COLUMBUS, Ohio — After a thrashing at the hands of the Buckeyes, Penn State defensive end Justin Kurpeikis admitted the obvious.
"Bad things just kept happening," the senior said. "We're just not a very good football team right now."
The No. 12 Buckeyes beat Penn State 45-6 Saturday at Ohio Stadium, dropping Penn State to a 1-4 record. For Ohio State coach John Cooper, it was redemption for a dismal 1999 season when the perennial powerhouse finished 6-6.
"Obviously, I am a happy football coach this afternoon," Cooper said. "I would have never dreamed we would have beat a Penn State football team as badly as we did."
But Ohio State did beat the Lions and very soundly, too. Despite the fact that Penn State had the Buckeyes pinned to their own 8-yard line, quarterback Steve Bellisari orchestrated a touchdown on the first drive.
Tailback Derek Combs carried the ball on the first three plays and gained 30 yards. Each time, he broke through the line of scrimmage and was brought down by Penn State safeties James Boyd and Titcus Pettigrew.
Combs' running and Bellisari's two completions on three attempts set up Jamar Martin's one-yard touchdown run with 10:44 on the clock.
On Ohio State's next drive, the Lions received another setback. Tight end Darnell Sanders caught an 18-yard touchdown pass that tipped off the hands of Boyd and cornerback Bruce Branch and landed in Sanders' arms.
"You're going to have bad breaks," offensive lineman Joe Hartings said. "You have to be able to come back and rebound from that stuff."
The Buckeyes led 17-0 at halftime, but the Lions started the third with renewed resolve. Tailback Eric McCoo ran unimpeded into the end zone for Penn State's first score.
But kicker Ryan Primanti missed the extra point and the momentum swung back to Ohio State. The Buckeyes scored three touchdowns in the third quarter.
Penn State's wounded pride suffered another blow in the fourth quarter when freshman defensive back Adam Taliaferro suffered a cervical spine injury. He was taken to Ohio State University Hospital.
Despite the substantial lead and Penn State's concern for its injured player, the Buckeyes drove home one more touchdown. Lions coach Joe Paterno said he wasn't concerned with the possibility that Cooper ran up the score. He said he was worried about Taliaferro and other internal issues.
"These are tough days and I've got to keep my head," Paterno said. "I'm not going to shoot my mouth off and criticize people when I don't know what I'm going to do yet."
Once again, the intense Kurpeikis promised that the team would keep working to correct their mistakes. In spite of the problems and mistakes that have marred the season, he said there are players who will fight.
"No one is going to hang their heads and walk to the bus and say that's it," Kurpeikis said. "Eventually, I honestly think we can have a good football team."
