Saturday, April 22, 2006
The senior quarterback took the Buckeyes to their only TD on the first series.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Troy Smith picked up where he left off and Chris Wells introduced himself to 63,649 fans at sun-drenched Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
Smith, the Buckeyes'quarterback, made the most of his only series by hitting all four passes in leading the Scarlet to a 12-0 victory over the Gray in Ohio State's annual spring intrasquad scrimmage.
Wells, the acclaimed tailback recruit, received a loud ovation when he sidestepped one tackler and ran over another defender on a 9-yard run on his first carry.
A huge crowd caught some rays -- and a glimpse of the latest version of an Ohio State team that went 10-2 last season but lost its back seven starters on defense.
Smith passed for 62 yards against the Gray, hitting tight end Rory Nichol for 23 yards on the first snap from center. He and his backup, Gray starter Justin Zwick, did not play after the opening quarter. The defense was prevented from hitting either quarterback.
Subs took over
After they left the game, subs Rob Schoenhoft and Todd Boeckman took over.
Many of the most familiar names were long gone by the time the Scarlet went into the locker room up 12-0 at the half. Boeckman was stopped on a sneak from the 1 on the last play of the half, preventing Gray from getting on the board.
Game-breaking wide receiver and returner Ted Ginn Jr. saw only limited action, catching one pass for 4 yards. He did not return any kicks.
Wells lead rushers
Wells, playing for the Scarlet, led all rushers with 48 yards on 11 carries. Erik Haw added 38 yards on 10 attempts. Maurice Wells topped the Gray with 33 yards on 10 carries.
The Buckeyes' top tailback from a year ago, Antonio Pittman, is still nursing a hamstring injury and did not play. Neither did two likely front-line offensive starters (Doug Datish, Kirk Barton) and defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock.
Smith led the Buckeyes 80 yards on the game's first possession, capped by Haw's 4-yard touchdown run. Ryan Pretorius, a sophomore who grew up in South Africa, added the extra point.
In the second quarter, the Scarlet went up 9-0 when lineman Todd Denlinger tackled Maurice Wells in the end zone. The safety was set up by A.J. Trapasso's 48-yard punt, downed at the Gray 1 by defensive back Zach Willis.
After the free kick, Schoenhoft guided the Scarlet down the field for Pretorius' 38-yard field goal. A redshirt freshman from Cincinnati, Schoenhoft completed 2 of 4 passes for 22 yards and ran 11 yards during the drive. He finished 9-of-28 for 109 yards, with one pass picked off by linebacker James Laurinaitis.
For the Gray, Zwick completed 4 of 6 passes for 32 yards, while Boeckman was 13-of-27 for 189 yards with two interceptions.
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