After rough start, Hamby heartened

When the tight end tried to put his difficulties out of his mind, his play improved.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBUS -- Ohio State tight end Ryan Hamby had a rough week.
After dropping a sure touchdown pass against Texas last week -- a drop that may have cost the Buckeyes the game -- Hamby admitted he got some hate mail from several Ohio State fans after the loss.
Then, in the second quarter of Saturday's game against San Diego State, he dropped an easy out pass deep in Aztec territory, got pulled from the game and looked noticeably stunned.
"Nine times out of 10, I catch that pass," Hamby said of his drop. "I just tried to put it out of my mind."
When he got to the sideline, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel walked over and told him not to worry about the drop; he was going to get another chance on the next offensive series.
"He said, 'It's all right; we're going to come right back at you,'" Hamby said. "That really showed me he cared."
As promised, on Ohio State's next offensive series, quarterback Troy Smith found Hamby for a 9-yard gain on third-and-4. As he got up from the ground, the Buckeye fans gave him a loud ovation.
And if you think he didn't notice, you're wrong.
"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a good feeling," Hamby said. "It was. It shows that the people care."
Looking for consistency
Of course, the Buckeye fans would have been happier had they had a little more to cheer about offensively. While the overall numbers look OK, Ohio State's offense never seemed to find a consistent rhythm against the winless Aztecs.
One encouraging sign was kicker Josh Huston. The sixth-year senior made two more field goals and is 9 of 10 on the season.
"Ninety percent is pretty good, and he's 100 percent inside the 50," Tressel said, referring to last week's miss against Texas. "He's been everything we believed he could be. Now he has to continue it."
Smith finished with 149 yards passing and another 87 on the ground, but struggled to move the ball consistently.
His best wideout, Santonio Holmes, caught just four passes for 42 yards.
His best playmaker, Ted Ginn, had three receptions for 37 yards.
"I get double-covered a lot, and when I do get open, I make plays," Ginn said. "Our offense has got a lot to work on, but we've been playing hard and fast. After a while, it'll come together."
Smith, making his first start since his breakout win over Michigan last November, ran for two touchdowns, but the Buckeyes had just one scoring drive longer than 30 yards.
"I'm sure when we look at the film, it will be one of those days where we say this looked good, and that didn't look so hot," said Tressel, whose team opens Big Ten play against Iowa next week. "We better get better."
Hamby, meanwhile, finished three receptions for 19 yards. It was an encouraging start, but Hamby wasn't quite ready to run home and check his e-mail.
"I think I'll check it tomorrow," he said.
scalzo@vindy.com