|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Ohio State gave Iowa a different look
Saturday, but the result was the same.
Steve Bellisari threw for a career-high 315 yards and three
touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 14 AP) to a 38-10 victory over
Iowa, the Hawkeyes' 16th loss in 17 games.
|  | | Ken-Yon Rambo caught his first touchdown pass of the year for Ohio State. |
It was Ohio State's seventh straight win in the series and
extended its overall record to 41-13-3 against the Hawkeyes, who
last beat the Buckeyes in Kinnick Stadium in 1983.
"We did a lot of different things today. We went to three wide
receiver sets. We ran the ball out of it. We threw the ball out of
it and that's something we haven't done all year. It's a new look
for us," said Bellesari, whose previous best was 240 yards against
Arizona earlier this season.
Ohio State (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) capitalized on early turnovers by
Iowa (1-7, 1-3) and scored on its first four possessions to take
charge by halftime -- vastly different than OSU's 29-17 loss last
week to Minnesota in which the Buckeyes trailed 17-3 after the
first quarter.
"I think we came out and played well early," OSU coach John
Cooper said. "Steve Bellisari, that's the best game he's had
throwing the football, especially early. We just jumped on them
early."
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said sloppy play, especially the
Hawkeyes' first two possessions, hurt his team.
"There were several things that we could have done better," he
said. "Our secondary had a rough game.
"The two early turnovers in the first quarter really put us in
a hole. You can't expect to win a football game when you make
mistakes like that," he said.
All was not perfect, however, for the Buckeyes. They ran for
only 108 yards, 71 yards below their average, and committed 11
penalties for 104 yards.
Bellisari, who played only three quarters before the reserves
took over, completed 17 of 29 passes and threw scoring passes to
Ken-Yon Rambo, Reggie Germany and Chad Cacchio.
Rambo and Germany were the Buckeyes' top two receivers although
neither had a touchdown pass coming into the game.
That changed with 1:13 left in the first quarter when Rambo, who
had 28 catches for 377 yards coming into the game, snared an 8-yard
TD toss from Bellisari that gave OSU a 17-3 lead after the first 15
minutes.
Germany, who had 10 receptions for 171 yards in the first six
games, caught a 37-yard TD pass early in the second quarter to
punctuate a six-play, 68-yard drive that came after the Hawkeyes
had failed on a fourth-and-inches from the OSU 32.
The scoring toss marked Bellisari's ninth straight completion
after missing his first throw on the Buckeyes' opening series and
extended Ohio State's lead to 24-3 at the 12:13 mark of the second
quarter.
Iowa's ensuing possession bogged down at the OSU 42 but a
roughing the passer penalty gave the Hawkeyes life. Jon Beutjer's
pass on a third-and-21 fell incomplete, but Iowa got an automatic
first down when Derek Ross was flagged with a roughing the passer
penalty.
That gave Iowa a first down at the 27-yard line and Beutjer
hooked up with Erik Jensen for a touchdown pass on the next play
that cut Ohio State's lead to 24-10 with 9:32 left in the quarter.
Bellisari responded with a 32-yard scoring pass to Cacchio to
give the Buckeyes a 31-10 halftime lead.
The Hawkeyes were without Beutjer in the second half. He
suffered an ankle injury 2:15 before halftime and left the game
after completing 13 of 21 passes for 142 yards and an interception.
Jerry Westbrooks' 1-yard touchdown plunge for Ohio State with
8:04 to go in the third quarter represented the only scoring in the
second half.
Beutjer's fumble while trying to pass on Iowa's first possession
was recovered by OSU's Courtland Bullard and the Buckeyes took a
7-0 lead on Derek Combs' 14-yard run just minutes into the game.
Dan Stultz made it 10-0 with a 37-yard field goal after Donnie
Nickey intercepted Beutjer's pass on Iowa's second possession.
The kick, Stultz' ninth of the year, tied the school record of
49 set by Tim Williams (1990-93). Stultz, however, missed a
38-yarder and one from 46 yards in the second quarter.
Nate Kaeding brought Iowa within a touchdown, 10-3, with a
22-yard field goal in the first quarter but missed three other
attempts.
|
|
ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Ohio State Clubhouse
Iowa Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Steve Bellisari threads the ball through three Iowa defenders to Chad Cacchio for a 32-yard TD.
avi: 1068 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Derek Combs breaks two tackles on his way to a 14-yard TD.
avi: 783 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Steve Bellisari finds Ken-Yon Rambo in the back of the end zone.
avi: 593 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Erik Jensen takes the Jon Beutjer pass 27 yards for a TD.
avi: 772 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Reggie Germany hauls in the 37-yard TD pass from Steve Bellisari.
avi: 711 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
