OSU's Wells and Pryor overpower Wildcats

Northwestern University was kind enough to give me a press credential to today's football game versus Ohio State. But since none of the 15 or so newspapers I contacted were in need of a freelance article, I just wrote about it for the blog. What follows is the article.

[Note to any newspaper editors reading this: If you want to take this article and publish it, feel free to do so. I don't ask for financial payment, just please send me a copy of the sports section it apears in. Thank you.]

Eli Kaberon
11-8-2008
608 Words

Northwestern kept up with Oho State for a quarter on Saturday afternoon. But for the game’s final 45 minutes, Buckeye stars Chris Wells and Terrelle Pryor were too much for the Wildcats to handle, leading OSU to a 45-10 win in Evanston.

Wells, the junior running back, ran for 140 yards and broke off touchdown runs of two and 55 yards, helping OSU improve to 8-2, 5-1 in the Big Ten. The second of the scores came after Wells shed multiple defenders in the backfield, using his combination of speed and strength to put the ball in the end zone and break a 7-7 tie early in the second quarter.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel gave Wells some motivation last week, the Buckeyes bye. The number 467 was brought to the runners attention, and for the past seven days, Wells researched to figure out what the number meant. Saturday morning, the coach gave him the answer.

“He gained 467 yards for us last November, and I motivated him to go do that again,” Tressel said. “He’s not on pace yet, but 140 yards is a pretty good start.”

Wells got some help Saturday from a player that wasn’t wearing scarlet and grey a year ago. Pryor, a true freshman quarterback, accounted for 220 total yards (187 passing, 33 rushing) and three throwing touchdowns. The second of the three TD passes, a six yard strike to Rory Nicol, was preceded by a fantastic play by Pryor. On a 3rd-and-eight from his own 32-yard line, the freshman was pressured by a Wildcat defender but scrambled and somehow found a way to get a pass off, connecting with Brian Hartline for a 48 yard gain. Three plays later, Nicol scored and Ohio State was ahead 31-10.

Both of Pryor’s other touchdown passes went to senior wide receiver Brian Robiskie, who finished with three catches for 58 yards and the two scores.

Trssel said that he was impressed by his quarterback and encouraged by his play on a 38-degree day with winds blowing at more than 25 miles per hour.

“Every time he goes out there, he’s going to get better,” Tressel said. “I thought Terrelle did some good things. It wasn’t the easiest day to be throwing the ball around.”

For Northwestern, who was without their usual starting quarterback CJ Bacher and starting running back Tyrell Sutton, it is back to the drawing board. The Wildcats (7-3, 3-3 in Big Ten) defeated Minnesota last week on a late interception return for a touchdown, but couldn’t put together back to back victories for the first time since Sept. 20 and 27.

NU quarterback Mike Kafka provided the majority of the Wildcat offense. Kafka, who a week ago set a conference record with 217 rushing yards, the most for a Big Ten QB, produced 270 total yards against Ohio State (117 passing, 83 rushing). He also scored the Wildcats’ only touchdown, a one-yard sneak in the first quarter. Kafka’s 270 yards accounted for 92% of the Wildcats attack, which finished with a total of 294 yards.

Ohio State, who is still in contention for a third consecutive Big Ten title, travels to Illinois next week to face the team that shocked them a year ago in Columbus, when the Illini upset the then #1 ranked Buckeyes 28-21 on Nov. 10, 2007. That is followed by a home game in their annual season-finale clash with rival Michigan.

Northwestern faces the same teams as OSU, but in opposite order. The Wildcats travel to Ann Arbor next week to take on Michigan, and then return to Ryan Field on Nov. 22 and face in-state rival Illinois.