Scarlet, rain prevail in spring game
Right: Wide receiver Brian Hartline had a productive day in the rain, catching six passes for 82 yards. Getty Images/Matt Sullivan
More than 76,000 fans were fed a steady diet of light rain showers as the Scarlet squad topped the Gray team, 20-7, in this year’s Spring Game at Ohio Stadium.
Nothing really statistically jumps out at you when looking them over. The leading rusher was Dan “Boom” Herron, who gained 30 yards on 10 carries.
Neither of the three quarterbacks played particularly well, though incoming freshman Terrelle Pryor was watching from the stands in street clothes and a red rain poncho.
Senior quarterback Todd Boeckman was 12-of-18 passing for 145 yards, but threw two interceptions. Granted, one was picked off by free safety Kurt Coleman, who made a tremendous play on the ball, but the other by weakside linebacker Ross Homan was a poorly-thrown pass.
Boeckman scored the game’s first points when he dove in on a quarterback sneak from the 1-yard line with 1:37 left in the first quarter to put the Scarlet squad ahead 7-0.
Two plays earlier, Boeckman hit a diving Brian Hartline on a 48-yard pass play that set-up the TD.
Probably the quarterback who had the best performance out of the three was redshirt freshman walk-on Joe Bauserman, who was 7-of-14 for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Following Homan’s interception, the Gray team took over at their own 19 yard line. Five plays later, Bauserman connected with sophomore wide receiver Taurian Washington on a 51-yard pitch and catch that tied the game at 7-all with 2:49 remaining in the second quarter.
Kicker Aaron Pettrey put the Scarlet squad ahead for good when he put the pigskin through the uprights on a 48-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, giving his team a 10-7 lead.
The Scarlet squad tacked on another score when Boom Herron banged through the “one hole” on a 1-yard touchdown run with 23 ticks left in the third quarter.
That touchdown was set-up by a 30-yard pass play from Henton to junior wide receiver Ray Small three snaps earlier.
Scarlet’s Mike Mattimoe added a 24-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining to close out the scoring.
Henton was 6-of-12 for 73 yards playing for both teams, plus he had six yards rushing on four attempts and was sacked three times.
Neither team ran the ball particularly well, either, though Scarlet’s sophomore running back K.C. Christian and Gray’s junior running back Maurice Williams had the best averages by far. Christian had two carries for 23 yards (11.5 ypa), and Williams toted the rock three times for 20 yards (6.7 ypa).
Those who had four or more receptions were Hartline, Small (5 rec., 74 yards), and Wasington 4 rec., 71 yards).
Defensively, junior cornerback Andre Amos led both teams with eight total tackles for the Scarlet, while sophomore defensive tackle Dexter Larimore topped both squads with two sacks for the Gray.
Those who did not play due to injury were: senior P Tyson Gentry, senior wide receiver Brian Robiskie, senior OG Steve Rehring, junior running back Chris Wells, sophomore WR Garrett Hummel, sophomore LB Kyle Libby, sophomore RB Aram Olson, junior WR Dan Potakar, freshman OL Mike Adams, freshman OL Mike Brewster, redshirt freshman DB Donnie Evege, sophomore OL Josh Kerr, senior OL Ben Person, junior DL Chris Rietschlin, and junior DE Robert Rose.
