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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio Stadium was a big hit. The jury is
still out on the team that plays in it.
"The stadium, the field, the crowd -- everything was great,"
coach John Cooper said Saturday after the No. 16 Buckeyes' 43-10
thrashing of Fresno State. Then he added, "Except the way we
played."
|  | | Fresno State running back Derrick Ward is brought down by Ohio State's Brent Johnson during the second quarter. |
David Mitchell returned a fumble and an interception for scores,
and Michael Doss and Matt Wilhelm also provided defensive
touchdowns before the largest crowd ever in remodeled Ohio Stadium.
But the Buckeyes looked sluggish on offense -- the first team
scored 10 points in the 12 times it had the ball. Ohio State also
set a school record with 136 yards in penalties.
"We can play better," Cooper said.
Mitchell's 34-yard fumble recovery came just 21 seconds after
Doss plopped on another fumble in the end zone, giving the Buckeyes
a 13-0 lead late in the first quarter.
"After the first series, we shut them down," said Wilhelm, who
returned an interception 25 yards for a score in the fourth
quarter. "Their mistakes really put a nail in the coffin."
Mitchell also picked off a tipped pass and brought it back 51
yards for a touchdown.
Fresno State turned the ball over six times, including four
interceptions by David Carr. Ohio State does not keep track of
defensive touchdowns in a game, but the school's sports information
office said it believed four is a record.
"Whenever you turn the ball over four times for 28 points,
that's not going to help you against a good opponent on the road,"
Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "I told John Cooper after the
game I'd love to play them again."
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Saturday, Sept. 2
As a head football coach, I coached 162 major college
football games. So I think I can talk about this next
subject with conviction and experience. There is absolutely no excuse for Ohio State to
attempt a pass play with the score 37-10 with five seconds to go. To make it worse,
they scored!
John Cooper, the head coach of the Buckeyes, may not be responsible but he's
accountable for that kind of behavior by his coaches and team. He needs to issue a
public apology to the Fresno State coaching staff and their families and players.
It was embarrassing. The Buckeyes never should have done what they did at the end of
the game.
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The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Ohio State,
trying to bounce back from a 6-6 season. It was the Buckeyes' 22nd
consecutive victory in a home opener.
Ohio State's defense provided almost all of the thrills for the
record crowd of 96,583, breaking the mark of 95,537 set at the 1995
Notre Dame game.
The opener for both teams was the first played in the expanded
78-year-old stadium. Two years into a three-year rebuilding program
that will cost $187 million, new permanent stands were built in
what used to be the open end of the "Horseshoe" and 19 rows were
added atop the second deck. In addition, the field was lowered 14½ feet to accommodate expanded seating near the field.
The crowd was quiet late in the first quarter after the Buckeyes
failed to score on four runs from inside the Fresno State 2.
But two plays later, after taking over at their 6-inch line, the
Bulldogs made their first big mistake. Derrick Ward ran up the
middle and was hit by Ryan Pickett and fumbled. Doss, laying on the
grass on the goal line, reached out with his hand and raked in the
ball for the score.
After the kickoff Carr flipped a first-down pass to David
Shabaglian at the right sideline, but he dropped the ball. Mitchell
picked it up in stride and raced 34 yards for the score.
"I think we were a little fazed after the turnovers," Hill
said.
The Buckeyes were leading 20-0 early in the third quarter when
they were again stopped on a fourth-and-1, at the Fresno 40. But
Carr's pass to the right sideline was tipped at the line and sailed
to Mitchell near midfield. He coasted into the end zone.
"Today was what I was waiting for -- your parents are here, your
friends are here," Mitchell said. "I always believe good things
will happen, but the interception was too easy. The quarterback
threw it right to me."
Carr finished 26-of-44 for 238 yards with the four
interceptions.
"This will help us a lot for the upcoming season," Carr said.
Ohio State's offense also struggled all day. In addition to the
two drives that stalled on fourth down, quarterback Steve Bellisari
fumbled a center snap that was returned 46 yards by Orlando Huff.
But Doss intercepted Carr's pass on the next play.
Bellisari was erratic throwing the ball, but had a 23-yard TD
pass to Chad Cacchio and ran for 52 yards on 10 scrambles.
"We kind of did what we wanted to do," Bellisari said. "We
just didn't execute the big play."
Both teams scored in the final 5 seconds -- Fresno State on Jeff
Grady's 9-yard pass to Marque Davis, and Scott McMullen's 44-yard
heave to Ricky Bryant on the last play of the game.
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ALSO SEE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL Scoreboard
Fresno State Clubhouse
Ohio State Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 David Mitchell recovers the fumble and finds the end zone 36 yards later.
avi: 1077 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Steve Bellisari finds Chad Cacchio wide open for the touchdown.
avi: 719 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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