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Buckeyes completely dominate first Big Ten game
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sportswriter
POSTED: 09:26 p.m. EDT, Sep 22, 2007
COLUMBUS: If there were a mercy rule in college football, the Ohio State-Northwestern game would have been called after the first quarter with the Buckeyes ahead by 28 and showing absolutely no signs of slowing.
The Buckeyes would go on to win 58-7 as they dominated in all phases of the game against an outmanned and outmatched Wildcats team.
How overpowering were the Buckeyes?
At the half, the Wildcats averaged less than a yard per offensive play. Their offense didn't see the other side of the 50-yard line until deep into the third quarter. Without running back Tyrell Sutton, their running game proved non-existent.
This was the type of game many expected the Buckeyes to put together against nonconference opponents. Either coach Jim Tressel saved something for his Big Ten brethren to think about or things just finally clicked. The only blemish on what should have been an OSU shutout was a spectacular 99-yard kickoff return by Stephen Simmons of the Wildcats.
However, at points you had to wonder whether Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald decided to gift wrap this one for the Buckeyes. Coming into the game OSU wide receiver wide receiver Brian Robiskie averaged more than 20 yards per catch. Yet, the Wildcats chose to use single coverage on him. The result: the junior wide receiver from Chagrin Falls grabbed three passes for 89 yards ` all of them went for touchdowns.
‘‘I don't know if I was surprised; they've got some solid defensive backs out there than can run with us,’’ said OSU quarterback Todd Boeckman, who was 11-of-14 for 179 yards and four touchdowns and one interception. ‘‘We played our game right, we executed well, and when he's open like that, I'm going to get him the ball.’’
Robiskie said he knows different teams would play the Buckeyes’ wide receivers different ways, because there is much talent in that group with him.
Brian Hartline is part of that group, and now that Ray Small, who made his presence felt with a 48-yard touchdown reception and a couple of shifty punt returns, is back from injury, they could get better.
‘‘My coach Darrell Hazell tells me all the time that anytime we've got single coverage, you've got to beat our guy on top of us before we can worry about the ball or anything like that,’’ he said. ‘‘I just try to do that every time and make it easy on the quarterback.’’
Tressel said Robiskie's work ethic continues to pay off for the junior receiver.
‘‘Robo is a kid who really studies the game. He's very disciplined in his route running. He's long. He goes out with those hands and he can reach out and pluck the ball out of the air in a lot of different ways,’’ he said.
As good as the offense played, the OSU defense again played like a Doberman pincher clinging to a raw T-bone steak, delivering hit after hit after hit and making stop after stop. They limited the Wildcats to a meager 120 yards of net offense, an average of 1.8 yards per play, got five sacks and forced three turnovers, one of which led to a score by defensive end Vernon Gholston in the first quarter. On that play, safety Anderson Russell stripped Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bacher, and Gholston picked it up and raced 25 yards for the score.
‘‘Their defense let me go free, and the quarterback wasn't looking, so I just wanted to make the big play,’’ Russell said. ‘‘Our goal is to make big plays on every drive, and that one was the one for me.’’
Gholston said he prefers to make big third-down stops, but he'll take a turnover anyday.
‘‘I saw the strip. My eyes got big, and it was like a pot of gold sitting out there,'' he said. ‘‘For the most part it was getting there as quick as I can before the other guys do and once I got it, I just broke for the end zone.’’
The victory came in the 500th game at Ohio Stadium, a fact that might have escaped Fitzgerald. He inadvertently gave the Buckeyes incentive this summer when he said that his Wildcats were looking forward to coming to Columbus. Team captains used it as motivation this week, senior offensive lineman Kirk Barton said.
‘‘The Horseshoe should be like Alcatraz. You shouldn't want to come to the Horseshoe,’’ he said. ‘‘If someone wants to come to here, obviously we're not good enough to beat them.’’
BUCKNOTES
The media received a surprise when newly returned OSU president E. Gordon Gee toured the pressbox about a half hour before game time. Gelip In the third quarter, Buckeyes trainers had Chris ‘‘Beanie’’ Wells' ankle untaped, and they iced it, effectively ending his day. He notched his third 100-yard game. Gelip OSU caught a break when they didn't have to face Sutton, an Akron native. He was expected to play but could be seen on the sidelines without pads or a helmet.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
FIVE KEYS REVIEW
Here is how the Buckeyes fared on the five keys for victory, according to Ohio State beat reporter George M. Thomas.
1. Contain Northwestern’s running game: With Archbishop Hoban graduate Tyrell Sutton sitting the game out with an injury, the Wildcats’ running game never generated much momentum, often being met in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage by Buckeyes’ defenders. The Wildcats rushed the ball 33 times for zero net yards.
2. Stay in quarterback C.J. Bacher’s face: Racking up five sacks and two interceptions, the OSU defense did its job here. Bacher was harried and hopeless, and he probably left battered and bruised, too. Defensive end Vernon Gholston scored a touchdown on a Bacher fumble caused by defensive back Anderson Russell.
3. Don’t let Northwestern’s Adam Kadela run free: By all accounts Kadela had a great game with 13 overall tackles with two of them being for losses. Given the fact that his offense didn’t do much to aid the Wildcats’ cause, that’s not surprising, however.
4. Run Beanie Run: Although he was pulled at the beginning of the second half after slightly re-injuring his ankle, Chris Wells still racked up 100 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. After the game he said he could have still played had he been needed.
5. Thievery is OK in football: Two interceptions halted potential Northwestern drives, and defensive end Vernon Gholston returned a fumble 25 yards for a score.
COLUMBUS: If there were a mercy rule in college football, the Ohio State-Northwestern game would have been called after the first quarter with the Buckeyes ahead by 28 and showing absolutely no signs of slowing.
The Buckeyes would go on to win 58-7 as they dominated in all phases of the game against an outmanned and outmatched Wildcats team.
How overpowering were the Buckeyes?
At the half, the Wildcats averaged less than a yard per offensive play. Their offense didn't see the other side of the 50-yard line until deep into the third quarter. Without running back Tyrell Sutton, their running game proved non-existent.
This was the type of game many expected the Buckeyes to put together against nonconference opponents. Either coach Jim Tressel saved something for his Big Ten brethren to think about or things just finally clicked. The only blemish on what should have been an OSU shutout was a spectacular 99-yard kickoff return by Stephen Simmons of the Wildcats.
However, at points you had to wonder whether Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald decided to gift wrap this one for the Buckeyes. Coming into the game OSU wide receiver wide receiver Brian Robiskie averaged more than 20 yards per catch. Yet, the Wildcats chose to use single coverage on him. The result: the junior wide receiver from Chagrin Falls grabbed three passes for 89 yards ` all of them went for touchdowns.
‘‘I don't know if I was surprised; they've got some solid defensive backs out there than can run with us,’’ said OSU quarterback Todd Boeckman, who was 11-of-14 for 179 yards and four touchdowns and one interception. ‘‘We played our game right, we executed well, and when he's open like that, I'm going to get him the ball.’’
Robiskie said he knows different teams would play the Buckeyes’ wide receivers different ways, because there is much talent in that group with him.
Brian Hartline is part of that group, and now that Ray Small, who made his presence felt with a 48-yard touchdown reception and a couple of shifty punt returns, is back from injury, they could get better.
‘‘My coach Darrell Hazell tells me all the time that anytime we've got single coverage, you've got to beat our guy on top of us before we can worry about the ball or anything like that,’’ he said. ‘‘I just try to do that every time and make it easy on the quarterback.’’
Tressel said Robiskie's work ethic continues to pay off for the junior receiver.
‘‘Robo is a kid who really studies the game. He's very disciplined in his route running. He's long. He goes out with those hands and he can reach out and pluck the ball out of the air in a lot of different ways,’’ he said.
As good as the offense played, the OSU defense again played like a Doberman pincher clinging to a raw T-bone steak, delivering hit after hit after hit and making stop after stop. They limited the Wildcats to a meager 120 yards of net offense, an average of 1.8 yards per play, got five sacks and forced three turnovers, one of which led to a score by defensive end Vernon Gholston in the first quarter. On that play, safety Anderson Russell stripped Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bacher, and Gholston picked it up and raced 25 yards for the score.
‘‘Their defense let me go free, and the quarterback wasn't looking, so I just wanted to make the big play,’’ Russell said. ‘‘Our goal is to make big plays on every drive, and that one was the one for me.’’
Gholston said he prefers to make big third-down stops, but he'll take a turnover anyday.
‘‘I saw the strip. My eyes got big, and it was like a pot of gold sitting out there,'' he said. ‘‘For the most part it was getting there as quick as I can before the other guys do and once I got it, I just broke for the end zone.’’
The victory came in the 500th game at Ohio Stadium, a fact that might have escaped Fitzgerald. He inadvertently gave the Buckeyes incentive this summer when he said that his Wildcats were looking forward to coming to Columbus. Team captains used it as motivation this week, senior offensive lineman Kirk Barton said.
‘‘The Horseshoe should be like Alcatraz. You shouldn't want to come to the Horseshoe,’’ he said. ‘‘If someone wants to come to here, obviously we're not good enough to beat them.’’
BUCKNOTES
The media received a surprise when newly returned OSU president E. Gordon Gee toured the pressbox about a half hour before game time. Gelip In the third quarter, Buckeyes trainers had Chris ‘‘Beanie’’ Wells' ankle untaped, and they iced it, effectively ending his day. He notched his third 100-yard game. Gelip OSU caught a break when they didn't have to face Sutton, an Akron native. He was expected to play but could be seen on the sidelines without pads or a helmet.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
FIVE KEYS REVIEW
Here is how the Buckeyes fared on the five keys for victory, according to Ohio State beat reporter George M. Thomas.
1. Contain Northwestern’s running game: With Archbishop Hoban graduate Tyrell Sutton sitting the game out with an injury, the Wildcats’ running game never generated much momentum, often being met in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage by Buckeyes’ defenders. The Wildcats rushed the ball 33 times for zero net yards.
2. Stay in quarterback C.J. Bacher’s face: Racking up five sacks and two interceptions, the OSU defense did its job here. Bacher was harried and hopeless, and he probably left battered and bruised, too. Defensive end Vernon Gholston scored a touchdown on a Bacher fumble caused by defensive back Anderson Russell.
3. Don’t let Northwestern’s Adam Kadela run free: By all accounts Kadela had a great game with 13 overall tackles with two of them being for losses. Given the fact that his offense didn’t do much to aid the Wildcats’ cause, that’s not surprising, however.
4. Run Beanie Run: Although he was pulled at the beginning of the second half after slightly re-injuring his ankle, Chris Wells still racked up 100 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. After the game he said he could have still played had he been needed.
5. Thievery is OK in football: Two interceptions halted potential Northwestern drives, and defensive end Vernon Gholston returned a fumble 25 yards for a score.
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