Buckeye Rosters

Recap

Tampa, FL — With the score tied and virtually no time left, South Carolina kicker Daniel Weaver kicked a 42-yard field goal as the clock expired to propel No. 14 South Carolina to a 31-28 victory over No. 22 Ohio State in the Outback Bowl. The kick, which barely made it over the crossbar, spoiled a valiant comeback effort by the Buckeyes who rallied from a 28-0 third quarter deficit.

Quarterback Steve Bellisari engineered the Ohio State comeback, completing 21 of 35 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns. But, with the Buckeyes trying frantically to pull out the win in regulation, he was intercepted by Sheldon Brown, whose return to Ohio State’s 29 with 23 seconds left set up Weaver’s first ever game-winning kick.

Phil Petty, the game’s MVP, threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns, and Andrew Pinnock scored twice for South Carolina. But none of that mattered when Bellisari finally got the Buckeyes going. He ran for a 2-yard score to close the third quarter, then hit Darnell Sanders with a 16-yard TD pass with 10:18 to go that cut the lead in half. After the two teams exchanged fumbles, senior Jonathan Wells‘ 1-yard run made it 28-21 with 5:02 to go. Ohio State got the ball back on its 11 with 3:56 to play and Bellisari was magnificent. He went 6-of-6 for 86 yards, tying the game on Sanders’ 9-yard catch. Cie Grant gave the Buckeyes a chance for victory at the end, intercepting Petty with 1:12 left.

Riding the hot arm of Bellisari, the Buckeyes tried to move down the field to set up the go-ahead score, but Brown’s pick and runback set the stage for Weaver’s dramatic game clincher.