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Carlos Hyde ran for 149 yards, including 106 yards and two touchdowns in the second half, to lead the Buckeyes to a 34-24 victory over Iowa on Saturday.
It was the Buckeyes' 19th consecutive victory, the most in the nation and tying the second-best streak in school history.
But it didn't come easy.
The Hawkeyes (4-3, 1-2 Big Ten) dominated offensively in the first half and led 21-14 at the break behind the passing of Jake Rudock and running of Mark Weisman and Damon Bullock.
But Hyde tied it with the first rushing TD against Iowa this season on Ohio State's first drive of the third quarter, and the Buckeyes took over.
Braxton Miller completed 22 of 27 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns and added 102 yards rushing for the Buckeyes (7-0, 3-0), who haven't lost in Urban Meyer's two years as head coach.
Rudock threw for three touchdowns, completing 19 of 34 passes for 245 yards with one interception.
After watching Iowa's offense control the first half, the Buckeyes outgained the Hawkeyes 306-153 in the last two quarters. They piled up a 23:05-6:55 edge in time of possession.
Ohio State's All-Big Ten cornerback, Bradley Roby, was ejected from the game for a hit to the head of a receiver in the first quarter.
Teams had run 204 times this season against Iowa's defense before the Buckeyes finally scored against the Hawkeyes. Hyde barely got the nose of the ball across the goal line from a yard out to tie the game at 17 on the first series of the second half.
The teams traded touchdowns - Miller hitting Devin Smith on a 14-yard scoring pass before Iowa evened it on the next snap on Rudock's 85-yard TD pass to Jake Duzey - before Hyde scored again early in the fourth quarter to put Ohio State ahead for keeps.
The TD was set up by an acrobatic play by Miller. He stepped back on third and 7 at the Iowa 28, rolling right when the pocket collapsed. He scampered all the way to the right side, then reversed field and picked up blockers - tackle Jack Mewhort leveled a defender near the end - to gain nine yards and the first down.
On the next play, Hyde took a handoff and bounced off right tackle. He muscled his way to the 7-yard line, where he was hit hard by free safety Tanner Miller, the blow knocking him off balance. He had retreated all the way to the 11 by the time he regained his bearings and turned up the right sideline. Hyde ran to the 3 before vaulting just inside the corner post for the touchdown.
Ohio State's defense finally held and forced a punt, with the Buckeyes adding Drew Basil's field goal to make it a 10-point lead that they maintained the rest of the way.
Tyvis Powell then ended the Hawkeyes' next drive when he intercepted Rudock's pass at midfield.
Roby was ejected late in the first quarter when Rudock tossed a short pass over the middle to tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz. Roby hit him high after an 11-yard gain.
The crowd of 105,264 booed loudly as the play was reviewed, and Roby was sent to the sideline. He then slowly walked to the locker room, all the while shaking his head.
The Hawkeyes dominated throughout the first half, piling up 222 yards against a defense that was giving up 326 per game.
Rudock completed all five passes, including a 2-yarder to Fiedorowicz for the touchdown, after taking the opening kick. Rudock completed passes for 24 and 15 yards, and Bullock, who led Iowa with 56 yards on 10 carries, added 16 more.
After the Buckeyes countered on Basil's 27-yard field goal - the drive stalling when Miller's pass on third and 5 at the 11 was batted down by tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat - Iowa again drove from its 23 to the Ohio State 10 before Mike Meyer's 28-yard field goal.
The Buckeyes needed just four plays to cover 74 yards after the kickoff, with Miller finding Corey Brown alone in the secondary on a 58-yard scoring pass. Brown outran cornerback B.J. Lowery to the end zone.
The Hawkeyes got the ball again and moved almost effortlessly through Ohio State's defense, which is without safety Christian Bryant (broken ankle) but regained Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington, two important injured linemen.
With Weisman, who had 52 yards on 10 carries, going for 21 yards, and Rudock completing 4 of 7 passes, they moved to a third-and-5 situation at the 6. Rudock then lofted a pass to the left corner of the end zone, where Kevonte Martin-Manley had slipped past Armani Reeves - who had come in to replace Roby - to catch the TD pass.
Reeves was also victimized on Duzey's long touchdown catch and run that tied it at 24 late in the third quarter.
Duzey had six catches for 138 yards.
Iowa vs Ohio State (Oct 19, 2013) Source: OSU Official Site Scoring Summary, Team Statistics, Individual Statistics, Drive Chart, Defensive Statistics, Game Participation, Box Score, Play-by-Play, Play breakdown
Two-Minute Drill: Updates From the Ohio State Postgame October 19, 2013 Source: The Ozone - Meyer said it was key that Iowa only had the ball for seven minutes in the second half. He said he knew Iowa was going to be physical, and they were. He called Iowa's defensive line physical and outstanding.
* Meyer said the Buckeyes threw it on first down more than they have all season, and it led to a lot of second and short situation.
* He said he was disappointed in the defensive effort in the first half, saying that Iowa's offensive line was pushing them around.
* On the Bradley Roby ejection, Meyer said, “I thought it was below”, referencing that he thought the hit was below the head and neck area. But then he said that he was once fined $30,000 for going after a referee, so he wasn't going to say anything further.
* Meyer called Carlos Hyde's 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter “wild”...
CFN Take: Ohio State Powers Past Iowa October 19, 2013 Source: CollegeFootballNews.com - Basically … Ohio State got its power game going in the second half, overcoming a 17-10 halftime deficit with two Carlos Hyde touchdown runs and a 14-yard Devin Smith touchdown catch on the way to a 24-7 scoring run. Iowa kept it interesting with a game-tying 85-yard touchdown pass to Jake Duzey, but the Buckeye line and the scrambling of Braxton Miller took over. Jake Rudock threw two first half touchdown passes for the Hawkeyes.
- When Ohio State needs to take over the game, it goes to Carlos Hyde and the power ground game. It did it against Northwestern, and against Iowa the offense bullied its way to the win. Braxton Miller was brilliant, completing 22-of-27 passes for 222 yards for two touchdowns and ran 102 maddening yards for the Iowa defense. Hyde rumbled for 149 yards and two scores, and combining with Miller, they took over the game with grinding drive after grinding drive. The Buckeyes had the ball for over 23 minutes in the second half.
- Iowa was strong in the first half with Damon bullock and Mark Weisman running well and Jake Rudock keeping the chains moving, and it seemed like the team weathered the storm in the second half after the long touchdown pass to Jake Duzey, but the defense couldn’t hold up as Ohio State came up with third down conversion after third down conversion.
- The Hawkeyes got around the ball, but they struggled to make the play. Carlos Hyde bounced off of and ran through defenders, but James Morris and Anthony Hitchens did what they could, combining for 23 tackles. Too many of them were made down the field.
- This might have been Ohio State’s biggest problem the rest of the way to Michigan. As long as the power running game is working like this, even the dangerous games against Indiana and Penn State shouldn’t be a problem. The Buckeyes are showing they can play just about any style.
Early in the 4th quarter, 13:24, OSU 1st and 10 at Iowa 19: Carlos Hyde's rush for 19 yards for a TD putting Ohio State up 30-24.
Sequence: With the Buckeyes facing third-and-7 inside Iowa’s half, Miller tried to run to the right edge to pick up a first down, but met a horde of Hawkeyes defenders. He spun around and switched direction, running the width of field twice, and managed to find enough of a hole to extend the Buckeyes’ drive. On the very next play, Carlos Hyde ran 19 yards to the end zone, somehow absorbing hits and keeping his balance before diving head first over the goal line.
The $79 question: If one play is worth the price of admission, it would be Hyde’s 19-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. The latest entry into OSU lore.
Carlos Hyde post game Iowa October 19, 2013
Five Things: Iowa October 20, 2013 Source: Eleven Warriors - For the second straight week, the Silver Bullets started slow but came up big in the 2nd half, and with the Ohio State offense clicking on all cylinders, that was more than enough to pull away in a 34-24 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes yesterday afternoon in a dank Ohio Stadium.
The win improves OSU's winning streak to 19 since Urban Meyer came to town and moves the Buckeyes to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the B1G.
Forced to overcome a halftime deficit for the 2nd time in three conference games, the Buckeyes outscored the Hawkeyes 24-7 over the final 30 minutes, dominating both lines of scrimmage and leaning on the athletic superiority of Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde.
The duo combined for 473 of Ohio State's 495 total yards and 251 of the 273 rushing yards, also having a hand in all four touchdowns.
Before we look ahead to what the Buckeyes must do to shore up the continued inconsistencies on defense as they march toward perfection, let's reflect on Five Things that rose to the surface in yesterday's grounding of the Hawkeyes...
Braxton Miller post game Iowa October 19, 2013
Ohio State countdown: Miller's play key to Buckeyes' second-half success October 20, 2013 Source: News Herald - 9. Ohio State is good. How good is a good question because A) the non-conference schedule was so bad, it’s difficult to get a good read on the team; B) injuries and suspensions to some key positions kept players out of action in a number of games, meaning the report card could change dramatically in the coming weeks. So while Ohio State is 6-0, there is a good chance the Buckeyes from here on out will be a different team than what was seen in the first half of the season.
6. So much of Ohio State’s well-being on offense in the second half depends on Miller. If Miller’s knee isn’t 100 percent or if he is apprehensive doing what he did prior to the injury, the Buckeyes will suffer. An immobile Miller is bad because his ability to make plays with his legs is what makes everyone around him better and opens possibilities in the passing game.
4. The front seven on defense has been pretty solid. Sophomore ends Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington have been everything they were advertised to be. Freshman end Joey Bosa has been even better than billed. Michael Bennett showed he can dominate at tackle, too. Ohio State is in the nickel so often they rarely have three linebackers in the game. But Ryan Shazier is far and away the defensive MVP to this point, both in production and leadership, and Curtis Grant has finally played how OSU thought he would when they recruited him...
Roby Penalty Draws Many Opinions October 19, 2013 Source: Eleven Warriors - When the targeting rule was instituted, Christian Bryant became a media darling at Ohio State. His hard hits made him a candidate to feel the NCAA’s wrath. Instead, it was his All-American teammate that became the first Buckeye to be ejected.
In the first quarter of Ohio State’s 34-24 win over Iowa, Bradley Roby lunged into tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz. The hit was powerful and put Fiedorowicz on the turf immediately. Also finding a way to the turf immediately were multiple yellow flags.
Personal foul on the defense, 15-yard penalty. Targeting on No. 1. That player is ejected. The ruling did not make Ohio State fans happy.
“Was it below the shoulder?” Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer asked the media. “That’s my question. I guess I don’t know. I got fined $30,000 one time for going after an official. So I’m not going to do that.”
The rule in question is Rule 9, Section 1, Article 4 and it stipulates that if there’s any doubt, the referee should throw the flag. The initial contact was shoulder-to-shoulder with Roby’s helmet eventually striking Fiedorowicz’s. By rule, Fiedorowicz was a defenseless player and the officials’ call was correct.
The debate isn’t whether Roby should have been ejected or not, but the basis of the rule. Player safety has become a huge talking point in football, and for good reason. But the targeting rule has been criticized since it came into effect. The nature of being ejected is too harsh for some.
“The rule’s in place and you live by the consequences of the rule,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I didn’t think that was the closest call today, if that’s what you’re asking. It didn’t appear that way to me. That’s a tremendous crew of officials that we had on the field today.”
Roby’s teammates had similar opinions.
“I’m not a referee,” C.J. Barnett said, “and I’m happy I'm not. From my perspective, I think it was a great hit. It sucks that it had to get him thrown out the game, but player safety is the most important thing.”
Without Roby, the pass defense struggled for large portions of the game again. They allowed 245 passing yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores came at the expense of Roby’s replacement, Armani Reeves.
Roby will be eligible for the entire Penn State game.
Ohio State-Iowa 2013 in GIFs October 19, 2103 Source: Land-Grant Holy Land - Revisit how Ohio State-Iowa played out as the Buckeyes won their 19th straight.
It was over when... Ohio State was behind at the half, but the offense woke up with the help of Carlos Hyde.
Gameball goes to... Hyde ran for 149 yards and two second-half touchdowns. He averaged 6.2 yards a carry.
Stars of the game: Quarterback Braxton Miller, 22-of-27 passing for two touchdowns and 222 yards, and running back Carlos Hyde, 149 yards and two touchdowns. Hyde’s 19-yard winning TD run was a spectacular exhibition of getting knocked back, then going again.
Turning point: Ohio State forcing a punt from Iowa after taking a 31-24 lead on Hyde’s second touchdown. The Buckeyes defense, pushed around in the first half then gashed for one 85-yard play in the second half, finally switched off the Hawkeyes with 11:11 left.
Repercussion: The first Bowl Championship Series ratings come out tonight, and what matters most for the Buckeyes in their bid for a spot in the national championship game is to keep winning.
Meyer said he was not entirely sure Roby should have been ejected. The replay appeared to show that Roby’s shoulder hit the receiver’s chest and then his head, which should not be grounds for ejection.
“I thought it was below (the neck),” Meyer said. “You guys could see, was it below the shoulder? That's my question. I guess I don't know. I got fined $30,000 one time for going after an official. So I'm not going to do that. But I'm curious to find out the rule and the replay official. That's supposed to be all replayed. If that's not true, then I need an answer. We need an answer for that.”
Because the hit happened in the first half, Roby will be eligible for all of next week’s game with Penn State.
Numbers for dummies 6:55: Iowa’s second-half time of possession
Short-attention-span synopsis: Nineteen straight W’s. The Horseshoe becomes Hyde Park. After Roby gets run out, Buckeyes answer with “Target this, Iowa.”
Ohio State holds the nation's longest winning streak at 19 games, tied for the second-longest in school history (2005-06, 2002-03). The longest is 22 games from 1967-69.
Urban Meyer's teams are 35-2 overall with more than a week to prepare for an opponent.
Corey Brown's 58-yard touchdown reception from Braxton Miller in the second quarter marked the longest catch of his career.
Carlos Hyde's 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the first rushing touchdown allowed by Iowa this season. Hyde's 149-yard rushing performance marked the eighth 100-yard game of his career and his second in a row after rushing for 168 vs. Northwestern.
Devin Smith's 14-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter marked the 16th of his career, tying him for eighth on the Ohio State career list. Smith tied his career high with seven receptions against the Hawkeyes, totaling 72 yards.
Jeff Heuerman caught a career-high five passes against the Hawkeyes.
Miller tallied 324 yards of total offense against Iowa. The game marked his Ohio State record seventh time tallying over 300 yards of total offense in a game. Miller was tied with Joe Germaine for first in program history heading into the game. Miller connected on 22 of 27 pass attempts for 222 yards, a career high for completions in a game. Miller now has back-to-back 200-plus yard throwing games. Miller, already Ohio State's record leader for 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback, had the 10th 100-yard rushing game of his career after finishing the game with 102 yards on 18 carries. Miller moved into fifth place on the Ohio State career total offense list with 6,350 yards, passing Joe Germaine (6,094) and Greg Frey (6,098). Steve Bellisari is next (6,496) in fourth place.
Hyde and Miller each rushed for more than 100 yards, the first time Ohio State had two backs with 100 yard games since last year vs. Indiana. The same duo combined to each rush for 100 yards against both Nebraska and Indiana last year. All-time, 39 tandems have rushed for 100 yards each in a game (six times since 2000).
Ohio State did not punt vs. the Hawkeyes, the first time the team did not punt in a game since Aug. 30, 2008 vs. Youngstown State.
Ohio State is yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this year.
Ryan Shazier led the Buckeyes with nine total tackles, followed by Curtis Grant with eight. Armani Reeves had a career-best six tackles, passing the five he had vs. San Diego State earlier this year.
1: Tackles for loss by Ohio State on Saturday
8-for-8: Ohio State (5-5) and Iowa (3-3) were a combined 8-for-8 in the red zone on Saturday
193: Yards by Ohio State in the third quarter
The Buckeyes have scored 30 or more points in each game this year. The squad entered the year sixth in the NCAA averaging 46.8 points a game.
As heard in crowd: “We head-butt each other all the time and nobody throws a flag. They celebrate.” — two guys complaining about the ejection of cornerback Bradley Roby for targeting defenseless Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz
Welcome home Former OSU defensive backs Malcolm Jenkins and Antoine Winfield were recognized between the first and second quarters.
As heard during halftime: The Ohio State Marching Band performed a tribute to Michael Jackson, at one point spelling out Bad. One media wag wondered if the formation instead represented the first-half play of the Buckeyes defense.
Tweethearts @RKSmith64: I was afraid they might call over-and-back on Hyde’s last TD run.
As heard on TV: You would think Rod Gilmore was on the payroll of Frisch’s, as often as the ABC analyst said “big boy play.” But Gilmore also can “go deep,” so to speak. As one viewer noted, Gilmore went existentialist when he observed that Ohio State was “behind the virtual field goal line.” As opposed to the imaginary line? Maybe Gilmore should be broadcasting Albert Camus novels instead.
Sources: ESPN, OSU Official Site, Columbus Dispatch, News Herald, Bucknuts
The Bottom Line October 20, 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch -
Offense (5 leaves)
The bravura second-half performance included 53 plays, 21 first downs, 306 yards and 23-plus minutes of possession time. That was the foundation, anyway. The icing on the cake was Carlos Hyde’s jaw-dropping display of power and balance on the go-ahead touchdown. Epic.
Defense (2 leaves)
Calling the first-half show lousy might be the kindest description for a family paper. The Buckeyes were consistently gashed and frustrated by Iowa’s short passes and hard running. With one notable exception, OSU made stops in the second half, but not enough to calm the worry-warts.
Special teams (3 leaves)
Not much to report, except that Cameron Johnston looked good in warm-ups; otherwise he never took the field. Drew Basil was money on his two short field-goal tries and also made a textbook tackle to stop a promising Iowa kickoff return. Way to bring the lumber, tough guy.
Coaching (3 leaves)
The look on Urban Meyer’s face while watching his defense flounder was that of a toddler being forced to swallow something nasty, like strained peas. But he and his assistants were rightly beaming as the game got older, looking like parents watching their youngsters figure it out.
Opponent (3 leaves)
Iowa might not be the nation’s garden spot for a vacation, but reports on the football team’s demise might have been premature. Quarterback Jake Rudock showed gumption, and the backs were hard chargers and the plan worked great — for a half. Are they a bowl team? Maybe, but there’s tough sledding ahead.
Officiating (3 leaves)
OSU fans hated the call that sent Bradley Roby to his room for the game, but it looked proper. Roby led with his shoulder but aimed close enough to the receiver’s head to make contact with the helmet.
Ryan Shazier post game Iowa October 19, 2013 Source: BuckeyeSports.com
Armani Reeves post game Iowa October 19, 2013 Source: BuckeyeSports.com
Braxton Miller, QB: Time after time on Saturday, Miller made a big play with his arm or his feet, particularly in the second half. He continually scrambled out of trouble, kept drives alive, and put points on the board. Miller's had ridiculous plays before, and he's had good games with better stats, but I would argue this was most complete game as a quarterback. If not his most complete, it was his most consistent, as the OSU offense made the most of their limited opportunities in the first half.
Carlos Hyde, Human Battering Ram: When OSU went into the locker room down 17-10, they needed Hyde to come out and set the tone in the second half. Iowa's defense has been superb in the red zone, only yielding one touchdown in 10 trips, and zero rushing TD's on the year. In the third quarter, Hyde became the human mythbuster, knocking it in from the one, and then in the fourth quarter (see play of the game)
It was one of the more amazing runs I've seen in awhile, and it gave the Buckeyes a lead they would not relinquish. Hyde finished with almost 150 yards rushing on 24 carries, and like the Northwestern game, when the Buckeyes really needed him, he delivered.
Solid Investments:
Jeff Heuerman, TE: Heuerman had an effective day, particularly in the first half. In recent games, the Buckeyes have made a more concentrated effort to use the tight end, and Heuerman has been the primary beneficiary, and is now tied for third on the team with 15 catches.
Philly Brown and Devin Smith, WR: Both Brown and Smith were solid, and both had some big TD grabs. Neither one of them were out of this world, but they were both very good, and have become sure handed targets for Miller.
Junk Bonds:
Defensive line: The Buckeyes defensive line had no answer for the Iowa running game in the first half, and only went away from it once OSU took the lead in the second half. Iowa ran for over 130 yards as a team, and gashed the Buckeyes front four both between the tackles and on the perimeter. But they at least had a complete game, because what they were unable to do in stopping the run they were equally inept at putting constant pressure on Iowa QB Jake Rudock. It felt that the only time OSU could bring pressure was when they had an extra rusher, and it was a disappointing performance for a line as highly touted as this one.
Secondary: Like the line, it was difficult to single out one particularly bad player that stood out, as it seemed they seemed to share the wealth of suckiness. Iowa tight ends had a field day, Jake Rudock threw for 245 yards and three scores, and TE Jake Duzey slipped behind Tyvis Powell and scored on a shocking 85 yard TD pass that stunned 105,254 onlookers.
Buy/Sell:
Buy: Braxton's 4th and 10 run. With Iowa leading 17-10 in the second quarter, the Buckeyes found themselves facing a 4th and 10 at the Iowa 29. Urban Meyer decided to go for it (said it before and I'll say it again--I LOVE the aggression and play to win mentality). Miller rolled out, couldn't find a receiver, came back across the grain, and 17 yards later had a first down at the Iowa 10. It was an electrifying run that maybe half a dozen guys in college football could have made.
Sell: The Philly Brown penalty that negated it. Unfortunately, Philly Brown had a pretty blatant block in the back RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REF, and when matched with an Iowa holding penalty, the play was negated. OSU still went for it, and Evan SPencer came thiscloseohsoclose to pulling down a perfectly thrown Miller pass down in the end zone, but the play was broken up at the last minute. Iowa got the ball, and a golden scoring opportunity was lost. As a consequence, OSU went into the lokcer room trailing by seven, as opposed to tied.
Buy: Quick strike scoring potential. I love this offense. There are so many weapons, and OSU can literally go from a grind it out, between the tackles power running game on one series, to a 'hey, we need to score right now' mentality on the next. The ABC broadcast made a lot of hay about how little the OSU offense had the ball in the first half, but when they did, they made the most of their opportunities. Down 10-3, and with Iowa dictating the tempo of the game, OSU struck like lightning with a Miller to Philly Brown 58 yard lightning bolt, and tied the game up.
Sell: The long, sustained drives by Iowa in the first half. One of the reasons I was so...unsettled...early on was the way the OSU defensive line was manhandled, and how the linebackers were consistently beat to the edge and were unable to keep contain. Iowa was imposing their will on Ohio State, and the defense had no answers--none--for anything Iowa was doing. Now, all credit to Iowa here, to say OSU wasn't playing to their ability would be an insult to their effort and execution of their game plan. But there is something off with the Buckeyes defense. Either scheme, coaching, player execution, or a combination thereof, but there IS talent there, and it's either not being utilized, or it's being underutilized.
Buy: Increased player safety vigilance. I'm glad that both the NCAA and the NFL has put a greater emphasis on player safety. I remember playing with more than one concussion, and I would be horrified if my son (if I had one) or my grandson took a hit like some of these hits and went right back in to play without being evaluated. I get that there's a fine line between trying to make the game safer while still letting players play the violent sport of football, and I really applaud the effort.
Sell: The Roby Ejection. Now, don't get me wrong, Roby launched and lead with the helmet, and that was a penalty. If the NCAA wants to send a message and institute an ejection, I can understand it in the grand scheme of keeping players safe, or at least trying to. But they should ease into the full game ejection, and next year reverse the policy and go with a graduated penalty. For example, start by making a guy sit out the rest of that series and the next one, or even a half. After the first suspension, then hammer them with a game ejection. It's extremely difficult to re-learn things that have been hard-wired into the development of a player, and it's not something a guy can 'turn off' right away. There have been several HIGHLY questionable ejections of players so far this year, and until the referees can become consistent with instituting the penalty, the players shouldn't have to be ones to suffer for that inconsistency.
The Ohio State University Marching Band performs their "Still Bad, Michael Jackson" halftime show during the Ohio State vs. Iowa football game 10/19/2013. Featuring a Moonwalking Michael Jackson, the Band plays a "Thriller" fanfare, "Bad", "Wanna Be Startin' Something", Billie Jean", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man In The Mirror", and "Thriller" reprise. Altogether a thrilling show...
Brutus Buckeye does the moon walk; Brutus does the moon walk during an Ohio State vs. Purdue basketball game in Columbus, Ohio 2012.
Ohio State players sing Carmen Ohio after win vs Iowa
•The loss was Iowa's first against a top 5 team in its last four tries. The Hawkeyes had previously won its last three meetings against teams ranked in the top 5 (W, 24-23 vs. #3 Penn State in 2008; W, 21-10 at #4 Penn State in 2009; W, 37-6 vs. #5 Michigan State in 2010).
•The Hawkeyes scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time this season. It was also the first time Ohio State allowed a touchdown on its opponent's opening drive.
-Iowa marched 80 yards on 12 plays in 5:37. QB Jake Rudock was 5-for-5 for 50 yards. -All five Rudock passes were completed to tight ends, including a 2-yard touchdown pass to TE C.J. Fiedorowicz.
•TE Jake Duzey had 24 receiving yards on Iowa's scoring drive, and finished the game with a career-high six catches for a career-best 138 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, the first touchdown reception of his career. -Duzey matched his career high with three catches on Iowa's opening drive of the game. -Duzey is Iowa's first 100-yard receiver since Kevonte Martin-Manley caught 5 pass for 101 yards against Northern Iowa on Sept. 15, 2012 (span of 16 games). -His 138 receiving yards are the most by a Hawkeye since Marvin McNutt has 151 yards on nine catches vs. Purdue in 2011. -Duzey entered the game with four catches for 31 yards this season.
•QB Jake Rudock finished the game with a career-high three touchdown passes. Rudock was 19-34 for 245 yards and one interception. -Rudock has 11 touchdown passes this season, including six for 20-plus yards. -Rudock completed his first eight passes of the game, all to tight ends (Fiedorowicz 4, Duzey 3, Kittle 1). -Rudock's 85-yard touchdown pass to TE Jake Duzey is the ninth longest touchdown pass in school history, and the second-longest touchdown reception by an Iowa tight end (Dallas Clark, 95 yards vs. Purdue in 2002).
•CB Desmond King recorded a career-best 12 tackles. King entered the contest averaging 7.5 tackles per game in Big Ten games, more than any other Big Ten freshman. DE Mike Hardy (9) and DE Nate Meier (2) also recorded career bests in tackles. DT Carl Davis tied his career high with four stops.
•Iowa outscored Ohio State 10-3 in the first quarter. It was the first time this season Ohio State has been outscored in the first quarter.
•The Iowa defense allowed a 100-yard rusher for the first time this season. RB Carlos Hyde rushed for 149 yards on 24 carries. QB Braxton Miller rushed 18 times for 102 yards.
•Ohio State scored three points in the first quarter, snapping Iowa's streak of five consecutive games holding its opponent without a first-quarter score. Ohio State's field goal on its opening possession marked the time an Iowa opponent scored on its opening possession.
•Iowa's 15-play scoring drive in the second quarter tied for Iowa's longest touchdown drive of the season (Iowa State). The Hawkeyes went 69 yards in 6:31, scoring on a QB Jake Rudock touchdown pass to WR Kevonte Martin-Manley.
•Iowa was 7-of-9 on third down in the first half. The Hawkeyes are the only team this season to convert seven or more third downs against Ohio State.
•In Iowa's last two meetings vs. Ohio State, the Hawkeyes have held a halftime lead. Iowa led Ohio State 17-10 after the first half today, and led 7-3 at the half in 2010 (L, 20-17).
•The Hawkeyes rushed for 101 yards in the first half. Ohio State entered the day allowing 86.2 rushing yards per game. Iowa finished the day with 130 yards rushing.
•Iowa scored on its first three possessions today. -1st quarter, 9:23, Fiedorowicz 2-yard pass from Rudock
•RB Carlos Hyde's 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the first rushing touchdown allowed by Iowa this season. Iowa's opponents had carried the ball 215 times since the Hawkeyes last surrendered a rushing touchdown. Prior to Hyde's' touchdown, the last Hawkeye opponent to rush for a touchdown was Nebraska's Rex Burkhead.
•TE C.J. Fiedorowicz caught four passes today to extend his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 25. Fiedorowicz has 74 catches for 695 yards over the last 25 games, and has caught all seven career touchdowns during the streak.
•LB James Morris recorded 12 tackles against Ohio State to raise his career total to 348, tying Bob Sanders for ninth on the school's all-time tackles list. Morris now has 17 career games with double-digit tackles.
•Iowa lost the turnover battle for the third time this season. The Hawkeyes are 0-3 in those games (Northern Illinois (Northern Illinois, -2; Michigan State, -1, at Ohio State, -1). Iowa is 4-0 when winning turnover margin.
* 1. Will Braxton Miller come out of the gate hot and have a big day against the Hawkeyes? – At Northwestern, Miller got off to a slow start and turned it over three times before settling down and leading OSU to the comeback win. Iowa is ninth nationally in total defense (290.0 ypg) and could provide some steady resistance.
* 2. Can Carlos Hyde rip off a second straight 100-yard game? – Hyde had his first breakthrough game in his disjointed senior year with 168 yards and three touchdowns in the win at Northwestern. Now comes Iowa (and linebackers Christian Kirksey, James Morris and Anthony Hitchens). The Hawkeyes are eighth nationally in rushing defense (88.5 ypg), so yards on the ground will not be easy.
* 3. What impact will Jordan Hall and/or Dontre Wilson have on this game? – If we accept that yards on the ground may be hard to come by, then we may assume that OSU may have to get creative in attacking the Iowa defense. That could be an opening for Hall or Wilson to get out in space and break off a big play.
* 4. Can the OSU receivers make some big plays? – Philly Brown (30 catches, five TDs) has been consistently good this year, as has Devin Smith (23 catches, five TDs). The Iowa secondary may be underrated. Corner B.J. Lowery has two interception returns for touchdowns. Iowa did surrender 277 yards passing (on 44 pass attempts) to Michigan State’s Connor Cook.
* 5. Can the Buckeyes get some heat on Iowa QB Jake Rudock? – Rudock, a sophomore, has been serviceable. He has hit the 200-yard plateau three times in six starts and two of those were in Iowa’s losses (256 yards vs. Northern Illinois, 241 vs. MSU). OSU’s young defensive line is starting to take hold, coming off a five-sack game at Northwestern. Maybe freshman DE Joey Bosa can continue his strong play as a new starter.
* 6. Who wins the running game battle, Iowa’s offense or OSU’s defense? – Iowa is 33rd nationally in rushing offense (207.5 ypg), while OSU is sixth in rushing defense (86.2 ypg). Bowling ball RB Mark Weisman has four 100-yard games this year. But he got banged up and netted 9 yards on seven carries against MSU.
* 7. Can the OSU secondary rally after some tough games? – Ohio State won the games against Cal, Wisconsin and Northwestern, but the Buckeyes came away from each game with more questions about the secondary. The hope is the open week was good to get the secondary back on track. OSU is 77th nationally in passing yards allowed (240.0 ypg).
* 8. What impact will special teams have on the game? – The Buckeyes blocked a punt for a touchdown against Northwestern. Iowa has one of the top return men in the country in Kevonte Martin-Manley.
* 9. What impact will the weather have on the game? – Autumn has officially arrived in central Ohio, where the forecast is for a high of 50 degrees with a 60 percent chance of rain. The hope is the showers will push through by the early portion of the game.
* 10. Can the Buckeyes start the second half of the season on a strong note? – Even with a win, OSU will likely be no better than fourth in the initial BCS standings released Sunday. A win would also move OSU a step closer to the Big Ten Leaders Division title.
STREAK BREAKER: Iowa, of course, wants nothing more than to steal some headlines by putting an end to Ohio State's win streak.
Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz says it's not a fluke.
"To me, the one streak that's impressive right now is they're undefeated," he said. "They're fourth in the country. You don't fall into that. They've got a really good team and they're playing really well."
With a win, Ohio State can tie the second longest winning streak at the school, trailing only the 22-game skein put together over the 1967-69 seasons.
"Oh, really? I didn't know that," Buckeyes QB Braxton Miller said. "Wow. That would be amazing."
STREAK BREAKER II: The Hawkeyes have yet to give up a rushing touchdown all season — the only team to be able to make that boast in all of major-college football.
The Buckeyes have made note.
"We definitely want to get that first one," center Corey Linsley said.
GROUND CONTROL: Ohio State is 11th in the nation in running the ball and Iowa also favors chewing up yardage between the tackles. Something's got to give.
So does the winner of the rushing totals — Weisman vs. the Buckeyes' bruising Carlos Hyde — win the game?
"On paper it might look like that," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. "I think everybody understands though that we're kind of hard to run against and they're kind of hard to run against. We're certainly not going to be stubborn."
If it's even remotely close to a stalemate on the ground, the outcome will hinge on big plays in special teams and on passing plays.
SPEAKING OF WHICH: Iowa's Kevonte Martin-Manley (25.8 yards per punt return) and Ohio State's Corey Brown (16.1) rank 1-2, respectively, in the Big Ten.
Don't be surprised if either one tilts the game in his team's favor with a long return.
QB SITUATION: Rudock has been effective all year (passing for 1,202 yards and 8 TDs, running for 139 yards and 5) but has been prone to making an occasional costly mistake.
It's unlikely he can afford to do that this week.
Meanwhile, Miller lost two fumbles and threw an interception in his last game against Northwestern, which the Buckeyes still pulled out of the fire with a fourth-quarter rally, 40-30.
"I watched some film on it," the junior said of the fumbles. "I really wasn't holding the ball correctly when I was cutting throughout the holes. I wasn't holding the ball real tight. It's an easy fix."
That might be the only time anyone on either team says the word "easy" this week.
KEY MATCHUP
Ohio State RB Carlos Hyde against Iowa's rushing defense. After sitting out the first three games for an alleged physical conflict with a woman at a Columbus bar this summer, Hyde's role has progressively grown in Ohio State's rushing attack (11th in the nation at 281 yards a game). He has gone for 41 yards, 85 yards and 168 yards on 26 carries and three TDs in a 40-30 win over Northwestern before last week's bye. The Hawkeyes have a stout defense against the run — eighth in the nation, giving up just 89 yards a game — that relies on LBs Anthony Hitchens, James Morris and Christian Kirksey to prevent anyone getting past the line for a big gain. Ohio State has rushed for 17 TDs so far, the Hawkeyes are the only team in the nation that hasn't given up a TD on the ground.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Iowa: QB Jake Rudock must keep the ball away from Ohio State, which is averaging 46.8 points a game. To do that, the Hawkeyes must move the chains on the ground. RB Mark Weisman, averaging 104 yards per game, will be a central figure: If he's successful between the tackles, Iowa can stay with the Buckeyes. If not, it'll be a happy homecoming at Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State: WRs Corey Brown, Devin Smith and Evan Spencer must shake loose to keep Iowa's stop-the-run-first defense honest. By extension, QB Braxton Miller, who had three turnovers in the win at Northwestern, can't afford to make mistakes. Source: Kansas City Star: Top 25 Preview Capsules
The skinny: Iowa's defense must play at a high level because the Hawkeyes' offense isn't much. The Hawkeyes start three senior linebackers, and each is an NFL prospect: MLB James Morris (6-2, 240) and OLBs Anthony Hitchens (6-1, 233) and Christian Kirksey (6-2, 235). Iowa junior DT Carl Davis (6-5, 315) has played well, and he'll be going against a strong offensive interior headed by senior G Andrew Norwell (6-6, 316). Iowa must slow Buckeyes senior RB Carlos Hyde (6-0, 235). Ohio State junior QB Braxton Miller (6-2, 215) has played solid football in two games since returning from a minor knee injury. Two of the best tackles in the Big Ten will be on the field: Iowa junior Brandon Scherff (6-5, 315) and Ohio State senior Jack Mewhort (6-6, 308). The Buckeyes have won 12 of the past 13 in the series. Source: NFL.com: Iowa at Ohio State is top Big Ten game in Week 8
5 things: Ohio State v. Iowa
October 18, 2013 Source: Ohio State Lantern - 1. How does Ohio State handle the Iowa run defense?...2. Can Braxton Miller bounce back?...3. Mark Weisman v. the Buckeye defense...4. Which team will shake off the rust better?...5. How will Iowa starting quarterback Jake Rudock fare in his first start at Ohio Stadium?...
1. Win third down The game features the fourth- and sixth-best teams nationally stopping opponents on third down. The Buckeyes have allowed first downs on third down only 25.3 percent of the time. The Hawkeyes are almost as good, holding opponents to 26.7 percent success. Whichever offense can have success on that down will have the upper hand.
2. Avoid key turnovers The Northwestern game was close until the end largely because of three turnovers by OSU quarterback Braxton Miller, including two costly fumbles. Ball security has been a point of emphasis during OSU’s off week. The Buckeyes have too much talent for the Hawkeyes to handle, unless Ohio State gets sloppy with the ball.
3. Pressure the QB Iowa has allowed only five sacks in six games. Ohio State wants to be more aggressive in pass coverage, but that can only be effective if the Buckeyes can harass quarterback Jake Rudock into hurried throws. The Buckeyes have 16 sacks this season, second in the Big Ten, but they allow 240.0 yards passing a game, which ranks eighth.
4. Stop Weisman Running back Mark Weisman might be the key to Iowa’s offense. He has run for 100 yards four times this season and is a tough runner who won’t go down easily. He ranks third in the Big Ten and 20th nationally with an average of 104.0 yards a game. But the Buckeyes’ defense has been stout against the run all season, yielding only 86.2 yards a game. OSU held the Big Ten’s No. 1 rushing offense, Wisconsin, to 104 yards in a 31-24 victory on Sept. 28.
5. Establish Hyde early The Hawkeyes haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown this season, but they also haven’t faced a run game like Ohio State’s. If Carlos Hyde, running behind the Buckeyes’ strong, seasoned line, can find consistent daylight, the Buckeyes should be able to take control. That also can open it up for Ohio State’s big-play passing game.
Ohio State offense hoping to hit another gear
October 17, 2013 Source: News Herald - 10. Ohio State is averaging 46.8 points per game. Yet as the Buckeyes prepare this week for a Week 7 game against visiting Iowa, they are still hoping to fully click on offense. Despite an offense that runs for 280 yards and throws for 213 yards per game, the Buckeyes feel there is another level to hit. “We haven’t clicked on all cylinders yet,” OSU running backs coach Stan Drayton said this week.
9. So what’s missing? Continuity. Braxton Miller has shown flashes of greatness this year — not as many as last year, mind you — but they are there. The running game has been a revolving door because of Carlos Hyde’s suspension and Jordan Hall’s injury. Field-stretching Dontre Wilson didn’t run an offensive play at Northwestern.
8. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman said during OSU’s off week, the coaching staff was going to research what they do well and what they don’t do well. There might be more of a concentration of the playbook if that’s the case. Or maybe the off week will get OSU better honed on what it wants to do and be more consistent doing it.
7. Much rests on Miller’s shoulders, legs and arms. He has to be better. The downfield passing game was much better with Kenny Guiton, but that doesn’t mean Guiton should be in there in Miller’s place. Miller does a lot of things right. But he can’t fumble like he did at Northwestern.
6. The development of Wilson seems to have hit a wall. He was supposed to be the guy who could stretch the field side to side and vertically with his speed. He has been limited in what he can do — return kicks and run jet sweeps. Meyer said Wilson is a “novelty” right now and not a “football player.”
5. Meyer wants more from Wilson. OSU needs more from Wilson. “There’s other ways that we can be creative in getting him involved and not necessarily when he’s in, we’re handing the ball on a stretch play or running a wheel route.” Can OSU win without Wilson? Sure. But the Buckeyes are better with the threat of him on the field.
4. Ohio State has a ton of weapons. Miller at quarterback, Hyde at running back, Wilson or Hall at H-back, Jeff Heuerman at tight end, and a stable full of receivers consisting of Philly Brown, Devin Smith, Evan Spencer and Chris Fields. But there are times the sum of the parts doesn’t equal the individual talent.
3. “I think we are not an explosive team,” said Meyer, mentioning teams like Oregon and Clemson, which are. “That’s something I want to be. If I had to grade us, we are not explosive from the first to fourth quarter.” If Ohio State finds that explosiveness, that would constitute “clicking” on offense, which is the ability to just pound a team with your offense no matter what the defense does.
2. This week’s matchup against Iowa is an interesting one in that OSU runs the ball exceptionally well (280 yards per game) and Iowa defends it exceptionally well (88 yards per game). This might been one of those “clicking” days Ohio State is looking for, capitalizing with some explosive plays Meyer wants while Iowa loads up to stop the run like it has done al year.
1. Whether that’s Miller getting his electric step back in the running game or hits more long passes — or whether it’s Wilson being more than the novelty he’s been thus far — is the big question. The call here is OSU found some answers it looked for during its off week.
Two-Minute Drill: Updates from Urban Meyer's Call-In Show October 17, 2013 Source: The Ozone - Meyer said Corey “Pittsburgh” Brown did an admirable job, but didn't grade out as a champion, and they need to play better at that position... He said that he still believes the 2013 class is going to be a “great” class and not a “good” one. He said Dontre Wilson and Joey Bosa are ahead of schedule, and said you could never envision that Bosa would already be starting... Meyer said the punt coverage unit a year ago was terrible, with punt protection and coverage. Meyer isn't happy that Ohio State is listed as giving up three return yards when he looked at it very closely and it should only be two...Meyer said they'd like to be better throwing the ball in the “mid-range”, and not just deep and short stuff. They won't change much of what they do, but they'd like to improve what they're already doing...Meyer said the Buckeyes are doing better against the run than he thought they would given how many new starters they have on the defense. They need to get better against the pass, but he likes the attention to detail that his coaches have. “We're pushing as hard as we can.” He said Michael Bennett is playing at an All-Big Ten level. “The future's bright, especially the defensive line.” He said the linebackers aren't at an Ohio State level right now. They need more from the young players...
OSU's Meyer wants to see more defensive focus on the pass October 17, 2013 Source:Canton Repository - Something has to give Saturday when Iowa comes to Ohio Stadium, and Urban Meyer hopes it isn’t his pass defense. They have given enough through the first half of the season.
Meyer called Ohio State’s defense against the pass alarming, and said the Buckeyes spent the bye week and much of this week trying to shore up some weaknesses.
The Buckeyes bring the 15th-ranked overall defense into the game. Iowa isn’t too shabby, either, at ninth. Against the pass, the Buckeyes are 77th in the country. They have allowed 7 yards per pass attempt and 240 a game.
What eats at Meyer, who spends most of his time on the offensive side of the ball, is watching teams throw and complete short passes, particularly on first down.
“I told our staff, you know, our defensive staff did a wonderful job stopping the run (against Wisconsin). Northwestern has a fine team, and (Wisconsin) ran all over them,” Meyer said. “We spend a lot of focus and energy on stopping the run game. My challenge to them is without sacrificing that, how do we get the same focus stopping the pass game?”
Iowa’s offense doesn’t send the same kind of shivers as Wisconsin’s running game, but the Hawkeyes are decent on offense. What is helping is a 48 percent third-down conversion rate.
Much of that success comes from Iowa having success on first down. Head coach Kirk Ferentz is more prone to running on first down, than throwing (half of the teams 279 running plays were called on first down).
Co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Everett Withers had two words for his players to focus on.
Trigger and tackling.
“People say ‘fixing (OSU’s pass defense),’ ” Withers said. “Our No. 1 objective is to stop the run. If a team can’t run on you, they can throw it and as long as you’re triggering and tackling, you’re going to be OK. We have to shore up trigger and tackling. That’s what we’re working on.”...
Withers knows Iowa offensive coordinator Greg Davis well. He hired Withers for his first full-time college coaching job at Tulane.
“We have to stop the zone run game,” Withers said. “We have got to be good on first and second down with the play-action pass. They throw a lot of quick passes on first down.”...
HC Urban Meyer, RB Carlos Hyde, QB Braxton Miller, C Corey Linsley and Corey Brown following practice 10/16/13. Source: BuckeyeSports.com
Urban Meyer post-practice with media October 16, 2013
Carlos Hyde Previews Iowa October 16, 2013
Braxton Miller Previews Iowa October 16, 2013
Corey Linsley Previews Iowa October 16, 2013
Corey "Pitt" Brown Previews Iowa October 16, 2013
Two-Minute Drill: Updates From Wednesday's Post-Practice Interviews October 16, 2013 Source:The Ozone - Urban Meyer and some of his players, including Braxton Miller, spoke with the media following practice early Wednesday evening. The talk centered mostly around the Iowa Hawkeyes. Here are the highlights...Urban Meyer said they always tweak things during the bye week as a process of scouting themselves and breaking tendencies. He said you don't have time to do it during a normal week. He said that they haven't yet gotten to gameplanning around Iowa's redzone defense, and how they have not yet given up a rushing touchdown. He said they will begin breaking that down on Thursday...
Carlos Hyde was asked if Iowa's run defense poses a challenge given how they haven't allowed a rushing touchdown this season, he said, “I don't think it's a challenge at all.” He said the Buckeyes are going to do what they are going to do, and nobody is going to make them change what they set out to do.
Braxton Miller said he wasn't holding the ball properly against Northwestern, and he's been focusing on carrying it tighter when running... Miller said there's no worries about overlooking Iowa. He said that it's hard to go out and win every Saturday in Big Ten play, so it's not hard to stay focused on the task at hand...
Corey Linsley said that this will be the best defensive line that they have faced this season. He said that in terms of toughness and the things that Ohio State preaches, Iowa is very similar. Given that type of familiarity, Linsley added, “I think we're prepared for them.”...
Corey “Pittsburgh” Brown said the play-action passing will be huge in this game and the defensive backs just have to read their keys and keep their eyes on the game. He said they spent the week working on attacking the receiver when the ball is thrown. He also said they've been communicating a lot more in the secondary since the Wisconsin game...
THE OHIO STATE/IOWA SERIES: This will be the 64th meeting between Ohio State and Iowa in a series that began in 1922. The Buckeyes, officially, have a 45-14-3 lead in the series (the 2010 win was vacated).Ohio State has a 28-8-1 advantage in games played in Columbus and a 17-6-2 record in games at Iowa City. The Buckeyes have won 11 of the last 12 games dating back to 1992. Iowa’s 33-7 win in 2004 in Iowa City snapped an eight-game Ohio State win streak in the series.
Asked about Iowa's defensive front, Meyer said that they play very heavy techniques, which means they don't let the offensive linemen get to the linebackers. They play with leverage, hands and technique. Source: The Ozone More: Two-Minute Drill: Updates From Urban Meyer's Big Ten Teleconference
Meyer said each Saturday Ohio State’s opponent has given them a wrinkle on offense or defense that wasn’t on film. Now, the Buckeyes might be able to do the same. Defensive lineman Tommy Schutt returns from a foot injury this week as does Jordan Hall.
Meyer indicated Hall would be used on special teams, to complement Carlos Hyde in the backfield and as a third-down option. The coaching staff also took a look at Iowa’s game tape after last year’s bye so to glean every bit of information that’s available.
The Hawkeyes haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown this season and opponents are gaining far less than 100 yards on the ground per game. Meyer said Iowa’s defensive line uses its hands in an effective manor, similar to Alabama.
Being at the top also leads to busy nights. Meyer said he’s only seen highlights of the Crimson Tide and has watched one Oregon game.
Meyer said Andrew Norwell was one of the infamous five who missed first team meeting in Jan. 2012. On Monday, Norwell had his best day of practice as a Buckeye, according to Meyer.
Asked about the BCS, Meyer said he worries about getting first downs and stopping people. Thinking about the BCS is not helping the cause at all. Source: Eleven Warriors
News and notes from Meyer's teleconference Source:Cleveland Plain Dealer - Meyer listed pass defense as the No. 1 concern as the Buckeyes embarked on their off-week. Ohio State has allowed 240 yards per game through the air. Meyer said the secondary has worked on getting more physical with receivers in an effort to disrupt their routes and timing....
Urban Meyer Press Conference October 14, 2013
Meyer: Grant Deals With Dad's Death October 14, 2013 Source: Bucknuts - Ohio State coach Urban Meyer revealed that starting middle linebacker Curtis Grant is away from the team today dealing with the death of his father.
Grant was reportedly home in Virginia with his family. Curtis Grant Sr., 54, passed away on Oct. 8. The funeral service was scheduled for today.
Meyer said his prayers were with Grant and his family. The coach said that Grant does plan to be back in time for Saturday’s game against Iowa (3:30 p.m., ABC). (Watch Meyer’s comments in the video box above.)
Here were some of the highlights from Meyer’s comments:
* Players of the game from NW were Joey Bosa on defense, Carlos Hyde on offense and Bradley Roby on special teams.
* Meyer recalls coaching against Iowa in bowl game. Says they are stout against run, have not given up rushing TD.
* Meyer was asked about not having a 1,000 yard rusher.
"I'm tired of hearing that, man,” he said. "We run the ball well."
Says they are always high in average per carry within their league.
"There's no doubt I love having big backs ... we have one with Carlos."
* Meyer was asked where his team is at midway point.
"We have to find a way to win this Saturday, and it's not easy,” he said.
Said been spending 2 weeks trying to figure out how to run vs. Iowa
"I like this team ... I like the emotion I see in the locker room. There are very minor issues that I deal with ... I can feel pressure mounting on players when you hear talk about streaks ... But it's about today."
* On his 21-2 coaching mark coming off byes: "I've been blessed to have good assistant coaches and we've managed it well. My strength coach is also involved."
* On Ryan Shazier switching to No. 2 to honor Christian Bryant: "Ryan is one of the most incredible young men I have ever been around."
Meyer said Shazier wanted to fly down to be with him.
* Meyer says DT Tommy Schutt is a go after missing the first six games with a broken foot. RB Jordan Hall should practice some today.
* Meyer says Dontre Wilson is a novelty right now, not a fulltiime player, needs to be able go block LB.
"He works hard ... this time next year he will be a rocked up, 350-pound benching guy, we hope,” he said.
Says Harvin benched 400, "When he blocked you, he blocked you."
Assistant Head Coach Co-Defensive Coordinator Everett Withers Updates 10/14/13 Source: Eleven Warriors -
• Withers said he would play press coverage the whole if he could. Obviously, though, that isn’t realistic. Withers said press coverage eliminates several routes the offense wants to run. Said Ohio State would like to be a good press team, but doing so in three deep is different than pressing in Cover 1.
• The primary objective for the defense is to stop the run, Withers said. Teams may throw the ball, but as long as you trigger and tackle, you’re going to be OK.
• Withers said the biggest thing the defense worked on during the bye week was triggering and tackling.
• Pittsburgh Brown had a decent first start at safety, Withers said. Brown would probably want a few plays back, but Withers believes the experience – Brown is in his fifth year – is a big plus.
• Withers said he’d like to see Tyvis Powell play free safety and Vonn Bell play nickel.
• The defense has been good, withers said, because the objective is to stop the run. So philosophically, they’re doing well. Withers said eight in the box puts stress on the defense, but he wants to continues playing man-to-man and take away short intermediate routes.
• Withers said the defense needs to get better on first and second down. They’re one of the best teams in the country on third down.
• Iowa has a strong run game. Withers said stopping the zone running game will be key. Physical offensive line puts pressure on the D-line. Running back Mark Weisman is big part of run game’s success. Withers credited Kirk Ferentz with getting every ounce of production out of Weisman.
Running Backs Coach Stan Drayton Updates 10/14/13 Source: Eleven Warriors - • A veteran offensive line that is playing at a high level instills a tremendous amount of confidence in the running backs, Drayton said. He said the running backs are able to ready the second and third level of the defense because they aren’t worried about the O-line not blocking.
• Drayton said there’s no hesitation in the linemen’s first step. Even when an opponent is good at stopping the run, there is full trust in the line's ability to block and the running back's skill to run through talent.
• Carlos Hyde’s stint on the scout team had many positives, according to Drayton. He said he faced contact all camp, so he was game-ready following his suspension. Drayton said it also made Hyde more hungry mentally.
• Jordan Hall is feeling better after a bye week. Drayton expects him to practice all week. His game status remains cloudy.
• Drayton points out that throwing effectively comes from running the ball well. Ohio State’s offense is clicking because of the line play and the running backs getting yards.
• Drayton said there's been zero selfishness in the locker room. The team is clicking, everyone doing their job.
Videos of Junior Linebacker Ryan Shazier, Senior Wide Receiver Corey Brown and Junior Defensive Tackle Joel Hale speaking with the media at the weekly media luncheon on Monday. Source: The Ozone:
Ryan Shazier Q & A 10/14/13
Corey Brown Q & A 10/14/13
Joe Hale Q & A 10/14/13
No. 3/4 Ohio State Back in Action Saturday vs. Iowa October 14, 2013 Source: Ohio State Official Athletics Site - Game to be televised regionally on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET; teams meeting for first time since 2010...
First and 10
• Ohio State enters the game with the nation's longest winning streak at 18 games.
• Ohio State has won the last three meetings with Iowa and 11 of the last 12 overall.
• Saturday's game will feature the Big Ten's second and third ranked rushing defenses (OSU, 2nd, 86.2 ypg; Iowa, 3rd, 88.5 ypg).
• Ohio State leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth in the NCAA in scoring with 46.8 ppg.
• Ohio State is outscoring teams 126-28 in the first quarter this season.
• Ohio State is averaging 492.8 yards of total offense per game while giving up 326.8.
• Ohio State's defense ranks sixth nationally in rushing defense (86.2 ypg). The unit has not allowed a run of 20 or more yards this season.
•Urban Meyer's teams are 34-2 overall with more than a week to prepare for an opponent.
• Junior QB Braxton Miller is tied for first with Joe Germaine with six career games of at least 300 yards of total offense.
• Junior LB Ryan Shazier is second in the B1G with 8.0 TFL.
• Saturday is Homecoming for Ohio State. #HomecomingOSU
• Coach Urban Meyer's teams are 34-2 when having more than one week to prepare for an opponent (includes season-openers, games after an "off" week, and bowl games), and his teams have won 13 consecutive games with more than a week to prepare.
Game Data: Iowa at Ohio State Source: Bucknuts.com - Iowa has 11 players from the state of Ohio. Notables include OL Andrew Donnal (Montclova/Anthony Wayne High School), TE Ray Hamilton (Strongsville), LB Anthony Hitchens (Lorain/Clearview), CB B.J. Lowery (Cincinnati/Hughes), SS John Lowdermilk (Carrollton) and CB Sean Draper (Cleveland/Glenville)...OSU has also won its last 10 home games against unranked opponents and 28 of its last 29 since a 2007 loss to Illinois in the home finale. The lone home loss to an unranked team since then was to Michigan State in 2011 (10-7)...and much more...
Iowa at Ohio State Source: ThePowerRank.com
Ohio State (10) will beat Iowa (48) by 14.7 at home. Iowa has a 21% chance of beating Ohio State.
Ohio State vs. Iowa 2013: Game Preview October 18, 2013 Source: Land-Grant Holy Land - Key Factors for both the Buckeyes and the Hawkeyes, cast of characters and more...
Big Ten Game of the Week: Ohio State and Iowa, two of the best rushing offenses and run defenses in the country
Why Iowa Might Win: That power running game thing Ohio State used on Northwestern isn’t going to fly this week. If the Buckeyes want to get Braxton Miller going, forget about it; this Hawkeye linebacking corps should be able to swarm all around him. Minnesota does nothing but run, and no one in the backfield went anywhere on the nation’s No. 8 run defense. Michigan State and Northern Illinois were the only two teams to run for more than 100 yards on Iowa, and neither one ran wild. The Spartans ran for 135 yards and NIU 163, but no scores. In fact, no one has rushed for a touchdown on the Hawkeyes so far.
Why Ohio State Might Win: Iowa’s run defense has been terrific, and Ohio State’s has been great, too. It gave up 132 yards against Cal, but it gave up a mere 3.6 yards per carry. Wisconsin came up with the other 100-yard day, but it was just 104 yards and everyone but Melvin Gordon got bottled up. That puts the hands into Iowa passing game, and that’s when the mistakes come. The Hawkeyes gave up two picks to Northern Illinois and two more against Michigan State, and those just so happened to be the two games they lost. They gave away two interceptions total in the other four games. Ohio State has a pick in every game with two against San Diego State...
What Will Happen: Ohio State will be in for a dogfight. The Iowa ground game will get back on track after getting stuffed by Michigan State, while the Hawkeye defensive front seven will give the Buckeyes fits. Miller will make a few plays to get by late, Iowa won’t have the passing game to go on the one final drive needed to pull off the win.
Keys to victory October 17, 2013 Source: HawkeyeReport.com - The Hawkeyes headed to Columbus looking to pick up their fifth victory of the season and the odds firmly against them achieving that goal. We take a look at the Keys to Victory for the Hawkeyes, which include Jake Rudock airing it out and Braxton Miller turning it over.
CONTROL THE CLOCK
Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. In this case, the best offense is one that can grind away the clock and keep the Ohio State offense on the sidelines as long as possible. One area where the Hawkeyes have improved on the offensive side is time of possession. Last season they lost that battle pretty decisively, particularly in the final six weeks of the season. Too many three and outs on offense and not enough of them on the defensive side of the game.
This season it's been quite a bit different. That was until their last game against Michigan State, when the Spartans dominated time of possession 37 minutes to 23 minutes. In Iowa's two losses this year their time of possession is around 27 minutes. In the four wins, Iowa's offensive time of possession was at 37 minutes per game. This season the Buckeyes are at 32 plus minutes per game in time of possession. If Iowa is going to pull the upset on Saturday, they are going to have to control the clock for somewhere near 35 minutes or slightly more, and run over 70 plays.
A HEALTHY SERVING OF TURNOVERS
In addition to getting the clock on their side, for Iowa to hand Ohio State their first loss of the season they need to win the turnover battle and win it in a big way. Based on what we have seen this season, particularly with Braxton Miller at quarterback, the Hawkeyes will have a chance to make some hay. Miller has played in four games this year and he has two interceptions and he had two fumbles against Northwestern.
On the other side of the equation, Iowa has forced 12 turnovers this season, which is a pretty good number. They are going to need to add to that total this weekend against the Buckeyes if they want to leave Columbus with a victory. In tandem with that, Iowa will need to limit their own mistakes in a big way. Best guess is Iowa needs to be +3 in this category to have a chance to pull the upset.
ZONE READ
Having watched Braxton Miller and the Buckeyes a few times this season, there's no question he is one of the best in the country at handling the zone read in the backfield. Miller is outstanding at the sleight of hand and keeping opponents guessing until the last second if he has the ball or if he's handing it off. Couple that with the return of bruising back Carlos Hyde and Ohio State has a lot of weapons to contend with on the zone read option.
The key for the Hawkeyes, especially the defensive ends, will be assignment football and making the right read of Miller's movements. Do you crash in to tackle the back or follow Miller to the outside? One mistake and a big play is potentially on the way. The Hawkeyes shut down Minnesota's rushing attack, but they don't have a back nearly as big and talented as Hyde and they certainly didn't have Braxton Miller running the show. Iowa's nationally ranked rush defense will be put to the test on Saturday.
AIR RUDOCK
Ohio State has plenty of talent in their defensive backfield. The Buckeyes have an experienced secondary with NFL caliber prospects in Bradley Roby and Dorian Grant, but in their first two Big Ten contests, they have given up a lot of yards. Wisconsin, which is hardly known as an air it out type team, threw for 295 yards. Of course the bulk of that was to Jared Abbrederis, who caught ten passes for 207 yards, but the fact is they made plays against their secondary. Against Northwestern, the Wildcats were able to put up 343 yards in the air on 25 completions. Again, one receiver went off, so to speak. This time it was Rashad Lawrence with 8 receptions for 149 yards.
One of the big questions for Iowa will be the health of leading receiver Kevonte Martin-Manley. He says he will be ready to go on Saturday and Martin-Manley could have the potential for a big game. Bottom line, Iowa probably can't sit back and hope the run game gets them to the winner's circle. Ohio State is among the best in the country against the run. They are allowing just 86 yards per game on the ground and the longest rushing play they have allowed all season is just 17 yards. Iowa is going to have to look to the air for a path to victory.
TRICK OR TREAT
The struggles of Iowa's special teams this season have been well documented. From onside kicks to fake punts and poor kickoff coverage, Hawkeye fans are well aware that special teams continue to be a question mark. Enter Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes, who aren't afraid to take some chances on special teams. They aren't fearful of trying something risky on special teams. Against Northwestern they attempted a fake punt (and it didn't work) and they blocked a punt against the Wildcats. Given Iowa's struggles in those areas this season, it's certainly cause for concern. Kirk Ferentz said during the bye week that they may never try to return a punt again, but he somewhat softened that stance earlier this week. Bottom line, special teams can change the game and Iowa cannot afford to give up another huge play in this area if they want to pull the upset against the Buckeyes.
Iowa’s defense has held its first six opponents under their rushing average. In its Big Ten opener, Iowa held Minnesota 252 yards below its average rushing yards
per game. Ohio State averages 280.7 rushing yards per game.
Iowa is 4-6 following a bye week since 1999. Iowa has twice played Ohio State following a bye week (L, 19-10, at No. 8 OSU in 2003; W, 33-7 vs. No. 23 OSU in
2004).
Iowa has allowed just five sacks through six games, while the Buckeyes have recorded 16 sacks in six contests.
Iowa allows 88.5 rushing yards per game, the eighth-best total in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten.
Iowa is the only school in the nation to have not allowed a rushing touchdown this season.
Entering this week, Iowa opponents have scored TDs on just 11.1% of their red zone trips this season, the lowest rate in the FBS and by a wide margin (Oregon is 2nd at 33.3%). It's the best by an FBS team through six games over the last 10 seasons (2012 Notre Dame is 2nd at 12.5%).
No. 4/3 Ohio State is Iowa’s highest ranked opponent since No. 3 Penn State visited Iowa City in 2008 (Iowa won, 24-23).
Saturday is the second career meeting between Kirk Ferentz and Urban Meyer. Meyer was in his first year at Florida when the Gators defeated Iowa, 31-24, in the
2006 Outback Bowl.
SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
The Hawkeyes (4-2, 1-1 B1G Legends) are also coming off one of their bye weekends after a 26-14 loss at home to Michigan State Oct. 5. Iowa opened the season with a 30-27 loss to now nationally-ranked Northern Illinois Aug. 31, but rebounded to win their next four vs. Missouri State (28-14), at Iowa State (27-21), Western Michigan (59-3) and at Minnesota (23-7).
Iowa features one of the top defenses in the Big Ten, ranking third in total defense (290.0 ypg), fewest points allowed (16.8 ppg), rushing defense (88.5 ypg) and pass defense (201.5 ypg) while its nine interceptions on the year are tied for third. They lead the conference in red zone defense, allowing just one TD and five field goals in nine opportunities. And when forcing its opponents to punt, they make them pay with a Big Ten-best 21.8 yards per return (2 for TDs), good for third in the NCAA. Senior LB Anthony Hitchens leads the team and is second in the Big Ten with 59 tackles. Senior CB B.J. Lowery has three interceptions, two of which he has returned for TDs.
Junior RB Mark Weisman leads the team and is third in the Big Ten with 104.0 yards per game with three TDs. Sophomore Jake Rudock has completed 60.3 percent of his passes with eight TDs and six INTs. His favorite target is junior WR Kevonte Martin-Manley who has 26 catches for 225 yards and one TD.
Iowa hopes to strike better balance vs. Ohio State October 15, 2013 Source: HawkCentral.com - The blueprint for stuffing Iowa’s offense was laid out two weeks ago by Michigan State. And you can bet Ohio State took notice.
“They’re fast,” Hawkeyes quarterback Jake Rudock said of the Buckeyes. “We’ll definitely have our hands full, but they do a good job swarming to the ball. “We’ll have to have a good week of preparation.”...
