Sunday, September 28, 2003
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBUS -- A few minutes into the postgame press conference, Ohio State senior defensive tackle Tim Anderson wandered in with a half-eaten turkey sandwich and a bottle of Gatorade.
Oh, and one more thing -- a donut.
"Anytime the defense can put up a donut, we're probably going to win the game," Anderson said.
For those who don't speak Buckeye-ese, a donut is a shutout, and Ohio State's defense pitched its first one in 62 games, blanking Northwestern 20-0 in the Big Ten opener Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
"You can't say enough about that defense," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.
Struggling Wildcats
The Wildcats managed just 185 yards -- including just 64 passing yards -- gave up three sacks, fumbled three times (losing one), had no kickoff return yards and missed two field goals.
In short, they struggled.
"I don't like any matchups against their defense," Northwestern coach Randy Walker said. "That's a tough defense to make a living running the ball against."
Ohio State's offense wasn't much better (as usual), but (as usual) the Buckeyes did enough to win, getting solid contributions from quarterback Scott McMullen, wideout Michael Jenkins and tight end Ben Hartsock.
"Obviously we wanted to run the football better and throw it more effectively and score when our great defense gave us opportunities," Tressel said. "I think, perhaps, we have seen a little bit of improvement, but not nearly as much as I think we need to have to be a Big Ten championship team."
The running game wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great, either. The Buckeyes managed just 125 yards on the ground, averaging 3.6 yards per carry.
Junior running back Lydell Ross played well early, running nine times for 43 yards and a touchdown, but left with a sprained knee midway through the third quarter.
"We have been playing pretty well against the run all season," Walker said, although his team has given up more than 200 yards in three games this season. "This is the best defense I have had in five years here. We've gotten better with every game."
Streaking
The Buckeyes, ranked fourth in both polls, have won 19 straight games, the longest streak in the nation. They have not lost to the Wildcats since Richard Nixon was President.
Ohio State has a bye week before traveling to Wisconsin, and Tressel hopes to use the extra time to improve the running game.
"I feel good that we have some time to get better at some things," Tressel said. "And I think we are seeing a little bit of incremental improvement in some things, but probably not as much as any of us would like."
McMullen, filling in for injured starter Craig Krenzel for the second straight week, finished 16-of-25 for 166 yards, an interception and a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ryan Hamby in the third quarter.
"I felt pretty good," McMullen, who led Ohio State to scoring drives on his first two possessions, said. "That's the reason I came here, to get an opportunity like this. It's been really great for me and it's really boosted my confidence."
Sophomore linebacker A.J. Hawk continued to play well, leading the Buckeyes with 13 tackles, including two for a loss.
"I've got some stuff to work on because I got knocked down a couple times," Hawk said. "But the four guys playing in front of me makes it feel like there's no one blocking me at times. They eat up all the blockers and just let me run around and play."
Senior defensive lineman Will Smith recorded one sack and assisted on another as the Ohio State defense spent much of the afternoon harassing Northwestern quarterback Brett Basanez.
Basanez finished just 10-of-24 for 64 yards. Running back Jason Wright ran 16 times for a game-high 55 yards as the Wildcats gained 121 yards on the ground.
"They were very fast," Wright said of OSU's defense.
And, as usual, they were very good.
"It just feels good," Smith said of the shutout. "We shoot for opponents not to score, so we're happy."
scalzo@vindy.com
Northwestern0000--0
Ohio St.10073--20
First Quarter
OSU--Ross 12 run (Nugent kick), 8:39.
OSU--FG Nugent 32, 4:24.
Third Quarter
OSU--Hamby 1 pass from McMullen (Nugent kick), 8:31.
Fourth Quarter
OSU--FG Nugent 42, 8:34.
A--104,680.
NWOSU
First downs1116
Rushes-yards40-12135-125
Passing64186
Comp-Att-Int10-25-019-32-1
Return Yards1030
Punts-Avg.8-44.45-44.6
Fumbles-Lost3-11-0
Penalties-Yards7-488-55
Time of Possession28:4331:17
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Northwestern, Wright 16-55, Basanez 9-32, Herron 8-27, Aikens 2-14, Jordan 1-1, Webb 4-(minus 8). Ohio St., Ross 9-43, Guilford 8-29, McMullen 3-23, M.Hall 9-12, Smith 2-12, Joe 3-4, Schnittker 1-2.
PASSING--Northwestern, Basanez 10-24-0-64, Webb 0-1-0-0. Ohio St., McMullen 16-25-1-166, Zwick 3-7-0-20.
RECEIVING--Northwestern, Jordan 3-28, Philmore 2-15, Aikens 2-10, Patrick 1-6, Herron 1-4, Bogenrief 1-1. Ohio St., Jenkins 5-51, Hartsock 5-50, Carter 3-39, Hamby 2-6, Ross 1-15, Childress 1-13, R.Hall 1-8, M.Hall 1-4.