BLOCKED!!!!! OSU Wins Nail-biter Over Purdue
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The hand of defensive linemen Brent Johnson was the Ohio State savior. With time running down, Hesiman trophy candidate Drew Brees marched Purdue down deep into OSU territory. His third down pass was broken up by Nate Clements, and the field goal unit was called upon to send the game into overtime. But then Brent Johnson blocked the kick, preserving the 25-22 win. It was the first time that the Buckeyes had played four quarters of football this season. It wasn't error free, but they didn't start off sluggishly, or disappear in the second half. The win puts the Buckeyes at 1-1 in the Big Ten with a huge showdown next week against Penn State. The Buckeyes will have to play nearly error free if they hope to knock off the number two ranked Nittany Lions. |
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The Buckeyes have an a feared linebacker on their team, #32 Na'il Diggs. The Nittany Lions have their own nightmare named Lavar Arrington. The offense will have to deal with him next week. But this week, the Buckeyes had to deal with a slippery and muddy field. Even on the slippery field, the Buckeyes gained a total of 369 yards; 181 through the air, and 188 on the ground. Steve Bellisari was 10-26 for 174 yards. He also ran for 96 yards, including a big 68 yard run at the end of the game to seal the Buckeye's victory. He threw three passes to Ken-Yon Rambo for 61 yards, and 3 to Reggie Germany for 68 yards. The ground game continued to struggle against the Boilermaker's defense. Micheal Wiley had 67 yards, but only touched the ball eight times. He did, however, throw a touchdown pass that put the Buckeyes ahead in the game. Wiley also scored a two point conversation that gave the Buckeyes a three point lead late in the fourth quarter. Also, give some credit to Brent Bartholomew who missed an easier field goal and then booted home a 47 yard field goal that would turn out to the the game winner. |
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Drew Brees was held without a touchdown pass for the first time in some nineteen games. That says a lot for a defense that was supposed to be weak in the secondary. Brees had only 217 yards passing the entire game an no touchdowns. Donnie Nickey lead the team with 11 tackles, Dave Mitchell added 7, and Gary Berry, Na'il Diggs, and James Cotton chipped in with 6 a piece. Of course the biggest defensive plays belong to Nate Clements and Brent Johnson. Clements knocked away Brees' third down pass and Brent Johnson blocked the field goal that would have tied the game. Return to Buckeye Central |
