Buckeyes young guns shoot down the Cowboys
Last night, it appeared that the Ohio State Buckeyes football team was on a mission. It was fitting then to be carrying out this mission in San Antonio, Texas, home of the Alamo Bowl.
Ohio State dominated every aspect of the game as the Buckeyes routed the Oklahoma State Cowboys 33-7 in front of a sellout-crowd of 65,265 inside the Alamodome.
Oklahoma State seemed demoralized after quarterback Donovan Woods was intercepted by Buckeyes’ linebacker Bobby Carpenter on the third play of the game. Woods never saw Carpenter who hauled in the pass and ran nine yards to the Cowboys’ 28 yard line.
It would not take long for the Buckeyes to score. Just three plays later, Justin Zwick, who started in place of suspended Troy Smith at quarterback, lobbed a pass to a sliding Anthony Gonzalez just inside the goal line for a 23-yard touchdown, putting the Buckeyes ahead 7-0 with 12:02 remaining in the opening period.
Ohio State’s swarming defense forced the Cowboys to a three-and-out on their next possession. Thanks to a 17-yard punt, Ohio State would start out at the Cowboys’ 41 yard line. On the very first play, Ginn beat his defender deep and was wide-open in the corner of the end zone. But cornerback Danie McLemore dragged down Ginn not allowing him to make the catch, and the Cowboys’ were penalized 15 yards for pass interference. The Buckeyes would get a first down at the Oklahoma State 26 yard line. After three offensive plays that gained seven yards, Mike Nugent came in and split the uprights from 37-yards away to make the score 10-0 with 9:53 left to play in the first quarter.
Oklahoma State’s Woods would give the Buckeyes another gift when the Cowboys got the football back, fumbling as he tried to avoid the strong pass rush from the Buckeyes. Defensive tackle Joel Penton recovered for the Buckeyes’ at the Oklahoma State 48 yard line.
Ohio State would settle on a 35-yard field goal by Nugent. Key play of the drive was on a third-and-12 from the Oklahoma State 27. Ginn, at quarterback to give Zwick a break who suffered a pulled hamstring earlier in the quarter, took off around the right end and turned up field. He was clipped up from behind, and if not, he would have scored easily. The field goal put the Buckeyes ahead 13-0.
After both teams would not be able to move the ball much and after three consecutive punts, Ohio State would start out at the Oklahoma State 22 yard line with 14:20 left in the first half.
After three rushing plays by fullback Branden Joe that gained 17 yards, Zwick would connect with split end Santonio Holmes for a gain of ten. The next play showed the speed and talent of Ted Ginn, Jr.
On a screen pass to Ginn out in the left flat towards the near-sideline, it appeared that Ginn was pinned in by the Cowboys defense for a short gain, but he broke loose and headed toward the far-sideline and was eventually pushed out-of-bounds at the nine yard line, after a gain of 42. Three plays later, senior running back Lydell Ross would not be denied as he dived in from the one, putting the Buckeyes ahead 19-0. Nugent would add the PAT to make it 20-0, and in the process making him Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Pete Johnson.
Nugent would later add a 41-yard field goal to put the Buckeyes ahead 23-0 heading into halftime.
Oklahoma would catch the first break of the second half when Branden Joe coughed up the pigskin on Ohio State’s first play of the half. Oklahoma State recovered the loose ball at the Buckeyes 33.
The Cowboys would not be able to capitalize to the turnover, however. Oklahoma State would drive down to the Ohio State 6 yard line. Faced with a fourth-and-goal, the Cowboys set up in field-goal formation. The snap went to the holder John Wohlgemuth, a senior wide receiver, who ran around the left end and was chased and dragged out-of-bounds by Quinn Pitcock and Anthony Schlegel for no gain on the fake.
Ohio State would go on to put the final nail into the coffin by going 94 yards in nine plays. The bulk of that yardage came from runs of 16 and 27 yards by Ross, the latter put the Buckeyes inside Cowboy territory. On the very next play, Ginn would take the snap and run around the right side of the defense for a gain of 28. Five plays later, Ginn would take the snap again from the shotgun formation and dart through the middle of the Cowboys’ porous defense for a five-yard touchdown scamper with 8:13 remaining in the third quarter.
Nugent would add another field goal with from 37-yards out to make the score 33-0 with 10:44 left to play in the game.
Oklahoma State would eventually score on their next possession, nullifying the shutout for the Buckeyes. It came against Ohio State’s second-team defense, when running back Shaun Willis ran it in from the four yard line.
***Notes***
Justin Zwick was 17-of-27 passing for 189 yards and a touchdown. It was his first game since he was injured in the Iowa game back on Oct. 16.
Lydell Ross had 99 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown, though he did not start. Branden Joe, who started the game, had 57 yards on 13 carries.
Ted Ginn had six receptions for 78 yards and had eight rushes for 51 yards and a touchdown. Ginn was named Most Valuable Player of the Alamo Bowl.
Ginn played quarterback on ten plays to give injured starter Zwick a break. Since the suspension of Smith, Todd Boeckman is listed number two on the quarterback depth chart, but he is a true freshman. If Boeckman would have played, Ohio State would not be able to redshirt him. Since he has not taking a snap all year, he will be a freshman eligibility-wise next season.
Donovan Woods was 15-of-34 passing for 137 yards an a interception.
Vernand Morency, the nation’s eighth-leading rusher was held to just 20 yards on eight carries.
Ohio State outgained Oklahoma State 403-286. Ohio State was more rushing yards, 214-149, and more passing yards, 189-137.
