Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Fall to Buckeyes, 45-17
9/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
September 28, 2002
Columbus, Ohio -The Indiana Hoosiers looked as though they would make a game of things against the Buckeyes on Saturday at Ohio Stadium, but mental mistakes caught up to IU as Ohio State cruised to a 45-17 victory. Indiana closed to within 14-10 with two minutes remaining in the first half, but Ohio State scored on its next four drives. Indiana falls to 2-3, 0-1 in conference play, while Ohio State improves to 5-0, 1-0 in Big Ten play.
"I thought our strategy was good the first half," said Indiana head coach Gerry DiNardo. "I think the most disturbing thing of the whole game was the blocked punt and the offensive production in the second half. We threw a deep ball and had a chance to either score or be deep in their territory, and we don't catch it. We wind up punting and that is when we got the punt block. I would say those were the two toughest things, the punt and the offensive production in the second half."
Indiana came out and moved the ball on offense on its first series taking the ball to the Ohio State 46-yardline before the drive stalled. The Hoosier defense followed suit by stopping the Buckeyes on their opening drive despite a 28-yard fake punt that gave the Buckeyes a first down. The stop marked the first time this season that the Hoosier defense had stopped a team on its opening drive. In its four previous games, Indiana had given up three touchdowns and a field goal on opening drives.
Ohio State got on the board first on a two-yard run by freshman Maurice Clarett with just 39 seconds remaining in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead.
Indiana responded and netted a field goal on its next drive. With 12:16 remaining in the half, sophomore place kicker Bryan Robertson kicked a career long 49-yarder to cut the Buckeye lead to 7-3. Robertson is now 3-of-3 on field goals of over 40 yards.
Clarett struck again later in the half, this time from one yard out to bump the Buckeye advantage to 14-3. The Buckeye drive was set up by good field position at the Indiana 44-yard line after the Buckeye defense had forced the Hoosiers to punt out of their own end zone.
Indiana would not go down without a fight. On its next drive, fifth-year senior quarterback Gibran Hamdan went 4-for-4, including a 17-yard strike to freshman Tyke Spencer for a score that pulled IU to within 14-10. The touchdown was the first Spencer's career. Indiana had two key plays on the dive. Sophomore wideout Travis Haney got the Hoosiers across midfield on a 14-yard reverse and then Hamdan hit freshman fullback John Pannozzo for 41 yards down the sideline. Spencer had a career day for the Hoosiers with 3 catches for 44 yards and the touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Hoosiers were called for a personal foul for hitting the OSU returner out of bounds. That resulted in the Buckeyes starting at the Indiana-45. Buckeye quarterback Craig Krenzel went 3-of-4 on the drive that culminated in Clarett finding the end zone for the third time in the first half.
The Buckeyes would score touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half, including one that was set up by a blocked punt. Clarett lead the Buckeye charge with 104 yards on 21 carries and the 3 first half TD's.
Trailing 45-10, Indiana found pay dirt with backup quarterback Tommy Jones in the game. Jones hit sophomore wideout Courtney Roby on a crossing pattern, and the Hoosier sophomore took the ball 30 yards for the touchdown leaping over a Buckeye defender into the end zone. Roby led the Hoosier receiving corps with four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Receiving mate Glenn Johnson had 4 catches for 50 yards.
Hamdan was 16-of-26 for 210 yards and a touchdown, while Jones was 3-of-6 for 73 yards, including the touchdown pass to Roby.
True freshman John Kerr led the Hoosier defense with 13 tackles. The Cleveland, Ohio native also had his second career tackle for loss. Freshman safety Buster Larkins also had a double-digit tackle day with 10. Freshman cornerback Damien Jones had two pass breakups for the Hoosiers.
Indiana will have an off week before the Badgers of Wisconsin come to Bloomington on October 12. The Hoosiers defeated the Badgers in Madison last season, 63-32.
