Bucks' defense muzzled Huskies

Washington's Heisman Trophy candidates were contained in Columbus.
By ROB TODOR
VINDICATOR SPORTS EDITOR
Lost in all the buzz about Ohio State's 28-9 victory over Washington Saturday night, and who played (and didn't play) on offense, was the performance of the Buckeyes' defense.
Washington quarterback Cody Pickett and wide receiver Reggie Williams came into the game with serious Heisman Trophy hopes. Pickett threw for more than 4,400 yards last season, and Williams was the leading pass-catcher with 94, for more than 1,400 yards.
But the Buckeyes' defensive front four dominated the game, shutting down Washington's rushing attack and putting tremendous pressure on Pickett.
The senior quarterback completed 26 of 49 passes for 255 yards, but no touchdowns, and he was sacked three times and hurried several more.
Williams finished with 10 catches for 107 yards, but other than a 31-yarder that marked his longest catch of the night, he was essentially a non-factor while being covered by Chris Gamble.
Up front power
"The guys up front are veterans and they set the tone," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said of his front four. "I thought [defensive end] Simon Fraser did a good job. He made some big hits early on some run plays."
Fraser led the Buckeyes with seven tackles, including three for losses.
Ohio State was so dominant in the trenches, in fact, that the Huskies gave up trying to run the ball after the first quarter. They finished with just 7 yards on 24 carries, which included the three sacks on Pickett. The Huskies' longest rush was just 9 yards.
"Our younger guys that were in their first or second year [in the] starting [lineup] played like it," Washington coach Keith Gilbertson said.
"We had very little success running the football and our protections broke down when we tried to pass the ball."
Costly mistakes
Washington also hurt itself with numerous penalties and mistakes in scoring position.
In the fourth quarter, the Huskies had a field goal blocked and failed to score after recovering a fumble which gave them a first down at the Ohio State 15.
"We were fighting around, making good open-field tackles," Buckeyes defensive tackle Tim Anderson said. "I don't think we missed very many tackles and when there was a tackle, there was four, five, six guys in there."
The touchdown run by Pickett in the fourth quarter was the first allowed by the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium since the October 2002 game against Penn State.
It also marked the fifth consecutive home game that Ohio State has held its opponent under 10 points.
todor@vindy.com