Buckeyes’ defense put heat on Boilermakers

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Ohio State coach Jim Tressel must have spent the week teaching his team history — the history of how Purdue usually plays the Buckeyes close or, in the case of 2004, even beats them.

The Buckeyes came out running and gunning as they dominated the Boilermakers from the start in a 23-7 victory. The Buckeyes’ offense flashed some new elements after seemingly running the risk of looking predictable down the stretch run of the Big Ten schedule. The newest wrinkles are wide receiver Ray Small, who is finally looking as if he’s playing at full speed, and his running mate Brian Hartline.

Small caught six passes for 70 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown reception on which he showed some nifty footwork by successfully getting his left foot down inbounds with a Boilermaker defender on him. The Buckeyes followed that drive with another that ended with a 6-yard touchdown reception by Brian Hartline, who caught four passes for 61 yards.

In short order, the Buckeyes had the Boilermakers on their heels. Much of that came courtesy of a defense that struck with ferocity and kept the Big Ten’s leading passer, Curtis Painter, off kilter for much of the game. Painter completed 31-of-60 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown that came in the game’s closing seconds. Only three second-half interceptions on deep balls thrown by OSU quarterback Todd Boeckman gave the Boilermakers any hope. Those hopes were quickly dashed by the Buckeyes’ staunch defense.

“I think the way our defense hit them planted some seeds of doubt,” Tressel said. “I think they got taken aback a little.”

OSU’s defense had only three sacks, but it pressured Painter throughout the game, not giving him the luxury of hooking up with his prime target, wide out Dorien Bryant.

Bryant had just two receptions for a negative four yards. Bryant was averaging eight receptions per game.

“We just tried to get pressure on [Painter],” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “That’s what were trying to do [by] disguising a little bit.”

They caged Bryant, who also serves as the Boilermakers’ primary kick-return specialist, in that area as well. The Buckeyes’ special teams smothered him at every opportunity. He came into the game averaging 32.4 yards per kickoff return, but the OSU special teams held him to a 23-yard average on three returns.