Buckeye Rosters

Recap

Columbus, OH — Ohio State scored 27 unanswered points en route to a 44-13 win over visiting Bowling Green. The ninth-ranked, 2-0, Buckeyes rolled up 428 yards in total offense, compared to 169 for the 1-2 Falcons. Sophomore tailback Michael Wiley scored two touchdowns, the first on a 100-yard kickoff return that snapped a 3-3 tie with 5:31 to play in the first quarter. Wiley’s second TD came with 6:12 to play in the second quarter and put Ohio State on top 17-3. Thanks to a pair of Ohio State fumbles, the Falcons scored 10 points of their own to close within four at 17-13 with 3:50 to play in the first half. But a 29-yard pass from Joe Germaine to Dee Miller with 57 seconds to play sent the Buckeyes to the locker room with a 24-13 lead. The latter score came after freshman Derek Combs tackled Bowling Green punter Andy Pollock on his own 29-yard line. Bowling Green’s decision to open the second half with a squib kick backfired when Jerry Rudzinski scooped up the ball and returned it 10 yards to the OSU 44. Six plays later, Stanley Jackson hit David Boston from six yards out on a fade in the right corner of the end zone and OSU led 31-13. Jackson and Boston also teamed up in the fourth quarter on a seven-yard TD toss that was a carbon copy of the earlier score. Dan Stultz kicked three field goals on the day, including a career-long 47 yarder. Punter Brent Bartholomew also had a big day, averaging 51.2 yards per kick on five punts. Wiley, who also completed a 31-yard pass, finished the day with 226 all-purpose yards. Buckeye senior Pepe Pearson led all rushers with 83 yards. Jackson and Germaine combined to complete 16 of 23 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. All-America linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer and defensive back Antoine Winfield led the Buckeyes in tackles with seven each. Katzenmoyer had two tackles for loss and a pass broken up.

NOTES: The victory was John Cooper’s 78th at Ohio State, tying him with John W. Wilce (1913-1928) for third place in all-time wins at OSU.

The victory was also the Buckeyes’ 11th consecutive regular-season win against a non-conference foe.

The game marked the first non-televised Ohio State football game since the 1994 season.

Freshman Dan Stultz’s 47-yard field goal was the longest kick by a Buckeye, and the longest in Ohio Stadium, since Andy Stamp’s 47-yarder against Minnesota on Nov. 2, 1996. Stultz finished with 14 points on the day.

Sophomore tailback Michael Wiley’s 100-yard kickoff return was the first kickoff return for a touchdown since Aug. 27, 1995 when Shawn Springs returned a kick 97 yards for a score against Boston College.