Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark tried everything, from rollouts to quick counts to shortening his steps. But nothing worked against Ohio State's pass rush.
''There were a couple of plays where [the Buckeyes] definitely got back there faster than I expected,'' Clark said. ''When you have someone in your lap, it's kind of tough to throw the ball downfield.''
Clark completed 12 of 28 passes for 125 yards, which were season-lows for completions and yardage. He said the Buckeyes' four-man rush, which featured few blitzes, stunted his ability to set his feet and find open receiver. The most trouble came from defensive end Cameron Heyward, who had 11 tackles and both of Ohio State's sacks.
Quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno said Penn State called more plays to roll Clark out of the pocket, but those didn't work because of coverage downfield. In particular, the Buckeyes held Derek Moye, the Lions' leading receiver, without a catch for the first time this season.
''They just disrupted the whole offense early, and when you're not able to get into a rhythm, you can't get anything going,'' Clark said. ''Â We were just in disarray the whole game.''
A SCARE
Running back Evan Royster limped off the field during pre-game warmups fearing that he had injured his left knee. Royster ultimately returned a few minutes later but had the Buckeyes' defense to contend with after that.
Royster pulled up on a passing drill, attempting to avoid running into a teammate, when he felt the knee buckle. Royster said it didn't affect the way he ran, which wasn't electrifying. Royster had a season-low 36 yards on 13 carries, though he thought both totals could have been higher.
''I felt like we could have run inside a little bit more, but the coaches upstairs were seeing different things,'' he said. ''We had a couple inside plays that went for 8 or 9 yards, and we only ran them a couple times. It would have been nice to get back to them. Obviously, [the coaches] know better than I do; they've been doing this a long longer. So I'm not going to say they're wrong.''
THE RIGHT CALL
Ohio State recovered a first-quarter loose ball in the end zone after it was kicked there by a Buckeye. Some fans wanted a safety, but the ruling of a touchback was the proper call, based on the illegal-touching rule for kicks.
Had Penn State recovered the ball in the end zone, it would have scored a touchdown. Instead, Ohio State took possession at the 20-yard line. ''It happens,'' defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.
Mark Wogenrich
''There were a couple of plays where [the Buckeyes] definitely got back there faster than I expected,'' Clark said. ''When you have someone in your lap, it's kind of tough to throw the ball downfield.''
Clark completed 12 of 28 passes for 125 yards, which were season-lows for completions and yardage. He said the Buckeyes' four-man rush, which featured few blitzes, stunted his ability to set his feet and find open receiver. The most trouble came from defensive end Cameron Heyward, who had 11 tackles and both of Ohio State's sacks.
Quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno said Penn State called more plays to roll Clark out of the pocket, but those didn't work because of coverage downfield. In particular, the Buckeyes held Derek Moye, the Lions' leading receiver, without a catch for the first time this season.
''They just disrupted the whole offense early, and when you're not able to get into a rhythm, you can't get anything going,'' Clark said. ''Â We were just in disarray the whole game.''
A SCARE
Running back Evan Royster limped off the field during pre-game warmups fearing that he had injured his left knee. Royster ultimately returned a few minutes later but had the Buckeyes' defense to contend with after that.
Royster pulled up on a passing drill, attempting to avoid running into a teammate, when he felt the knee buckle. Royster said it didn't affect the way he ran, which wasn't electrifying. Royster had a season-low 36 yards on 13 carries, though he thought both totals could have been higher.
''I felt like we could have run inside a little bit more, but the coaches upstairs were seeing different things,'' he said. ''We had a couple inside plays that went for 8 or 9 yards, and we only ran them a couple times. It would have been nice to get back to them. Obviously, [the coaches] know better than I do; they've been doing this a long longer. So I'm not going to say they're wrong.''
THE RIGHT CALL
Ohio State recovered a first-quarter loose ball in the end zone after it was kicked there by a Buckeye. Some fans wanted a safety, but the ruling of a touchback was the proper call, based on the illegal-touching rule for kicks.
Had Penn State recovered the ball in the end zone, it would have scored a touchdown. Instead, Ohio State took possession at the 20-yard line. ''It happens,'' defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.
Mark Wogenrich
