Buckeyes clamp down in second half, top Badgers

MADISON, Wis. -- There was no dancing on the "W" by the Ohio State Buckeyes after Saturday's 19-14 victory over Wisconsin. But a couple of "thank you" prayers from the midfield logo might have been a nice touch.

Trailing 14-13 early in the fourth quarter with his team facing third-and-6 from the OSU 16, Michael Jenkins went up for a Hail Mary-like pass from Craig Krenzel and came down with the ball between two defenders for a 45-yard gain. That led to the decisive 3-yard touchdown catch by tight end Ben Hartsock as the fourth-ranked Buckeyes (8-0, 3-0 in the Big Ten) won for the third straight time in always-rowdy Camp Randall Stadium.

Ohio State overcame two quick-strike scores from the Badgers (5-3, 0-3) and a 144-yard rushing performance by tailback Anthony Davis to keep alive its hopes for a Big Ten title and berth in the BCS national championship. The first BCS rankings will be released Monday night.

"We were calm throughout," Jenkins said, discussing that huge third down conversion. "We needed one play to jump start us and I was there to make the catch.

"Even though I was double-covered a lot, we needed to take that shot."

The other "shot" OSU needed to take also paid huge dividends. With Wisconsin poised to answer the Buckeyes' go-ahead score, wide receiver Chris Gamble was summoned to play cornerback on third-and-11 from the OSU 29. Jim Sorgi, who took over at quarterback when starter Brooks Bollinger suffered a concussion in the second quarter, immediately picked on Gamble by throwing a fade pass down the left side to freshman Jonathan Orr.

Orr already had scored on a 42-yard post pattern at the expense of freshman E.J. Underwood. But this time Gamble picked off the pass in the end zone on an effort reminiscent of his crucial goal line interception against Cincinnati.

"That's huge; you see how (Gamble) goes up for the ball," OSU coach Jim Tressel said of his two-way star, whose 48-yard catch in the first half led to a field goal. "It doesn't matter if he's the intended receiver or he's in coverage; you wish you could play him all the time."

Maurice "One and Done?" Clarett failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season, but the freshman tailback rushed for 133 yards on 30 carries and got the tough yards during crunch time, gaining 28 yards on 6 carries as the Buckeyes ran the last 4:29 off the clock.

Clarett wouldn't address this week's cover story in "ESPN the Magazine," that has him thinking of challenging an NFL rule prohibiting freshmen from entering the draft, but he was more than happy to talk about Saturday's victory as a character-builder.

"It was all about character today," Clarett said. "We showed a lot of discipline and poise. People were making plays when we needed them."

Ohio State needed only three plays to strike first Saturday. Clarett gained 25 yards to midfield, followed by a 3-yard run by Chris Gamble on a reverse to set up the payoff -- a 47-yard hookup between Krenzel and Jenkins (5 catches, 114 yards). Cornerback B.J. Tucker missed a tackle when the ball arrived, allowing Jenkins to turn a short slant-in pass into a long TD just 1:30 into the game.

The Badgers tied it in the first quarter on a 41-yard sideline sprint by Davis, but OSU fired right back as a 48-yard floater from Krenzel to Gamble led to a 27-yard field goal by Mike Nugent with 2:48 left in the period. That put the Buckeyes back in front 10-7 and Nugent in the OSU record books with his 16th straight field goal.

Nugent made it 17 in a row, expanding OSU's lead to 13-7 on a 25-yard field goal early in the second quarter after Mike Doss recovered a botched snap from center. But Wisconsin kept battling, even after losing Bollinger following consecutive sacks by Cie Grant and Simon Fraser.

Two plays after Sorgi failed to hit Orr on a deep post pattern, the Badgers went back to the same play. This time it went for a 42-yard touchdown strike Orr to put Wisconsin in front 14-13 at the break.

But the Buckeyes have made the necessary halftime adjustments all season, and Saturday was no different as they held the Badgers to 136 yards total offense in the second half and zero yards rushing in the fourth quarter.

"We were defeated by a very good football team today," UW coach Barry Alvarez said. "No one likes to lose, but I liked the way my guys competed. They just made a couple of more plays than we did."

Originally published Sunday, October 20, 2002