Buckeyes stomp Lions

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Possibly, just possibly, the Nittany Lion fans who trekked to Ohio State and then forked over up to $300 to scalpers for tickets now feel cheated.They came to Ohio Stadium to see then-No. 4 Penn State, which entered the game as a 10-point underdog, upset an Ohio State team with a high-scoring offense and a defense stingier than Scrooge.

But what they saw was why the Buckeyes may have the inside track to the national championship, as Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) scored early and often en route to a surprisingly easy 38-7 handling of Penn State (5-1, 1-1) in front of 94,241 at the Ohio Stadium.

The game, though, started the same way Penn State's previous five did. The Lions kicked off, and their defense forced a punt.

Then, on Penn State's second offensive play, tailback Curtis Enis ran for 13 yards and a first down. Everything seemed to be going just fine for the Lions. But that's where the similarities between Penn State's first five games of the year and its sixth ended.

The Buckeye defense, with ample size and quickness in its front seven to accompany a hard-hitting, speedy secondary, started to take over. For the first of seven consecutive Penn State possessions, Ohio State forced a punt.

Then, typical of almost all of Ohio State's scoring drives on the afternoon, the Buckeyes reached the end zone in a hurry. Quarterback Stanley Jackson hit a wide-open Dimitrious Stanley in stride for a 42-yard touchdown, and Ohio State led, 7-0, just less than six minutes into the game.

The Buckeye possession lasted three plays and covered 69 yards in just 1:09. It was the first time all season the Lion defense allowed a touchdown in the first quarter.

"Today was our day," Ohio State coach John Cooper said. "I was absolutely surprised with the outcome. I thought today would be a nail-biter."

Cooper was wrong.

A Josh Jackson 30-yard field goal made the score 10-0, and Stanley Jackson completed a 24-yard scoring pass to fullback Matt Keller to give the Buckeyes a 17-0 lead with just over nine minutes left in the first half.

Again, Ohio State's defense suffocated the Lion offense and forced a punt. Buckeye punt returner Shawn Springs caught the Darrell Kania boot at the Ohio State 17-yard line and was pushed out of bounds 38 yards later at the Penn State 45.

Only 12 seconds later, Stanley hauled in a 34-yard strike for his second touchdown of the game. Ohio State led, 24-0, with 6:26 left in the second quarter.

About that same time, Lion defensive end Brandon Short was beginning to feel the game slip away.

"I got that feeling that things were out of control," he said, "but we still had a shot then."

Neither team scored in the rest of the half, and Penn State went into the locker room trailing, 24-0, its largest halftime deficit since trailing Brigham Young, 27-3, in 1992.

But down 24 points at the start of the third quarter, the Lions weren't finished. They took the second-half kickoff and mounted their most effective drive up to that point.

Starting at their own 16, Penn State mixed Curtis Enis running with a short, crisp passing game. But 11 plays and 54 yards later, the drive stalled at the Buckeye 30.

Place-kicker Brett Conway trotted on the field to attempt a 47-yard field goal. The kick was plenty long, but it bounced off the left upright and did not fall through.

"Everybody was upbeat, and we came out there and were able to move the ball down the field," said Lion quarterback Wally Richardson, who was 14 of 30 for 105 yards. "But once again, we didn't get it in the end zone. That's tough when you get the ball down there and don't score."

The teams traded punts before Ohio State tailback Pepe Pearson, who finished with 141 yards on 28 carries, dove in from the 1 to give the Buckeyes a 31-0 lead.

"Until it got to 31-0," Paterno said, "I thought we could steal one here."

Ohio State's offense was precise and crisp. The mammoth offensive line opened gaping holes for Pearson and his fellow running backs while the quarterbacks were given plenty of time in the pocket to scan their receivers.

"We looked toward their huddle, and they had their heads down," Jackson said. "I didn't know what it was. I looked over at them and said, 'Look at them, they don't even want to play us.' "

The Buckeyes scored again to take a 38-0 lead in the fourth quarter before Lion fullback Anthony Cleary bulldozed his way into the end zone from the 1 for an inconsequential touchdown with just over six minutes left in the game.

Ohio State moved the ball inside the Penn State 10 in the final moment of the game, and as the clock ran out, Buckeye fans wanted their team to score one final touchdown.

"Pile it on," one yelled.

Another, who obviously recalled Penn State's 63-14 trouncing of the Buckeyes in 1994, screamed, "This is for '94, baby."

But there would be no more Ohio State touchdowns. The Buckeyes had already proven they were the better team on this day.