Buckeye Rosters

Recap

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Linebacker Orlondo Craig and safety David Brown played the lead roles in a dramatic goal-line stand that had all the tension of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller.

With Ohio State leading 13-6 thanks to a pair of Pat O’Morrow field goals and a 27-yard run by Carlos Snow, Gopher fans were on the edge of their seats when quarterback Scott Schaffner scrambled 14 yards for a first down at the OSU one-yard line with 2:28 left to play.

But it was Craig’s turn at center stage and the junior linebacker acted out his role to perfection, twice stopping Gopher tailback Darrell Thompson for no gain on dives over the middle.

Then, on third down, Brown got into the act, throwing Schaffner for a 10-yard loss on a blitz. When Shaffner’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone, the Buckeyes had their first Big Ten victory of the year.

In addition to holding the Gophers to two first half field goals and 284 total yards on the day, the OSU defensive corps held Thompson to less than 100 yards for the third straight year.

The game was a reunion of sorts for Schaffner and OSU counterpart, Greg Frey, former high school rivals in Cincinnati.