BIG TEN CONFERENCE Buckeyes' win is 'special'

Ohio State's special teams accounted for 17 points in the victory over Iowa.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBUS -- Wondering how the Ohio State football team responded to last week's loss to Wisconsin? The Buckeyes' special teams unit had an answer.
Ohio State scored 17 points off special teams plays and the defense throttled Iowa for a 19-10 Big Ten victory Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
"All in all," coach Jim Tressel said, "the Ohio State Buckeyes got better today."
Anticipated meeting
The Buckeyes won a meeting of last season's conference co-champions who hadn't even played since 2000.
Because of that, bragging rights were at stake when the teams took the field Saturday in front of 105,000 fans -- even if players didn't exactly admit it.
"Last year is gone and done with, and we're focusing on the present," senior defensive end Will Smith said. "We're not concerned if we were co-Big Ten champs last year. We're concerned with becoming outright Big Ten champs this year."
Of three huge special teams plays, none may have been bigger than a third-quarter blocked punt that produced a touchdown and a 17-3 lead for the Buckeyes.
Red-shirt freshman Roy Hall slammed into Iowa punter David Bradley, blocking the kick and leading to freshman Donte Whitner's recovery in the end zone for a touchdown.
"We always say punts are the most important plays in football," said senior quarterback Craig Krenzel, who failed to direct an offensive touchdown. "They were twice for us today. Any time you get quick points like that, it helps."
While the offense continued its search for a rhythm, Mike Nugent and Michael Jenkins provided the Buckeyes' other game-changing special teams plays, which produced a 10-3 halftime lead.
"We didn't get the job done on special teams and that's a tough one to live with," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.
As the crowd chanted his name, Nugent jogged onto the field and kicked a career-long 53-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes a 3-0 lead on their first possession of the game.
Jenkins sent a surge through Ohio Stadium 34 seconds later when he returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown.
Tressel said the team learned early in the week about Iowa's punt-coverage tendencies. Most important involved blocking Iowa senior Bob Sanders.
"Who did the best job of blocking [Sanders]? Chris Gamble," Tressel said. "Who did the best of going north and south? Michael Jenkins."
Hawkeye rally
The Buckeyes had to dodge a special teams play of their own when Iowa executed a fake field goal at the outset of the fourth quarter.
Kicker Nate Kaeding took a pitch from 5 yards and sprinted to the right corner of the end zone to cut Ohio State's lead to 17-10.
After the touchdown, Tressel grabbed his sweater, indicating what he thought was a hold on the play. After the game, he infused some humor about it.
"My sweater was tight," Tressel joked. "Just in case the officials were thinking there was holding, and if they were looking for affirmation, I thought it was, too."
But with three minutes remaining, Iowa at its own 4-yard line and the crowd roaring behind the Hawkeyes, the ball was snapped out of the end zone for a safety.
"The key play was the fans in the end zone," Smith said. "I didn't even know what the defensive call was, it was so loud."
The safety, which put the Buckeyes ahead by two possessions, symbolized the type of game (defensive) the two teams played. "This is what it comes down to -- a defensive battle," senior defensive tackle Tim Anderson said of the defense's mindset.
"It's us against them," he added. "Fortunately, they had the bad snap and it worked out in our favor."
richesson@vindy.com
Iowa0307--10
Ohio St.10072--19
First Quarter
OSt--FG Nugent 53, 9:56.
OSt--Jenkins 54 punt return (Nugent kick), 9:22.
Second Quarter
Iowa--FG Kaeding 36, 2:45.
Third Quarter
OSt--Whitner blocked punt recovery in end zone (Nugent kick), 7:54.
Fourth Quarter
Iowa--Kaeding 5 run (Kaeding kick), 14:09.
OSt--Safety, ball snapped through end zone, 3:03.
A--105,044.
IowaOSt
First downs1511
Rushes-yards40-6642-56
Passing153129
Comp-Att-Int14-27-111-22-0
Return Yards83130
Punts-Avg.8-35.18-44.8
Fumbles-Lost4-21-1
Penalties-Yards7-527-64
Time of Possession29:5230:08
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Iowa, Russell 22-42, Chandler 10-25, Kaeding 1-5, Ochoa 1-4, Cervantes 1-0, Lewis 2-(minus 4), team 3-(minus 6). Ohio St., Krenzel 14-20, Guilford 8-18, Ross 9-16, Hall 8-13, Gamble 1-0, team 1-(minus 1), Sander 1-(minus 10).
PASSING--Iowa, Chandler 14-27-1-153. Ohio St., Krenzel 11-22-0-129.
RECEIVING--Iowa, Ochoa 4-86, Cervantes 3-0, Hinkel 2-24, Davis 2-24, Follett 1-12, T.Jackson 1-6, Russell 1-1. Ohio St., Carter 6-95, Hartsock 2-17, Jenkins 1-6, Schnittker 1-6, Ross 1-5.