Buckeye Rosters

Recap

Columbus, OH — Ohio State got the 1997 season off on a positive note by defeating a surprisingly strong Wyoming team, 24-10, in the inaugural Eddie Robinson Football Classic. Michael Wiley came off the bench and rushed for a career-high 121 yards off just 10 carries to spark the Buckeye ground game to 290 net yards. Quarterback Stanley Jackson and starting tailback Pepe Pearson galloped for 75 and 71 yards, respectively. Jackson put the Buckeyes on the scoreboard on the team’s second offensive possession of the season, weaving and winding 41 yards for the score. Each team then traded field goals and the two went into the half separated by only a touchdown. The Buckeyes struck quickly in the third quarter, scoring on its second and third possessions to take a 24-3 lead. Wiley capped a six-play, 76-yard drive with a 32-yard touchdown run off left tackle. Three minutes later Jackson and Dee Miller hooked up on a 45-yard pass play that culminated a six-play, 85-yard drive. Wyoming’s Mike Jenkins capped a 93-yard drive by scoring from 11 yards out near the end of the third quarter, but that would be all the points the Cowboys would get.

Antoine Winfield led OSU’s defense with 11 tackles and he had one of three interceptions on the day. Damon Moore and Ahmed Plummer also halted Cowboy drives with picks. Jerry Rudzinski had 10 tackles, including his first career sack.

NOTES: The win over Wyoming was Ohio State’s 11th-consecutive season opening victory dating back to a 16-10 loss to Alabama in the 1986 Kickoff Classic. The win was also OSU’s 19th consecutive in a home opener, dating to a 19-0 loss to Penn State in 1978. Ohio State is now 93-11-4 all-time in season openers and 95-9-4 in home openers.

The game was just the third “true” night game in Ohio Stadium history. The first was against Pittsburgh in 1984 (a 10-7 OSU win) and second came against Washington in 1993 (a 21-12 OSU win).