Pryor returns to scene of 1st splash

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Terrelle Pryor contemplated the question and then smiled.

So what do you remember about the final drive the last time you played at Wisconsin?

“A lot of luck,” the Ohio State quarterback said with a laugh. “A lot of luck.”

Pryor and the Buckeyes return to the scene of that game on Saturday, this time as the nation’s No. 1-ranked team.

A lot of people haven’t forgotten the fourth-quarter comeback in 2008, the fumble that sat forever on the turf, and Pryor’s 11-yard dash around left end for the winning touchdown with 1:08 remaining in a 20-17 Ohio State victory.

It was a coming-out party for the freshman, now one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

“I felt like Terrelle, it was his first big game as a starter,” wide receiver DeVier Posey said. “It was sort of like he was born that day, if that sounds right.”

Wisconsin, ranked 18th just as they are coming into Saturday night’s game, took a 17-13 lead in the 2008 game with 6:31 left on a 63-yard drive, capped by P.J. Hill’s 1-yard plunge.

“I remember it was crazy,” Ohio State defensive lineman Dexter Larimore said. “That was the most vivid memory, of just thinking, ’Whew, man. Leaving it in the offense’s hands is sort of a scary thought here.’ ”

Pryor was making only his third collegiate start after taking over for fifth-year senior Todd Boeckman. He had never seen a rush like Wisconsin’s, had never played in a game before anything resembling the loud and raucous crowd at Camp Randall Stadium.

This was a world away from his last start for Jeannette High School in Pennsylvania.

“The last drive, I really thought that a young guy like Terrelle was a little calmer than I thought a young guy could be,” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.

“We were about 80 some yards away and he stood in the pocket and nailed a couple balls in there. Now, he threw a couple up there that were a little scary in that last drive, but I thought his calmness and his focus — you know, for a young guy, he certainly didn’t seem to be affected by the difficulty of the defense and the difficulty of the crowd.”

He also wasn’t alone.

Ohio State’s Beanie Wells had been hampered by an injured foot that sidelined him for three games and had required him to wear a protective lineman’s shoe when he returned to the lineup. But Wells teamed with Pryor to lead the way back down the field.

Pryor twice hit wide receiver Brian Hartline for big gains. On the second, Hartline fumbled after a 27-yard pickup, the ball sitting on the ground before teammate Brian Robiskie beat a couple of Wisconsin defenders to it.