a Lion fumble during a 45-6 Buckeye rout
- 2001- A 45-yard interception return for a score by Derek Ross gives Ohio State a 27-9 third quarter lead, but Zack Mills rallies PSU for a 29-27 victory
- 2002- Chris Gamble provides one of the defining plays of the national title season with a 40-yard interception return for OSU’s only TD in a 13-7 decision
- 2004- Tyler Everett’s 24-yard interception return stakes the Bucks to a 14-0 lead enroute
to a 21-10 win
After Penn State went 3-and-out to get things going, Ohio State began their initial series on their own 19. Troy Smith picked up a first down throwing on an out route to Brian Robiskie, a play that no one has shown they can cover yet. On the next play Troy had Ted Ginn, Jr. wide open on a post route down the middle but threw behind him and PSU corner Justin King laid out to make a fine interception at the Lion 25. It was Troy’s first interception in 153 pass attempts, since Marquice Cole picked him in the second quarter of last year’s Northwestern game.
OSU’s defense forced another 3-and-out, and Brandon Mitchell just missed blocking Jeremy Kapinos’ punt. Ted Ginn, Jr. let the ball hit, and although he could’ve fielded a friendly hop at the 20, he let it go and Penn State downed it at the 6. Nothing clicked offensively and A.J. Trapasso punted it right back to Derrick Williams, who fumbled at his 45. Anthony Scirrotto averted disaster for PSU by recovering the muffed kick, but they couldn’t get the “O” jumpstarted and another excellent boot by Kapinos pinned Ohio State at their own 7. Three runs by Antonio Pittman netted a first down as the scoreless first quarter came to a close.
The Buckeye offense looked dead in the water again as they faced a 3rd-and-13 situation, but Troy Smith was able to really show off the wheels for the first time this season as he scrambled from the pocket and shook linebacker Paul Posluszny on a 17-yard pickup. Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells continued to slug it out on the ground as the Bucks worked the ball to Penn State’s 45, and it looked as though the offense was getting it in gear. But center Doug Datish was called for holding, and then on 3rd-and-10 Stan White, Jr. could only pick up 7 on a pass reception. Trapasso was called on once again, and he hung up a beautiful kick that Anderson Russell caught on the Penn State 1, a textbook demonstration of punt coverage.
Penn State played it safe, and as the punting team ran on the field, head coach Joe Paterno ran right through his team in the endzone and all the way into the Lion locker room. It was reported later that JoePa had been battling a bug of some sort, and he didn’t return to the field until the second half. It would have to rank as one of the more bizarre scenes that I’ve ever witnessed in Ohio Stadium. With his coach tending to business, punter Jeremy Kapinos continued his fine day with a 53-yard bomb. Ted Ginn, Jr. continued HIS dismal afternoon by fumbling the kick twice, finally getting a handle on it and returning the punt to the OSU 31. Troy Smith immediately went to Ted on the first play, and he made a nifty move on a quick out to gain12 and a first down. Maurice Wells lost a yard, then Troy missed Jake Ballard and had his third-down throw for Ginn-who was only five yards downfield- batted down. A.J. Trapasso could only manage a 28-yard punt and Penn State took over at its’ 30.
Vernon Gholston barreled in to drop Anthony Morelli for a loss of 8 on first down, but a 14-yard run by Tony Hunt and an 8-yard reception by Brendan Perretta moved the sticks. On second down, Morelli faked two end-arounds and fired deep for Derrick Williams, who was interfered with by Anderson Russell. Personally, folks, I have no problem with the call, but once again we witnessed two things that are becoming aggravatingly commonplace with officials- 1) The guy right on top of the play makes no call while someone farther away throws the flag, and 2) it takes the man who throws the flag several seconds before he tosses it.
The interference flag put the ball on the OSU 40, and a throw to Patrick Hall went for 11 to the 29. Tony Hunt powered for 5, then looked to be caught at the line of scrimmage by Vernon Gholston on his next carry, but Gholston’s attempt to spin him down only propelled Hunt forward, and he galloped for 19 before being downed at the 9. Morelli looked to handoff to someone going left on the first-and-goal play, but no one was there and Brandon Mitchell buried the quarterback for a loss of 5. Tony Hunt could only manage 1 yard, and Morelli scrambled for 6 to bring up fourth-and-goal from the Buckeye 7. Penn State let the clock burn down to 3 seconds, then after a timeout sent in kicker Kevin Kelly. The lefty’s 23-yard attempt was low and to the right, but Malcolm Jenkins was called for roughing the kicker and the Lions got another shot with no time on the clock. Kelly was true on his second try from 21 yards away, and Penn State had the lead 3-0 at intermission. It was the first time Ohio State had been shutout in the first half since the 2002 Outback Bowl.
Halftime was highlighted by the introduction of Tyson Gentry and former Nittany Lion Adam Taliaferro. They have become linked due to the unfortunate ends of their football careers in Ohio Stadium. Adam was a promising freshman defensive back in 2000 when he was hurt trying to tackle Buckeye tailback Jerry Westbrooks late in OSU’s 45-6 romp. I’ll never forget the sight of the ambulance coming onto the Ohio Stadium turf to take Adam off, and although his prognosis wasn’t good, he fought back and almost one year later he led Penn State onto the field for their 2001 home opener. He has always credited the immediate care he received from OSU Hospital in the days following the game for not only helping him to eventually walk again, but for saving his life in those touchy early moments. For anyone who would like to read an excellent account of Adam’s recovery, I would recommend “Miracle In The Making” by Scott Brown and Sam Carchidi. I don’t mind saying that book brought me to tears more than once, and we all can only continue to pray that Tyson, whose injury came during a spring practice session, will one day be out of his wheelchair and leading the Buckeyes out of that southeast tunnel. Tyson has been to each home game so far this season, but this past Saturday was his first formal introduction. We all badly want the Bucks to succeed, but if Tyson can duplicate the comeback of Adam Taliaferro, it would be one of the biggest victories Ohio State could ever have.
Tyson’s teammates found the going rough as the second half began. Troy Smith’s pass on the second play of quarter 3 was tipped by Ed Johnson and intercepted by Dan Connor at the Ohio State 26. The big break went by the boards as the OSU defense forced a 42-yard Kevin Kelly field goal, which went wide left. The Bucks took over at their 25 and finally cashed in against a stubborn PSU defense. Antonio Pittman lumbered for 19, then later Smith hooked up with Anthony Gonzalez for 12. Brian Hartline added a 9-yard reception, and then Pittman scooted for 17 on a screen pass. That play set the Buckeyes up at the Lion 12, and from there Pittman took a handoff, sifted through the line and darted into the endzone. The play was reviewed to make sure “Pitt” broke the plane with the football, and it was confirmed. It was Pittman’s ninth straight game with a rushing score, and with Aaron Pettrey’s point-after OSU finally had the lead at 7-3.
Ohio State’s much-questioned defensive unit stood tall on the next series. After Tony Hunt picked up 9 on first down, Morelli tried a bootleg and was dragged down for no gain by Antonio Smith and Larry Grant. Fullback BranDon Snow got the third down call, but was stuffed by Vernon Gholston and David Patterson, forcing PSU to punt. The Bucks could get nothing going, and once more the “D” shone brightly on the next Lion possession. Defensive tackle Joel Penton sacked Morelli for a loss of 5, Brandon Mitchell busted up a pass intended for Derrick Williams, then linebacker Marcus Freeman tipped and almost picked off another Morelli toss. The Bucks began their next drive at their own 38, and three Antonio Pittman runs gained 18 as the game entered the fourth quarter. Joe Paterno, still battling flu symptoms, returned to the bench, but Penn State still wasn’t at full strength immediately as Paul Posluszny had to go off until his blood-soaked uniform was cleaned up.
Stan White, Jr. skied to nab a Troy Smith pass on 3rd-and-2, giving the Buckeyes a first down as Dontey Brown and Sean Lee made a sandwich of White. Two plays later, Troy Smith looked for Ted Ginn, Jr. on the slant to the left, but it wasn’t there and Smith rolled right. With Tim Shaw in hot pursuit, Troy reversed field and spotted Brian Robiskie open deep. Smith fired the ball almost sixty yards on a line into the north endzone, where Robiskie had beaten corner Tony Davis. Brian hauled in his first career touchdown reception and the Buckeye lead was now 14-3. On a day when making the simplest throw was proving to be a chore, Troy did what championship QB’s and Heisman candidates do- something spectacular when your team needs it the most.
Penn State wasn’t about to quit, and they caught a break on the ensuing series as Marcus Freeman was called for interference on a 3rd-and-5 play. Tony Hunt romped for 63 yards on six carries during the march, including a 34-yard breakaway that positioned the Blue and White at OSU’s 5. With their goal line being threatened, Jim Heacock’s troops turned up the heat. Two carries by Hunt moved the ball to the 1, but on third down BranDon Snow was met by Brandon Mitchell for no gain. JoePa decided to go on 4th-and-goal, but the play never developed as backup guard Rich Ohrnberger jumped offside, undoubtedly in large measure due to the roar from 105,000 faithful. Kevin Kelly knocked through his second field goal of the day from 23 yards away, and with 7:33 to go Penn State had trimmed the lead to 14-6.
It was time for the “O” to kill some clock. The good news was Antonio Pittman scampered for 6 on first down, but the bad news was he went out of bounds. After Pitt gained 2, the Bucks went four-wide on third down and Smith’s throw for Gonzo fell incomplete, with Anthony Scirrotto providing, uh, tight coverage. A.J. Trapasso finally delivered with a 54-yard punt, pinning the Nittany Lions at their own 8. It took four tries for PSU to gain their initial first down of the drive, milking some of the clock that the Buckeye offense didn’t. Jordan Norwood got open for 13, and then Hunt hauled in a 9-yard reception as a blatant hold on Vernon Gholston wasn’t called. Hunt ran for 3 to give the Lions a first down at their 41, and all of a sudden the Ohio Stadium crowd started getting uneasy. How silly of us…The defense had Morelli right where they’d wanted him all game long- trying to pass the Lions to victory.
Morelli tried to hit tight end Kevin Darling on an out route, but Malcolm Jenkins left his man and leaped to pick the pass off at OSU’s 39. It appeared Jenkins might take his second interception of the season right into his celebrating teammates along the west sideline, but it was shades of Chris Gamble against Penn State in that magical 2002 season as Jenkins dodged his way 61 yards into the endzone for the score that Jim Tressel later called “the backbreaker”. 2:31 remained in the game and everyone could exhale now with the count at 21-6. But hey, what’s a great sundae without a cherry on top?
Morelli was still firing away, and he completed four passes in a row to move his team to their 47. But on the next snap he hesitated just a second too long before pulling the trigger on a deep out for Deon Butler. Antonio Smith jumped the route, snagged his first career interception and coasted 55 yards to the house for the exclamation point. Ironically, Antonio’s first touchdown as a prep star at Beechcroft was an interception return against Columbus West. Now he had given OSU its first game with two pick-sixes since 2002 when Michael Doss and A.J. Hawk brought interceptions back for scores against Kent State.
The Buckeyes move to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, and maintain their #1 ranking in the AP, coaches and Harris polls. Penn State falls to 2-2, 0-1 in the league and return to Happy Valley to host Northwestern next weekend, while the Bucks are in prime time again Saturday night as they head to remodeled Kinnick Stadium to face unbeaten Iowa.
RANDOM THOUGHTS- How’s this for déjà vu? The last time the Buckeyes were ranked #1 during the regular season was 1998, when their non-conference slate featured a nationally televised road win over a ranked opponent (West Virginia) and a thumping of an in-state foe (Toledo). The Big Ten season began with a 28-9 win over Penn State on a rainy afternoon in Columbus where only two of the Buckeyes’ touchdowns were by the offense. The next week in their first road game, the Bucks pasted Illinois 41-0. The ’98 team hammered Iowa at Kinnick Stadium 45-14. We’ll leave the comparisons there as there’s no sense bringing up Michigan State at this point…OSU’s three picks last Saturday gives them eight for the season, two more than they got all of last year…Troy Smith is now 11-0 as a starter in Ohio Stadium….28 flatbed trucks brought sod to the ‘Shoe this past Sunday, and the field will be completely new when the Buckeyes return home to face Bowling Green on October 7th…ABC’s Brad Nessler, who called the play-by-play during the Penn State game, hit the nail on the head following Troy Smith’s touchdown pass to Brian Robiskie- “(That’s) the dimension you can’t coach or teach. You gotta be born with what Number 10 just did”…
Ohio State 28 Penn State 6
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VS
September 23rd, 2006
Ohio Stadium - Columbus, Ohio
The call had gone out for Buckeye fans to wear red and turn the ‘Shoe into the “Red Sea” or “See Of Red” or “See Of Scarlet” or whatever the marketing gurus wanted to term it. But Mother Nature didn’t cooperate and the Stadium was sprinkled with various rain slickers and ponchos in green, blue, yellow or orange. The real difference in the “White Out The Night” that Penn State successfully pulled off at Beaver Stadium last year was the noise level, not to mention that with a 7:45 kickoff in that game the locals in Happy Valley had extra lubrication time. Ohio State’s students were back on campus for yesterday’s matchup, and the crowd would make a huge fourth quarter contribution.
Anthony Morelli engineered one first down for Penn State, but on 3rd-and-8 from his 38, his pass to Jordan Norwood was behind the receiver. Brandon Mitchell knocked the ball back upfield where it was snagged by James Laurinaitis, who returned his third interception of the season to PSU’s 39. The Buckeye offense couldn’t take advantage of the field position, and Aaron Pettrey’s 53-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.
By Joe-S-U
