(6)Ohio State 31 Navy 27
For the past four seasons, I’ve had the pleasure of providing Buckeye 50 with our game summaries. Ordinarily this entails watching and re-watching the game, noting every play and trying to weave together stats, stories and observations into something that our readers will enjoy checking out.
This season will be different. As you can appreciate, there is a heavy time investment involved, yet we strive to get our game summaries to you as early in the following week as possible so that it isn’t “old news” and so we can move on to the upcoming game. We also have noticed through the years that our most-viewed articles seem to be anything opinion-related, whether it’s our take on the hot subjects of the moment or even our “Weekly Picks”. So this season our game summaries won’t be a play-by play, drive-by-drive breakdown as they’ve been in the past. We understand and appreciate that you have several good sources of media to get stats, and starting this season we’re looking to go beyond the numbers a bit more. As always, your feedback is welcome.
I’ll admit being a bit torn as we try this new approach. One of the main reasons I loathe ESPN is their stable of smug, know-it-all “talent”. They’ve made themselves the focal point instead of the events that they cover. But you can’t deny the “train wreck” appeal of wanting to know what they think of something, instead of just regurgitating scores and numbers. And as I pointed out, the pages on Buckeye 50 that get the most hits and response from you folks are the ones that are opinion-driven. So we will fine-tune our summaries to that vein and see how it goes down. As always, your feedback is welcome on any of our stories or articles.
And as a bit of a service for you numbers lovers, here is the link to the Ohio State football page at the athletic departments’ website, which will give you all the facts and figures you need to know about each game-
So let’s start from the top with the pre-game emphasis on respect for the visitors. Fans had been publicly urged not to boo Navy as they entered the stadium, and as a means to that end, the Buckeyes and Midshipmen took the field at the same time. Classy touch, although certain segments of Buckeye Nation thought that it contributed to an overall lack of killer instinct from both the team and the crowd. That supposed lack has nothing to do with showing some class towards young men who won’t be spending NFL riches when their collegiate days are done. Anyone who has been to enough games at the ‘Shoe knows how dead September crowds can be unless Texas or USC are in town.
I liked the reverse call on the opening kickoff. If it gives USC’s special teams one more thing to work on this week or keeps their “suicide squad” a bit more on their toes, then so be it. I’m sure, though, that Brandon Saine will hear from his teammates about how he let the kicker bring him down.
Just like 2007, Dane Sanzenbacher was responsible for the Bucks’ first TD of the year on a nice catch-and-run from 38 yards away. He showed great balance after the snag and made a fine adjustment to get open when he saw Terrelle Pryor scrambling. The opening drive was aided by a leaping grab by DeVier Posey who held on despite contact to get a first down. Posey supposedly injured an ankle and didn’t play much after the first quarter, but exactly how serious it is remains to be seen.
Navy answered the Sanzenbacher score on their first drive. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs handled the triple-option expertly and showed his toughness throughout the day on keepers, dragging tacklers for extra yardage. Ohio State had trouble covering the pitch to the slotback on this initial drive, and Navy made hay around its right side more than once. And in an eerie moment recalling the Fiesta Bowl loss to Texas, Dobbs capped off the drive by faking to his fullback, cutting up and prancing to the endzone right up the gut with nary a Scarlet jersey anywhere in the middle. It was the 13th time in the last 14 games that Navy had scored on its opening drive, and it tied this game at 7.
Terrelle Pryor marched OSU right back down the field, but then an old bugaboo raised its ugly head. ESPN’s Bob Griese incorrectly pointed out that Ohio State led the nation in scoring touchdowns when it reached the “red zone” last season. Actually, the Buckeyes did score on 39 of 41 trips there in ’08. But 14 of those trips ended in field goals, and this one did as well, thanks to a false start flag on Jake Ballard and then a 5-yard pass on 3rd-and-13. Ill-timed mental miscues and receivers (or play designs) that can’t locate the first-down marker were a big reason the Bucks had to settle for so many 3-point tries last fall, and as was born out against Texas here in ’05, playing for field goals isn’t going to cut it against someone the caliber of USC. Aaron Pettrey’s kick was true to make it 10-7 for the home team, and I certainly have faith in Pettrey’s leg, but I prefer extra-point attempts.
Brian Rolle helped short-circuit Navy’s next thrust by finally ringing up a tackle-for-loss for the “D”. Rolle no doubt has the instincts and packs a wallop despite a frame that’s probably more suited to safety than linebacker. I’ll be curious to see how he does not only this Saturday with a bigger USC team that will certainly pound the football at times, but against the likes of Wisconsin and Iowa as well.
On Navy’s next possession, Thaddeus Gibson made his first big contribution of ’09, stripping Dobbs of the football for Ross Homan to pounce on. This play, and a later TFL by Nathan Williams, were really the only times anyone on the defensive line had their name called. Those who were banking on this unit to be a force might be concerned, but for now I’m willing to chalk up their quiet day to having to be more disciplined against the Mids’ offensive attack. Just like countless other questions observers have about this team, we’ll start to get more definite answers this Saturday night.
Fans saw the best of Terrelle Pryor on the next drive. Using his unmatched escapability, he dodged tacklers and was able to rainbow a pass to Jake Ballard for the first down. While Tim Tebow’s running prowess is more based on power, suffice it to say no quarterback in the country can do what TP can with his feet. That includes getting the corner on a ridiculously easy touchdown rollout, as he did to conclude this march, putting his team up 17-7.
At this stage, ESPN cut to a highlight of the Syracuse-Minnesota game as Orange QB Greg Paulus connected on his first touchdown pass of the season. It was nice to see that Greg learned well at Coach K’s feet- no sooner had he completed the pass than he’s got his arm around the referee, having some discussion with him. Once a Dookie, always a Dookie...
Dane Sanzenbacher handled punt-return duties against the Midshipmen with Ray Small being under the weather, and although he didn’t break anything big, it was nice to see him make the first guy or two miss. I would bank on both Small and kickoff-return man Lamaar Thomas getting to the house this year, but there were too many times last year that they didn’t seem to get any blocking whatsoever.
Joe Bauserman made his first appearance of 2009 on Ohio State’s fifth drive. Jim Tressel had stated publicly earlier in the week that Joe would see early action, and he led a drive into the Navy “red zone”, overcoming a sack. But he and his mates couldn’t close the deal and another Pettrey FG made it 20-7 at the half. There’s been postgame grousing about Bauserman even playing at all when Terrelle seemed to have a nice momentum going. Well, Joe did get them into position for points and what sense does it make to have him come in for the last drive or two of a game and just handoff? Personally, as this drive entered the “red zone”, I was pleading for Tressel to put Pryor in at receiver. That facet of the offense, which worked fine against Texas last January, wasn’t even discussed in all the preseason dissecting of the team. If USC’s-or any- cornerbacks the Buckeyes will face can handle Terrelle on the fade, more power to them.
Halftime was highlighted by the usual quadruple Script Ohio’s from TBDBITL and their alumni brethren. Senator John Glenn added his name to the very, very short list of non-band members to dot the “I” as he and his wife Annie did the honors on the west side. The intermission also saw Chris Spielman honored for his induction to the College Football Hall of Fame. Spielman’s family- wife Stephanie and their four children- joined him, something Chris called a “dream come true” as a wheelchair-bound Stephanie continues her health battles. She pumped her fist, though, as Chris’ school-record 29-tackle effort against TBGUN in 1986 was rehashed. Lord willing, Stephanie will be right by Chris’s side at the HOF dinner in New York this December and at the official induction next summer in South Bend.
Neither team got off to blistering start in the second half. Navy fumbled and recovered the kickoff, then played “dropsy” again on second down before Thaddeus Gibson put the drive out of its misery with a tackle-for-loss. The Buckeyes fared no better, drawing consecutive flags for a false start, an inexcusable delay-of-game (another maddening characteristic of the ’08 team) and then a hold. Despite all of that, Terrelle Pryor had a great shot to convert the 3rd-and-20 situation but overshot an open Duron Carter. How much Duron will see the field if Ray Small works back into the lineup remains to be seen, but in the brief glimpses on TV I saw, you can tell whose son he is.
Navy cut the Buckeye lead to 20-14 as Ricky Dobbs connected with Marcus Curry for a score on 3rd-and-14. Dobbs didn’t put the ball up a whole lot on this day, but scarily when he did guys were open. Again, the DB’s were probably focused on their run responsibilities within the option look they were getting, but this game film might make Matt Barkley breathe a little easier.
Ohio State continued to give Navy doses of its own medicine, as Terrelle Pryor and his tailback tandem of “Boom” Herron and Brandon Saine worked their version of the option for nice gains. But the Buckeye drive came undone thanks to a drop by Taurian Washington and Navy stopping an option pitch to Herron on 3rd-and-7. Aaron Pettrey banged through a 52-yard field goal to extend the Scarlet and Gray lead to 23-14.
It looked like the Buckeyes had sewn things up as Kurt Coleman made a big-time strip on a pass to Mario Washington. Doug Worthington gobbled up the football, and in no time the offense cashed in. Jake Stoneburner’s first catch as a Buckeye was good for 17, and two snaps later Herron took an option pitch in for the score. Pettrey clanged the PAT off the upright, but it looked like just a momentary hiccup as the lead ballooned to 29-14.
Kurt Coleman made one of the better INT’s any Buckeye has produced to squash Navy’s next drive. Kurt’s diving effort was a beaut, and honestly seemed to be about the only time that the back seven’s coverage was tight on any of Ricky Dobbs’ pass attempts. The offense looked to be in high gear with a second-and-short at Navy’s 16 following the pick, but first Saine, then Herron were stuffed by the never-say-die Navy defenders. A field goal here would’ve put the Bucks 3 scores ahead with six minutes to go, but Jim Tressel rolled the dice and crapped out as Herron was stonewalled on fourth down. Tressel characterized the call as a “mistake” in his postgame assessment, but I agreed with it. You don’t always have to try and pound a fourth-and-short between the tackles, but there are going to be critical short-yardage situations all throughout the year and the “O”-line needs to get the job done.
The missed opportunity immediately bit the Bucks in the rear as Ricky Dobbs connected with Marcus Curry for an 85-yard touchdown strike to make it an 8-point game. Anderson Russell just flat got beat, there’s no other way to put it. Despite the fifth-longest pass play ever surrendered by Ohio State, they were still seemingly in control. But as Pryor and Co. faced a third-down on the ensuing possession, Chris Spielman circled Dane Sanzenbacher with the telestrator and pointed out how Pryor looks for him in third-down situations. No kidding. Pryor looked for no one else as he danced around to buy time, and Dane tipped the high pass right into the hands of Emmett Merchant. Merchant scooted all the way to the Buckeye 33, and in a matter of moments Dobbs hit an uppercut. Peeking into the crystal ball once again, Spielman noted how the OSU defense was having trouble stopping Dobbs when he faked to, and then followed, his fullback into the line. The clairvoyance played right out to the TV audience as Dobbs broke away on the keep for 24 yards untouched to the dismay of the stunned crowd.
While it would’ve made sense to come right back with something out of your option game on the two-point try, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo (I had to include him just to get the old spellcheck fired up) outsmarted himself and had Dobbs pass. Sure, the air game had clicked for Navy, but Dobbs only had one receiver in the area that he threw to and he would’ve had to thread that football through three Scarlet jerseys to get it in there. It didn’t even make it past the first guy- linebacker Brian Rolle. Rolle plucked the ball at his own 1 and steamrolled down the east sideline for two points, accounting for the final margin of 31-27. It was the first time Ohio State had converted a deuce on an opponents’ two-point try, and after the ensuing onside kick hopped high and out-of-bounds, the Bucks ran out the clock to mercifully end things.
The Mids’ 27 points were the most Ohio State had given up in an opening game since losing to SMU 32-27 in the 1950 lidlifter. The previous high in the Tressel era was the 21 surrendered to Texas Tech in the 2002 home opener. Good omen?
For you stat junkies, here’s one to keep an eye on. Ohio State faced second-and-long (eight yards or more) on ten different occasions. Five of those ten resulted in runs. This was something I noticed last season. It’s great to see the Bucks chuck it on first down, but is it a crime to throw three passes in a row in a series? We’ll see how it develops as the season progresses.
On the Big Ten as a whole, it was a 10-1 weekend, with the only slipup being Illinois taking another beating from Missouri. Anyone else starting to think that the Illini played over their heads in 2007? I know it all came out in the wash that year with the Buckeyes going to the title game, but that loss to Illinois makes you shake your head even more now. A game that should have given Ron Zook and his program a tremendous jolt has turned into a potential “last hurrah”.
So it’s on to the Trojans. I honestly feel that the Buckeyes haven’t been this much of an underdog- in the nation’s eyes- at home in the non-conference since USC’s last visit here in 1990. The point-counterpoints are endless- OSU’s defense couldn’t stop Navy when it counted, but they’ve never faced the triple option and USC will be a more “traditional” offense. True freshman Matt Barkley hasn’t faced our crowd at night and our “D”-line, but the Trojans ran for 343 yards and 6 scores last Saturday. Brandon Saine and Dan Herron made tough yards, but the “big uglies” couldn’t take advantage of their 40-pounds-per-man advantage on Navy’s front four when they had a chance to salt the game away. It seems any potential OSU advantage can be answered, which I guess means the Bucks are going to have to play something close to a perfect game to beat USC.
Check with us all throughout the week here at Buckeye 50 as we count down to kickoff.
Click B50 Logo to return to Home Page
September 5, 2009
Ohio Stadium
Columbus, OH
Attendance 105,092
9/5/09
VS
By Joe-S-U
2000-2009 Buckeye50.com, All Rights Reserved
