Dan Herron bulled into the endzone with 1:47 remaining in the final quarter as Ohio State survived Iowa on Senior Day at Kinnick Stadium. The Big 10 showdown pitted the eighth ranked Buckeyes and 21st ranked Hawkeyes with conference title implications on the line. Ohio State pulled out a 21-17 victory in the final minute to remain in contention for a share of the Big 10 championship. Ohio State has won the conference six straight seasons but Wisconsin and Michigan State are also vying for Big 10 primacy this year. The Hawkeyes fell to 7-4 while OSU bumped their record to 10-1. For the Buckeyes, it was the first fourth quarter comeback of the season.
Marvin McNutt’s 19 yard touchdown reception with one minute to go in the first quarter gave Iowa their first lead of the game. McNutt finished with 92 receiving yards. Hawkeye quarterback, Ricki Stanzi, was sharp and accurate. The Ohio native threw for 195 yards and a score in the Iowa loss. Iowa’s balanced attack caught the Buckeyes off guard and off the scoreboard until Devin Barclay’s 18 yard field goal in the second quarter. OSU quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, threw two interceptions and the Bucks’ offense was mistaken-prone throughout the first half. Pryor matched Stanzi in yardage but his receivers could not hold on to the ball and he made several ill-timed passes. Pryor did find Dane Sanzenbacher six times during the game. Sanzenbacher snagged 102 yards on the day, including two pretty passes for 42 yards on OSU’s first scoring drive. The Buckeyes couldn’t reach the end zone, however, and settled for their only points of the half on Barclay’s kick. The Buckeyes drove into Iowa territory late in the half, but Pryor was picked off in the end zone by Micah Hyde. Iowa took a 7-3 advantage into the locker room.
The second half was all about dual-threat Pryor. The OSU signal-caller came out of the break running on first downs and picking up yardage with his legs. Pryor led the team in rushing with 78 yards. The Buckeyes took their first lead of the game midway through the third stanza when Pryor connected with Reid Fragel from five yards out. Iowa tied it at 10-10 five minutes later. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos caught a 23 yard bomb from Stanzi and McNutt hauled in a 18 yard reception to put the Hawkeyes in position to score. The thrifty Buckeye defense held strong and stalled Stanzi’s effort to reach the endzone. Michael Meyer punched home a 31 yard field goal to even the score for 3:26 remaining in the third quarter. The Buckeyes would have to rely on the athletic Pryor to move the ball. It turns out, the quarterback was up for the challenge as he took over the game in the final quarter. Even after a costly miscue, Pryor responded well to the negative play. The Big 10 battle would come down to the final few minutes in nail-biting fashion.
Marcus Coker burst into the Iowa endzone after Shaun Prater intercepted Pryor at the OSU 27 yard line in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes answered with Jordan Hall’s 33 yard kick return, but Pryor’s targets failed to catch the ball and the Hawks sacked towering Terrelle. The clutch kicking Barclay booted a 48 yard field goal, a career long, to cut the deficit to four. Ohio State’s defense stepped up with a sack and a tipped pass on the next Iowa drive. Brian Rolle and Ross Homan led the charge on defense and the cornerbacks for OSU made the necessary tackles. The Hawkeyes went three and out on the ensuing kickoff and it was all Buckeyes from there. In dramatic fashion, OSU orchestrated a 76 yard drive culminating in Herron’s game winning leap into the endzone. DeVier Posey dropped what would have been a touchdown pass on third down for the visitors. On fourth down with 4:02 remaining, Pryor rushed for 14 yards and the first down. Pryor’s conversion on fourth and ten made all the difference. Sanzenbacher caught a 24 yard pass at the two yard line to keep the drive alive three plays later. OSU took the lead for good, leaving a stunned and bewildered Kinnick Stadium crowd. The Hawkeyes’ final attempt to tie or take the lead was thwarted when Cameron Hayward sacked Stanzi and McNutt was short of the first down on fourth-and-22.
Parting Points: Song of the day- “You Mean the World to Me” by Toni Braxton
Showing posts with label Iowa Hawkeyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iowa Hawkeyes. Show all posts
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Spartans Steamrolled on Saturday
Ricky Stanzi and the Hawkeyes massacred Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in Iowa City. The only undefeated team in the conference, MSU was crushed 37-6 in the Big 10 rivalry game at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa improved to 6-2 overall while the Spartans suffered their first loss of the season to drop to 8-1. Stanzi threw for 190 yards and three scores and Adam Robinson added a pair of touchdowns for the 18th ranked Hawkeyes.
The Spartans couldn’t get anything right in the first half. Michigan State quarterback, Kirk Cousins was picked off three times and the home team lead 30-0 by halftime. MSU struggled with the pass and with the run, while Iowa recorded 238 yards on offense during the first half. Iowa moved down the field 80 yards on their first drive and never looked back. Colin Sandeman snagged a three yard pass from Stanzi to tally the first Iowa touchdown. Michael Meyer legged a 37 yard field goal to give the Hawkeyes a 10-0 edge with 2:44 in the first stanza. Iowa completed their first quarter scoring with just ten seconds remaining to take a sizable 17-0 lead heading into the second. Micah Hyde pulled in a 66 yard interception return for a touchdown. Cousins’ short pitch to B.J. Cunningham was picked off by Iowa safety, Tyler Sash. Sash scrambled for six yards before relaying the ball to Hyde. The Hawkeye cornerback ran with a sense of purpose to the end zone as Iowa took advantage of the MSU turnover.
Shaun Prater intercepted another Cousins pass during the second quarter. Prater hustled to the Spartans’ 43 yard line, and three plays later the Hawkeyes were in the end zone again. Adam Robinson hauled in Stanzi’s 32 yard pass to put Iowa on top by 23 points. Robinson rushed for 69 yards in the win, including a third quarter touchdown from two yards out. Iowa kept pouring on the points after the half. Stanzi found an open Marvin McNutt for a 22 yard Iowa score to cap the third quarter. The Hawkeyes racked up 37 points before Mark Dantonio’s dismal squad even recorded one. But it would not be a shutout in Iowa City. The Spartans finally cracked the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter. Cousins hooked up with Cunningham after an 8 play drive to make it 37-6 in favor of the Kirk Ferentz’s team. Iowa held the Spartans to 31 yards passing and Cousins finished with 21-for-29before being replaced by Andrew Maxwell.
Parting Points: Another Buckeyes beatdown—this time against the hapless Minnesota Gophers.
It’s great to see the Texas Rangers finally making it a series with the Giants.
So, Alex Ovechkin scored two power play goals in 12 seconds. Is this really that surprising? He’s the most dangerous player in the NHL.
Happy Halloween!
The Spartans couldn’t get anything right in the first half. Michigan State quarterback, Kirk Cousins was picked off three times and the home team lead 30-0 by halftime. MSU struggled with the pass and with the run, while Iowa recorded 238 yards on offense during the first half. Iowa moved down the field 80 yards on their first drive and never looked back. Colin Sandeman snagged a three yard pass from Stanzi to tally the first Iowa touchdown. Michael Meyer legged a 37 yard field goal to give the Hawkeyes a 10-0 edge with 2:44 in the first stanza. Iowa completed their first quarter scoring with just ten seconds remaining to take a sizable 17-0 lead heading into the second. Micah Hyde pulled in a 66 yard interception return for a touchdown. Cousins’ short pitch to B.J. Cunningham was picked off by Iowa safety, Tyler Sash. Sash scrambled for six yards before relaying the ball to Hyde. The Hawkeye cornerback ran with a sense of purpose to the end zone as Iowa took advantage of the MSU turnover.
Shaun Prater intercepted another Cousins pass during the second quarter. Prater hustled to the Spartans’ 43 yard line, and three plays later the Hawkeyes were in the end zone again. Adam Robinson hauled in Stanzi’s 32 yard pass to put Iowa on top by 23 points. Robinson rushed for 69 yards in the win, including a third quarter touchdown from two yards out. Iowa kept pouring on the points after the half. Stanzi found an open Marvin McNutt for a 22 yard Iowa score to cap the third quarter. The Hawkeyes racked up 37 points before Mark Dantonio’s dismal squad even recorded one. But it would not be a shutout in Iowa City. The Spartans finally cracked the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter. Cousins hooked up with Cunningham after an 8 play drive to make it 37-6 in favor of the Kirk Ferentz’s team. Iowa held the Spartans to 31 yards passing and Cousins finished with 21-for-29before being replaced by Andrew Maxwell.
Parting Points: Another Buckeyes beatdown—this time against the hapless Minnesota Gophers.
It’s great to see the Texas Rangers finally making it a series with the Giants.
So, Alex Ovechkin scored two power play goals in 12 seconds. Is this really that surprising? He’s the most dangerous player in the NHL.
Happy Halloween!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday Take-Twos (Big Battle Basketball Edition)
A pair of big battles highlighted college hoops on Wednesday. The third ranked Villanova Wildcats hosted Big East rival, Notre Dame. The Buckeyes touched up the Hawkeyes in Big 10 ball. Here’s a candid glimpse at the scores and the recaps from the two college clashes.
Villanova remained an unbeaten 8-0 in the Big East after topping Notre Dame 90-72 in Philadelphia. The Fighting Irish dipped to 15-6 and 4-4 in league play despite Luke Harangody’s 21 points in the Wachovia Center loss. The Irish trailed by as many as 23 points and had six turnovers in the first half. Harangody, a candidate for conference player of the year, kept the Irish alive with 16 first half points. The Wildcats led by just one point at the half even with three Notre Dame starters saddled with fouls. There were five lead changes during the first half. Jay Wright’s Wildcats utilized their deep bench to wear down the steady Irish starters. Notre Dame was forced to go to their bench when Harangody, Ben Hansbrough and Ty Nash were charged with two fouls a piece. The Irish made a dismal 19 of 30 from the free throw line
Wildcat staple and clutch shooter, Scottie Reynolds, scored 17 points. Notre Dame held him to just eight points until the fourth quarter. Six foot-one Corey Fisher added 17 and Antonio Pena had 14 points and 10 rebounds in ‘Nova’s 10th straight win. Pena is a presence in the post at 6’8”. He’s also a talented passer who helped the Wildcats make a statement in the second half. The game was a close contest until the Wildcats went on to rout the visiting Irish. Six Wildcats scored at least nine points in the home win. Reynolds keyed the second half scoring when he scored nine straight buckets during an 11-0 Villanova run with four minutes left. The senior guard’s only three pointer of the game put Villanova up 84-67. A grabbing swipe followed the downtown bucket and a hustling Reynolds charted a fast-break layup to increase the lead to 20 points. Maalik Wayns and Taylor King each played twenty minutes off the ‘Nova bench and factored in the victory. Tim Abromaitis contributed 16 points for Notre Dame. The Wildcats are poised to take over the number one ranking a year after advancing to the Final Four. Villanova comes at opponents and they just don’t stop or slow down. Wright’s team is a dangerous and aggressive unit. The Wildcats attack the basket with relentlessness. They are 19-1 for the first time in school history.
The 20th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes did not fall to the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road. Freshman Eric May of Iowa shot a career high 18 points and made five from arc in the 65-57 loss. Ohio State improved to 15-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big 10. The Buckeyes return to Columbus, where they are 12-0 this season, for a three game homestand. David Lighty carried OSU with 20 points in forty minutes. Evan Turner turned in 16 to go along with 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Turner and Lighty helped stave off Iowa’s upset bid in the second half. The two Buckeyes combined for 32 second half points. Jarryd Cole scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds for the Hawkeyes. The Buckeyes struggled from long range in the first half. OSU didn’t hit a 3-pointer until the second half and finished 25% from the arc. Lighty was 3-of-4 from downtown and perfect from the charity stripe.
Ohio State committed just five turnovers and held Iowa’s leading, but injured scorer, Matt Gatens, to six points. Carver-Hawkeye Arena was expecting an upset and on the verge of experiencing one on Wednesday. Turner showed up late to rescue the road victory for the Buckeyes. The best player in the conference and arguable best in the game helped Ohio State pull away in the second half 45-32. Iowa’s reserve center, Andrew Brommer, nailed a pair of free throws with seven seconds before the break to spur the Hawkeyes and expand their first half lead. The Buckeyes trailed by five at the half but the 6’7” Chicago forward won the game down the stretch for Ohio State. May mauled Ohio State and made it a five point Hawkeye lead again with less than five minutes in regulation. Ohio State went on a 12-0 scoring burst that was capped off by Turner’s jumper as the clock closed in on the one minute mark. May’s trey with 46 seconds left trimmed the OSU lead to four before the Buckeyes put the game out of reach at the line. Six free throws and a Turner steal quelled the upset and sealed the win for Thad Matta and the belligerent Buckeyes.
Parting Points: Parting song- “Runaway” by the Corrs
“That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.”- Catcher in the Rye (RIP J.D. Salinger)
Villanova remained an unbeaten 8-0 in the Big East after topping Notre Dame 90-72 in Philadelphia. The Fighting Irish dipped to 15-6 and 4-4 in league play despite Luke Harangody’s 21 points in the Wachovia Center loss. The Irish trailed by as many as 23 points and had six turnovers in the first half. Harangody, a candidate for conference player of the year, kept the Irish alive with 16 first half points. The Wildcats led by just one point at the half even with three Notre Dame starters saddled with fouls. There were five lead changes during the first half. Jay Wright’s Wildcats utilized their deep bench to wear down the steady Irish starters. Notre Dame was forced to go to their bench when Harangody, Ben Hansbrough and Ty Nash were charged with two fouls a piece. The Irish made a dismal 19 of 30 from the free throw line
Wildcat staple and clutch shooter, Scottie Reynolds, scored 17 points. Notre Dame held him to just eight points until the fourth quarter. Six foot-one Corey Fisher added 17 and Antonio Pena had 14 points and 10 rebounds in ‘Nova’s 10th straight win. Pena is a presence in the post at 6’8”. He’s also a talented passer who helped the Wildcats make a statement in the second half. The game was a close contest until the Wildcats went on to rout the visiting Irish. Six Wildcats scored at least nine points in the home win. Reynolds keyed the second half scoring when he scored nine straight buckets during an 11-0 Villanova run with four minutes left. The senior guard’s only three pointer of the game put Villanova up 84-67. A grabbing swipe followed the downtown bucket and a hustling Reynolds charted a fast-break layup to increase the lead to 20 points. Maalik Wayns and Taylor King each played twenty minutes off the ‘Nova bench and factored in the victory. Tim Abromaitis contributed 16 points for Notre Dame. The Wildcats are poised to take over the number one ranking a year after advancing to the Final Four. Villanova comes at opponents and they just don’t stop or slow down. Wright’s team is a dangerous and aggressive unit. The Wildcats attack the basket with relentlessness. They are 19-1 for the first time in school history.
The 20th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes did not fall to the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road. Freshman Eric May of Iowa shot a career high 18 points and made five from arc in the 65-57 loss. Ohio State improved to 15-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big 10. The Buckeyes return to Columbus, where they are 12-0 this season, for a three game homestand. David Lighty carried OSU with 20 points in forty minutes. Evan Turner turned in 16 to go along with 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Turner and Lighty helped stave off Iowa’s upset bid in the second half. The two Buckeyes combined for 32 second half points. Jarryd Cole scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds for the Hawkeyes. The Buckeyes struggled from long range in the first half. OSU didn’t hit a 3-pointer until the second half and finished 25% from the arc. Lighty was 3-of-4 from downtown and perfect from the charity stripe.
Ohio State committed just five turnovers and held Iowa’s leading, but injured scorer, Matt Gatens, to six points. Carver-Hawkeye Arena was expecting an upset and on the verge of experiencing one on Wednesday. Turner showed up late to rescue the road victory for the Buckeyes. The best player in the conference and arguable best in the game helped Ohio State pull away in the second half 45-32. Iowa’s reserve center, Andrew Brommer, nailed a pair of free throws with seven seconds before the break to spur the Hawkeyes and expand their first half lead. The Buckeyes trailed by five at the half but the 6’7” Chicago forward won the game down the stretch for Ohio State. May mauled Ohio State and made it a five point Hawkeye lead again with less than five minutes in regulation. Ohio State went on a 12-0 scoring burst that was capped off by Turner’s jumper as the clock closed in on the one minute mark. May’s trey with 46 seconds left trimmed the OSU lead to four before the Buckeyes put the game out of reach at the line. Six free throws and a Turner steal quelled the upset and sealed the win for Thad Matta and the belligerent Buckeyes.
Parting Points: Parting song- “Runaway” by the Corrs
“That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.”- Catcher in the Rye (RIP J.D. Salinger)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Ohio Overtime Ovation
I’m part of the proud crowd of a rose-colored spread glad because their clad in gray and red…
It took five quarters and a 39 yard field goal from a walk-on soccer player, but Ohio State finally knocked off Iowa to book a ticket to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes are packing for Pasadena after besting the Hawkeyes 27-24 in overtime Saturday at the Horseshoe in Columbus. The 9-2 Buckeyes can claim the Big 10 title outright with a win against Michigan next week. The combat in Columbus concluded with a close contest and now the club is heading for California. The win over Iowa means the Buckeyes clinch at least a share of their fifth straight Big 10 title. Head coach, Jim Tressel, makes his first trip to the Rose Bowl. It’s the first time in 13 years the scarlet and gray will play New Year’s Day in Pasadena.
Devin Barclay ripped the game-winning field goal through the uprights in overtime to send the OSU crowd into a frenzy. The Hawkeyes narrowed the margin in the fourth quarter after the Buckeyes built a 24-10 lead. Freshman quarterback, James Vandenberg, recorded his first loss in his first start for Iowa. Vandenberg was filling in for starter, Ricky Stanzi, who was sidelined following the upset loss to Northwestern last week. Iowa’s Derrell Johnson-Koulianos returned a kickoff 99 yards following OSU running back, Brandon Saine’s 49 yard scoring burst. With the Hawkeyes trailing by seven, Vandenberg drove Iowa 70 yards and tossed the tying 10 yard touchdown to Marvin McNutt with 2:42 remaining. The even-keeled quarterback orchestrated the eight play drive like a pro. He completed his first seven passes of the game, but was on the losing side of a series of bobbled passes that haunted the Hawkeyes. Vandenberg performed well considering the hostile Horseshoe environment, and the title implications.
Ohio State sophomore quarterback, Terrelle Pryor rushed right for nine yards on the ensuing kickoff, and handed off to Dan Herron for a first down at the OSU 29 yard line. Pryor rushed again, this time to the left before hitting receiver, Ray Small, from three yards out on second time. Following a Buckeyes timeout, Herron ran for a three yard loss and Ohio State was forced to punt. The Big 10’s most dominant defense stopped Iowa tailback, Adam Robinson on the final Hawkeye possession. The freshman back was held to 74 rushing yards on 20 carries. Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz took a page out of Tressel’s conservative playbook, and chose to run out the clock with .35 seconds left to send the game into an extra session.
Ohio State won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense. The Hawkeyes went backward 16 yards and Vandenberg tossed an interception in the end zone. OSU linebacker, Doug Worthington, logged the game’s only sack when he trounced Vandenberg in overtime. The Iowa passer actually performed admirably despite his three picks. He threw for 233 yards and completed 20 of 33 passes with two touchdowns. If not for the defense allowing 200 yards on the ground, Iowa may have been the Big 10 team smelling roses. Instead, the Buckeyes took over in overtime, doing what they do best. Pryor did well in distributing the ball to five different Buckeye receivers. But in overtime, the sophomore gave the ball to Herron three times. Barclay, in his second career start, nailed the field goal that sent the stadium into a euphoric ovation.
The 15th ranked Hawkeyes kept fighting back even when the Buckeyes had every opportunity to put the game away. This was a measuring stick game for Ohio State, and they passed with flying colors. Everything’s coming up roses now. Saine jostled for over 100 yards, and Herron missed the mark by only three. Iowa’s front seven did a credible job in stopping Pryor. The quarterback sailed just 93 yards through the air but had 29 ground yards. Most important, Pryor was mistake-free with the ball. For the third consecutive game, the Buckeyes committed no turnovers. The team seems more sufficient and collective on offense. The offensive line was tremendous for the second straight week in protecting the quarterback and tramping one of the conference’s best defensive lines. The line looks in sync and can collaborate create holes for the run. It is nice to finally see Herron and Saine establish the ground game for Ohio State. Special teams had a brutal day for the Buckeyes, even with Barclay’s willful, worthy winner in the extra quarter. For Ohio State, this game was about stuffing Iowa in overtime and rushing the football behind a productive quarterback. Iowa’s late turnover virtually sealed the game for the Bucs. This was a classic title game that came down to the final play. That should be a testament to the Big 10. The conference takes enough criticism, but Saturday’s showdown proved good football will always silence the naysayers. Iowa’s valiant comeback was all heart and clutch throws from Vandenberg. The scarlet and gray did their best to rattle the quarterback and he barely flinched. Vandenberg came within a snap or two of guiding the underdog Hawkeyes to an upset win. It’s tough to stay on agenda when the team is reeling, but the Buckeyes have really turned their season around. USC could be the opponent in the Rose Bowl. We all know how it went when the Buckeyes hosted the Trojans earlier in the season. Stanford thwarted USC yesterday, and that torching should give Ohio State hope. The Trojans gave up 51 points to the Cardinal. That totaled more than any other USC team ever. Oregon is another likely Rose Bowl candidate. The Ducks are a challenging team who play physical and firm football. The run-oriented Buckeyes can win either game by catching the high-octane west coast offenses off guard. Yesterday was a showcase of just how valuable a refined running game is for Ohio State. For now, Tressel and his team can focus on their biggest rival, Michigan. Until then, Ohio State can savor the snazzy Hawkeye hampering where they cast a thorn into Iowa’s BCS chances.
Parting Points: Required reading- “12 Red Roses” by Barry Lanier
It took five quarters and a 39 yard field goal from a walk-on soccer player, but Ohio State finally knocked off Iowa to book a ticket to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes are packing for Pasadena after besting the Hawkeyes 27-24 in overtime Saturday at the Horseshoe in Columbus. The 9-2 Buckeyes can claim the Big 10 title outright with a win against Michigan next week. The combat in Columbus concluded with a close contest and now the club is heading for California. The win over Iowa means the Buckeyes clinch at least a share of their fifth straight Big 10 title. Head coach, Jim Tressel, makes his first trip to the Rose Bowl. It’s the first time in 13 years the scarlet and gray will play New Year’s Day in Pasadena.
Devin Barclay ripped the game-winning field goal through the uprights in overtime to send the OSU crowd into a frenzy. The Hawkeyes narrowed the margin in the fourth quarter after the Buckeyes built a 24-10 lead. Freshman quarterback, James Vandenberg, recorded his first loss in his first start for Iowa. Vandenberg was filling in for starter, Ricky Stanzi, who was sidelined following the upset loss to Northwestern last week. Iowa’s Derrell Johnson-Koulianos returned a kickoff 99 yards following OSU running back, Brandon Saine’s 49 yard scoring burst. With the Hawkeyes trailing by seven, Vandenberg drove Iowa 70 yards and tossed the tying 10 yard touchdown to Marvin McNutt with 2:42 remaining. The even-keeled quarterback orchestrated the eight play drive like a pro. He completed his first seven passes of the game, but was on the losing side of a series of bobbled passes that haunted the Hawkeyes. Vandenberg performed well considering the hostile Horseshoe environment, and the title implications.
Ohio State sophomore quarterback, Terrelle Pryor rushed right for nine yards on the ensuing kickoff, and handed off to Dan Herron for a first down at the OSU 29 yard line. Pryor rushed again, this time to the left before hitting receiver, Ray Small, from three yards out on second time. Following a Buckeyes timeout, Herron ran for a three yard loss and Ohio State was forced to punt. The Big 10’s most dominant defense stopped Iowa tailback, Adam Robinson on the final Hawkeye possession. The freshman back was held to 74 rushing yards on 20 carries. Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz took a page out of Tressel’s conservative playbook, and chose to run out the clock with .35 seconds left to send the game into an extra session.
Ohio State won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense. The Hawkeyes went backward 16 yards and Vandenberg tossed an interception in the end zone. OSU linebacker, Doug Worthington, logged the game’s only sack when he trounced Vandenberg in overtime. The Iowa passer actually performed admirably despite his three picks. He threw for 233 yards and completed 20 of 33 passes with two touchdowns. If not for the defense allowing 200 yards on the ground, Iowa may have been the Big 10 team smelling roses. Instead, the Buckeyes took over in overtime, doing what they do best. Pryor did well in distributing the ball to five different Buckeye receivers. But in overtime, the sophomore gave the ball to Herron three times. Barclay, in his second career start, nailed the field goal that sent the stadium into a euphoric ovation.
The 15th ranked Hawkeyes kept fighting back even when the Buckeyes had every opportunity to put the game away. This was a measuring stick game for Ohio State, and they passed with flying colors. Everything’s coming up roses now. Saine jostled for over 100 yards, and Herron missed the mark by only three. Iowa’s front seven did a credible job in stopping Pryor. The quarterback sailed just 93 yards through the air but had 29 ground yards. Most important, Pryor was mistake-free with the ball. For the third consecutive game, the Buckeyes committed no turnovers. The team seems more sufficient and collective on offense. The offensive line was tremendous for the second straight week in protecting the quarterback and tramping one of the conference’s best defensive lines. The line looks in sync and can collaborate create holes for the run. It is nice to finally see Herron and Saine establish the ground game for Ohio State. Special teams had a brutal day for the Buckeyes, even with Barclay’s willful, worthy winner in the extra quarter. For Ohio State, this game was about stuffing Iowa in overtime and rushing the football behind a productive quarterback. Iowa’s late turnover virtually sealed the game for the Bucs. This was a classic title game that came down to the final play. That should be a testament to the Big 10. The conference takes enough criticism, but Saturday’s showdown proved good football will always silence the naysayers. Iowa’s valiant comeback was all heart and clutch throws from Vandenberg. The scarlet and gray did their best to rattle the quarterback and he barely flinched. Vandenberg came within a snap or two of guiding the underdog Hawkeyes to an upset win. It’s tough to stay on agenda when the team is reeling, but the Buckeyes have really turned their season around. USC could be the opponent in the Rose Bowl. We all know how it went when the Buckeyes hosted the Trojans earlier in the season. Stanford thwarted USC yesterday, and that torching should give Ohio State hope. The Trojans gave up 51 points to the Cardinal. That totaled more than any other USC team ever. Oregon is another likely Rose Bowl candidate. The Ducks are a challenging team who play physical and firm football. The run-oriented Buckeyes can win either game by catching the high-octane west coast offenses off guard. Yesterday was a showcase of just how valuable a refined running game is for Ohio State. For now, Tressel and his team can focus on their biggest rival, Michigan. Until then, Ohio State can savor the snazzy Hawkeye hampering where they cast a thorn into Iowa’s BCS chances.
Parting Points: Required reading- “12 Red Roses” by Barry Lanier
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
