Football
Buckeyes Too Much for Hoosiers Despite Game of Big Breaks
By John Porentas
Ohio State's (5-2, 31) 41-10 win over Indiana (4-3, 1-3) on Saturday may not make the history books for artistry, but when it comes to weirdness, this one may have been the granddaddy of them all.
Fumbles, interceptions, muffed kicks, penalties, and an officiating crew that seemed to suffer from an occasional brain cramp made what was really a one-sided game not only entertaining, but actually close into the third quarter.
"It was kind of a 'You gotta be kiddin me' day," said OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel.
"We break out there on the first play of the game for 15 or 20, and we're back 15 (on a penalty). We throw an interception on the goal line, we return a kickoff for a touchdown (that is called back), those are all 'you gotta be kidding me moments,'" Tressel said.
The Buckeye defense dominated the Hoosier offense the entire day, but the Hoosiers managed to put enough points on the board to make the game a one-score contest about midway through the third quarter. I. U. turned an interception of Troy Smith at the goal line into three points in the first quarter, then put seven points on the board in third quarter when linebacker Joe Pannozzo stole the ball from Ted Ginn and rumbled 57 yards to a touchdown at the 10:48 mark to cut the lead to just 17-10 despite OSU's overwhelming statistical advantage.
The breaks kept the Hoosiers close, but breaks have a way of evening out, and in a game of big, big breaks, things seemed to even out across the board.
The Hoosiers came up with a defensive score with Pazzonno's play, but the Buckeyes countered with a defensive score of their own when Brandon Mitchell picked off I. U. quarterback Blake Powers and returned it 57 yards (the exact same distance as Pozzonno) for score. A flag erased a kickoff return for a touchdown by Ted Ginn, but a flag also negated an apparent Indiana recovery of a fumble of the second half kickoff by the Buckeyes in what might have been the weirdest play of the day. Indiana clearly recovered the ball inside the OSU 30, but the officials ruled that an inadvertent whistle nullified the play and ruled that Indiana would have to rekick.
"An official blew a whistle so the play is over at that point. I think it's called a do-over," said an obviously miffed Indiana head Coach Terry Hoeppner. "I don't know. We had the ball and we didn't get it."
Even the Buckeyes were amazed by the call.
"I've been playing football since the fifth grade I don't think I've ever seen a do-over. I have no idea what that means," said OSU fullback Stan White.
"We were sitting over the the sidelines and we were like 'Do over?'" said defensive end Mike Kudla.
"There were things that definitely took place today that you've never seen. It was just kind of a weird flowing game. Usually games have a good flow, one team has momentum then maybe it switches, but this one there were things out of the ordinary that you just don't normally see."
The call was large, saving the Buckeyes from a period-starting turnover, but no larger than the one made in the second quarter that nullified an apparent touchdown run by Ginn with the kickoff following Indiana's touchdown. Ginn took the ball the 73 yard distance to the end zone, but the play was called back when reserve linebacker Trevor Robinson was flagged for a personal foul for hitting an unprotected player at least 25 yards behind the play.
"It was heartbreaking but guys make mistakes. We just have to go back to square one and do it again," said Ginn.
The Buckeyes took the early lead when Santonio Holmes took a short slant pass from Troy Smith, beat a tackler, and raced 23 yards to the end zone to put the Buckeyes up 7-0. The play was made possible when Indiana punt returner Tony Grosfield muffed OSU's first punt of the day and Antonio Smith recovered for the Buckeyes at the Indiana 28. Smith found Holmes on third-and-five from the 23 for the score. Troy Smith put the Buckeyes up 14-3 in the second period with a one yard run capping a five play, 50 yard drive, and Josh Huston added a 23 yard field goal to put the Buckeyes up 17-3 at the half.
The breaks kept the game close, but the Buckeyes broke the game open following Pazzonno's big play. Leading just 17-10 after that score, the Buckeye offense returned to the field to simply stuff the ball down the throat of the Indiana defense on a five play, 79 yard drive that took just 55 seconds. All five plays on the drive were runs. Pittman began the drive with a rush for four yards, then went for 17 and 18 on consecutive carries. Backup running back Maurice Wells exploded for 25, and Smith kept for 23 yards and the score on an option.
"That was probably the back breaker," said Tressel.
"No question," agreed offensive coordinator Jim Bollman.
"I think we were just fed up," said OSU senior left guard Rob Sims.
"Turnovers all year have been killing us, keeping us from being a great team, being an undefeated team. We just got fed up, something needed to be done, so we went back out there and put it on them."
Ginn closed out the day's scoring with a 62 yard punt return for a touchdown. For Ginn, it was atonement for his costly fumble earlier in the day.
"I had a little low when I got stripped. I had it in my head that I had to make it up. I think the punt return got me back in the game," said Ginn.
"Once I see that end zone and there's nobody in front of me, I've got to go," said Ginn of his big play.
Fast-improving sophomore tailback Antonio Pittman had another big day for the Buckeyes, rushing for 133 yards on 26 carries. Pittman also added 20 receiving yards on two receptions. Santonio Holmes topped the 100 yards receiving with 104 yards on five catches for one touchdown. Smith was 14-23 passing for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Indiana managed just 42 total rushing yards against the OSU defense and 137 yards of total offense.
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