The 17th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes have been
inconsistent this season, and they step outside of the Big Ten Conference this
weekend to host the New Mexico State Aggies of the Western Athletic
Conference.
The Aggies have faced just two Big Ten teams since the program started back in
1894, and a win over Ohio State would provide outstanding exposure for the
club. NMSU is just 3-5 this season, and three of the last four outings have
resulted in defeat. Last weekend, the club dropped a 34-3 decision to Fresno
State in a disastrous Homecoming affair, as the Las Cruces faithful watched on
in disappointment.
It is hard to gauge just how good this Ohio State team is, as the 6-2 record
doesn't tell the whole story. The Buckeyes posted back-to-back shutouts over
Toledo and Illinois earlier this season, and crushed Minnesota last weekend by
a 38-7 final. However, the team also lost to a hapless Purdue squad by a 26-18
final two weeks ago and nearly lost to Navy at home in the opener. Jim
Tressel's group is out of the national title picture and is chasing Iowa in
the Big Ten standings.
This game marks the first-ever meeting between New Mexico State and Ohio State
on the gridiron.
New Mexico State hasn't scored more than 21 points in any of its eight games
this season and has been held to 17 or fewer points in all five losses. The
Aggies are averaging a mere 13.2 ppg and 254.2 total ypg, with 3.6 yards per
rush and 8.6 yards per pass completion. The fact that NMSU has committed 18
turnovers hasn't helped the cause.
Both Jeff Fleming and Trevor Walls have seen significant time under center,
but neither has distinguished himself as a player capable of leading the
offense. Without question, the Aggies' best offensive player is Seth Smith, a
hard-charging tailback who has run for 703 yards. Smith needs to carry the
ball often on Saturday to keep things close.
Opponents are scoring 28.0 ppg against New Mexico State, which is yielding
369.5 total ypg. The Aggies have struggled mightily against the run, as they
are surrendering 186.6 rushing ypg on an average of 5.1 yards per attempt. The
pass defense has been poor as well, as foes are registering 13.5 yards per
completion with 11 touchdowns. Ross Conner has posted 70 tackles to lead NMSU,
and Pierre Fils has recorded six sacks.
It is hard to believe that New Mexico State scored just three points against
Fresno State last weekend considering the fact that the Aggies rushed for 238
yards at a clip of 5.5 yards per attempt. They only turned the ball over once,
but a miserable total of 45 passing yards certainly didn't help the cause.
NMSU was 2-of-13 on third-down conversion attempts and came away with points
on just 1-of-3 trips to the red zone as two field goals were missed.
Considering the fact that Fresno State scored 34 points last weekend, it is
only logical to put ample blame on the NMSU defense. However, a closer look
reveals that only two of the four touchdowns were scored against the defense,
as Fresno had both an interception and punt return for a touchdown.
"I thought for most of the night the defense played well enough for us to win,
but we couldn't score points," said New Mexico State head coach DeWayne
Walker. "Our guys are fighting and we're just going to go back to the drawing
boards and get ready for next week."
There is no quarterback in the nation who has been more heavily scrutinized
that Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor, and much of the criticism he has received
has been warranted. After all, Pryor has thrown nine interceptions and
completed just 55.4 percent of his passes. Still, the signal caller's talent
is evident, as he has thrown 12 touchdowns while leading the team with 471
rushing yards and five scores. DeVier Posey has 38 catches for 516 yards and
six touchdowns for OSU, which is averaging 29.2 ppg and 353.2 total ypg.
Defensively, the Buckeyes have been outstanding, as opponents are only
averaging 284.8 total ypg and 13.1 ppg. Ohio State has done a tremendous job
of stopping the run, limiting foes to 92.2 ypg and 2.8 yards per carry. The
pass defense has come up with 14 interceptions versus seven touchdowns
allowed, and just 12 touchdowns have been yielded by the defense in eight
outings. Brian Rolle leads a talented group with 66 total tackles.
The offense racked up 509 total yards and 27 first downs against Minnesota
last weekend in what was an impressive performance from start to finish. Pryor
was unstoppable, passing for 239 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for
104 yards and a score. Posey was his main target, as the standout receiver
made eight grabs for 161 yards and two scores.
"I feel like I still have a lot of learning to do," said Posey after the
contest. "The touchdowns feel good but I'm only half of the equation. Terrell
made great passes."
On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes were outstanding, holding the
Golden Gophers to one touchdown and 286 yards. Four takeaways, including two
interceptions, were key to the blowout.
"It was just a great win overall for all of us," said Rolle. "To hold an
explosive offense like that to only seven points is really impressive. Our
heads just weren't in the game for some reason last week, but we were fully
focused on the task at hand today."
©2009 Sports Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
