The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 50

Pane D8. Sunday, September 24, 1995 The Beacon Journal tate mi ffs mm, 4: lent its big opportunity nut A field, and Baumann kicked the point, to cap a four-play, 69-yard dnve that consumed 1:13 W. Va. 45-6. Attendance: 46,624.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing-KSU. Whattey 19-52, J. Miller 2-9, Walker 3-6. C. Morgan 1-2, Gates 6-I-10), O'Brien 12 45).

WVa. Keaton 9-77, Gary 14-72, White 11-60, Barber 8-36, Mott 7-30, Johnston 4-10, Boykin 1-2. Pauing-KSU O'Brien 8-16-1-64. WVa. Johnston 12-20-1 184, Boykin 2-5-0-79.

ReceMng-KSU. Walker 4-30, Whattey 2-8, Santiago 1-18, Hansen 1-8. WVa. Vanterpool 6-96, Saunders 3-67, Pumell 3-54, Mmneyfield 1-32, Lutz 1-14, Team statistics Nice, who was collared by Corrigall after the fumble, was asked afterward if he agreed that the bobble was the game's turning point. "I don't believe turning points occur until the final few minutes of play," Nice said.

"I wish what happened hadn't happened, but I believed we still had a long way to go in the game and that we'd get other chances to win." In explaining how the miscue happened, Nice said, "I thought I could run the ball, but I took my eyes off it to check out the defenders, and it got away from me." In fairness to Nice, Corrigall admitted there were other shortcomings in yesterday's game: Kent's ground game was ineffective (80 yards on 43 carries). The secondary was kept off-balance by Chad Johnston's 14-of-25 passing for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Kent missed a chip-shot field goal. The Mountaineers registered five sacks and an interception. Furthermore, tackle Brian Par-oda was lost to Kent's offensive line, which probably had a bearing on the Flashes' getting just 78 total yards of offense while the Mountaineers rolled up 550.

Each team tried and missed field goals on initial attempts at putting points on the scoreboard. West Virginia's Bryan Baumann missed a 45-yarder with 3:25 to play in the first quarter, and Kent's Joe Romano was wide right from the Mountaineers' 20 less than two minutes into the second quarter. "I was very disappointed when we missed that field goal," Corrigall said. "Who knows what difference that field goal might have made in the way we played?" "We were in the game for the most part until the end of the first Fumbled kickoff is last chance at momentum. West Virginia rolls 45-6 BYJOHNSEABURN Beacon Journal staff writer Morgantown, W.Va.: Coaches always have emphasized the importance of opening and matotaining lines of communication with their players.

Do so, coaches say, and good things tend to happen. Otherwise, bad things can occur and sometimes keep on occur-ing. Take Joe Nice's fumbled kickoff return that West Virginia converted into a touchdown en route to a 45-6 victory yesterday before 46,624 fans at Mountaineer Field. "We told Joe Nice to fair-catch the ball," Kent coach Jim Corrigall said, "but he didn't listen. He went out and played his own game.

"I thought the fumbled kickoff was the turning point in the game. West Virginia is a good team and you have to play error-free football against a team like that," Corrigall continued. "We came in with the proper intensity and desire, but that fumble really hurt us." Kent (1-2-1), which entered the game a 32-point underdog, played West Virginia (2-2) on relatively even terms until the four-minute mark of the first half. West Virginia had scored the game's first touchdown on a 16-yard pass from Chad Johnston to Lovett Pumell with 3:41 until intermission, but it was after the Mountaineers' quick score after the fumble on the ensuing kickoff that things began to unravel. "I was disappointed that we didn't maintain our composure," Corrigall said.

"You cannot go onto the field and try to make things happen on your own." KSU WVA 10 28 4 18 4 10 2 0 78 550 59 79 1.3 7.0 14 287 43 54 64 263 16-8 25-14 1 1 10-37 0 0 1-16 4-98 6-71 1-29 1-0 11 1-5 10-83 3-1 21 25:38 34:22 Associated Press I don't think it mattered who we were or what we were trying to do." Over in the Mountaineer locker room, Coach Don Nehlen was both pleased and relieved. His team started the season ranked 23rd, but two losses in their first three games had cut into their confidence. "We needed this victory to regain our momentum," he said. 0 0 OHIO STATE 54, PITTSBURGH 14 Otio State 14 6 20 14-64 Pittsburgh 7 0 0-14 FIRST QUARTER OHIO STATE Bobby Hoying threw a 75-yard scoring pass to Terry Glenn with 9:18 left. Josh Jackson kicked the point after 7-0 OSU.

PITTSBURGH John Ryan capped a 9-play, 65-yard drive with a 24-yard TD pass to Dietnch Jells with 5:14 left. Chris Ferencik kicked the point after. 7-7. OHIO STATE Hoying hit Glenn on a 12-yard scoring pass to end a 7-play. 65-yard drive with 2:42 left.

Jackson kicked the point 14-7 OSU. SECOND QUARTER PITTSBURGH Chris Patton scored on a 3-yard run with 14:13 remaining as the Panthers march 79 yards in 9 plays. Ferencik kicked the extra point 14-14. OHIO STATE Jackson booted a 24-yard field goal with 5:24 left 17-14 OSU. OHIO STATE With 20 seconds remaining, Jackson makes a 39-yard field goal to finish an 8-play, 46-yard march 20-14 OSU THIRD QUARTER OHIO STATE Hoying connected with Glenn on a 36-yard pass play with 12:59 left.

Eddie George rushed five times for 30 yards on the drive. Hoying passed to Glenn for the 2-pomt 28-14 OSU OHIO STATE Hoying threw to Nicky Sualua for a 2-yard touchdown with 10:17 left. Jackson kicked the point after 35-14 OSU OHIO STATE Hoying completed a 61-yard sconng pass with 4:39 left to Glenn to cap a 6-play, 89 yard dnve that took 2:48. Jackson missed the extra-point attempt 41-14 OSU FOURTH QUARTER OHIO STATE Stanley Jackson hit Dimrtrious Stanley on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 6:09 left to end a 14-play, 78 yard dnve that lasted 7:18. Jackson missed the extra -point attempt.

47-14 OSU OHIO STATE Tom Hoying threw a 7-yard sconng pass to Alonro Shavers with 3:05 to play. Jackson converted the point 54-14 OSU OSU 30 49-215 421 53 23-33-2 2-41 2-0 8-80 15 29-67 197 4 15-25-4 6-33 4-1 3-29 25:48 First downs Rushes-yards Passing Return Yards Comp-Att-Int Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Time of Possession 34:12 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RusNng-OSU. George 24-122, Sualua 3-34, Je.Jackson 10-29, Glenn 1-17. Hams 17-56, Patton 5-3. Pwsing-OSU.

B.Hoying 15-24-2 296, SJackson 7-8-0 118, T.Hoying 1-1-0 7. Pitt. Ryan 14-23-3 182, Goraalez 1-2-1 15. Reiwig-OSU. Glenn 9-253, Stanley 2-42, Pearson 2-41, Je.Jackson 2-23.

Jells 7-91, Butter 3-47, Durham 3-23. WEST VIRGINIA 45, KENT STATE 6 Kent State WestVTfgWa 0 0 0 6-6 0 14 17 14-45 SECOND QUARTER W. VA. Tight end Lovett Pumell caught a 16-yard pass from quarterback Chad Johnston and Bryan Bau-mann kicked the extra pant to cap a five-play, 26-yard dnve that consumed 2:24 W. Va.

7-0. W. VA. Rashaun Vanterpool caught an 8-yard pass from Johnston, and Baumann added the point, to cap a four-play, 27-yard dnve that required two minutes. The Mountaineers got possession when Kent's Joe Nice fumble the kickoff W.

Va. 14-0. THIRD QUARTER W. VA. Baumann booted a 26-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 71-yard dnve that required 4:57.

W. Va. 17-0. W. VA.

Kantray Barber went up the middle, and Baumann booted the PAT, after a 64-yard punt return by Vanterpool put the Mountaineers at Kent's 3. W. Va. 24-0. W.

VA. Jimmie Gary went off left tackle for 25 yards, and Baumann kicked the point, to cap a four-play, 60-yard dnve that consumed 1:11.. W. Va. 31-0.

FOURTH QUARTER W. VA Backup QB Eric Boykin connected with Vanterpool on a 47-yard pass, and Baumann added the point, to cap a six-yard, 91-yard dnve that took 2:09 W.Va. 38-0. KENT Kantroy Walker ran 2 yards, but Joe Romano's kick failed W.Va. 38-6.

W. VA. Boykin passed 32 yards to Tony Minney- No. 19 Kansas State pounds Akron 67-0 West Virginia tailback Jimmy Gary (21) gets away from Kent defender Gerald Washington during first half action yesterday at Mountaineer Field In Morgantown, W.Va. half," said Kent tailback Astron Whatley, who was limited to 52 yards on 19 carries.

"We simply didn't get it done in the second half." Kent got its only points when wide receiver Kantroy Walker moved to quarterback with 6:10 left in the fourth quarter and ran 2 yards. Romano's extra-point try struck the left upright and fell back onto the playing field. Kent quarterback Marc O'Brien was sacked five times, four of them in the final series of the first half. Linebacker Canute Curtis, shooting the gap, executed three of them. Tackle Henry Slay, who caught O'Brien early in the second quarter for Kent's first sack, also hauled the quarterback down on the final play of the first half.

"I am neither disappointed nor happy with my play," said O'Brien, who filled in for Todd Goebbel, who suffered a left forearm injury against Ohio University. "They are a good team, and once they got their momentum Kansas State's Triad Swazer (45) puts cepted twice and was given a seat on the bench. He was replaced by Mike Junko, who found the offensive going just as dangerous as Magrell. The closest the Zips came to scoring was midway through the fourth quarter when Junko hit wide-open tailback Tommy Dunn with a 22-yard pass in the end zone. But Dunn dropped the ball.

Two plays later, KSU picked off its fourth interception of the game to end Akron's only legitimate scoring threat. Junko said the Zips wanted those points even if it was only six. "You could see it in the guys' eyes," said Junko. "That's what we said at halftime. We wanted to score in the second half.

And I give Coach a lot of credit. "He wanted to score bad, too. And he allowed us to go out there and try and punch it in. A lot of against Florida State in 1981. His yards per catch average of 28.1 broke Doug Donley's mark of 27.6 against Washington State in 1979.

And his four TD receptions ties the record set by Bob Grimes in 1952, also against Washington State. Glenn's was not the only standout performance of the day. Hoying was excellent in helping his receiver carve his way into the record books. The senior quarterback completed 15-of-24 passes for 296 yards and five touchdowns. The five scoring passes tie the school mark set by John Borton, who set his record with the help of Grimes in the '52 Washington State game.

Eddie George, who entered the game with 311 yards rushing, ran for a rugged 122 yards on 24 carries. It was a workmanlike effort by the senior haliback. He broke probably a dozen tackles on a day that saw him run for no more than 11 yards on a single play. "I had a solid performance," George said. "I was expecting that kind of day where I was struggling to get every yard." The Buckeyes struggled to break free from the Panthers early on.

It was a close game until Ohio State broke it open with a 21-0 blitzkrieg in the third quarter. wl Total first down By rushing By passing By penalty Total net yards Total offensive plays Average gam per play Net yards rushing Total rushing plays Net yards passing Attempts-Completed Times Intercepted Punts Number, average Blocked Numberpunt yards returned Numberkickoff yards returned Numberinterception yds return Penalties yards Fumbles lost Time of possession KANSAS STATE 67, AKRON 0 Akron 0 0 0 0-0 Kansas St. 28 10 20 9-67 FIRST QUARTER KANSAS STATE WR Mitch Running scored on a 2-yard pass from QB Matt Miller with 10:17 left. Martin Gramatica kicked the KSU 7-0. KANSAS STATE Tailback Enc Hickson scored on a 2-yard run with 9:13 left, two plays after the Wildcats intercepted an Akron pass at the Zips' 19-yard line.

Gramatica kicked the point-after 14-0. KANSAS STATE Nine plays after another interception, Miller and Running combined on a 4-yard sconng pass. Gramatica kicked the PAT KSU 21-0. KANSAS STATE Three plays after a fumble recovery at the Akron 23, WR Kevin Lockett scored on a 26-. yard pass from Miller.

Gramatica had KSU 28-0. SECOND QUARTER KANSAS STATE TB Mike Lawrence scored on a 2-yard run. Gramatica kicked PAT KSU 35-0. KANSAS STATE Gramatica kicked a 26-vard field goal with 1:38 left. KSU 38-0.

THIRD QUARTER KANSAS STATE TB Hickson set up his 1-yard sconng run with a 50-yard scamper off nght tackle. Backup PK Scott Collins kicked the PAT KSU 45-0. KANSAS STATE Wide receiver Lockett scored on a 39-yard pass from backup quarterback Bnan Kavanagh with 8:33 left. The PAT failed KSU 51-0. KANSAS STATE Comeback Chns Canty intercepted his third pass of the game and returned it for a 13-yard score.

Collins kicked the 58-0. FOURTH QUARTER KANSAS STATE QB Kavanagh scored on a 1-yard plunge. Gramatica kicked the KSU 65-0. KANSAS STATE Joe Gordon tackled Akron punter Uovd Kesster for a safety KSU 67-0. ATTENDANCE Mid-American 0 3 Pet .750 .750 1.000 .500 .500 .750 .333 .333 .250 .000 Ball SI East.

Mich. Toledo Cent. Mich. Bowl. Green Miami, Oh.

OhioU. Kent St West Mich. Akron YESTERDAY'S RESULTS C. Michigan 22, Bowling Green 16 Ball St. 10, W.

Michigan 0 E. Michigan 31, Ohio U. 20 Non-conference Kansas State 67, Akron 0 Miami, Ohio 23, Cincinnati 16 W. Virgina 45, Kent 6 Toledo 49, Nevada 35 NEXT WEEKS GAMES Central Michigan at Akron Western Mehigan at Kent Toledo at Cincinnati Bowling Green at Temple Ohio U. at North Carolina Defensive end Mike Vrabel, who had four solo tackles yesterday, said he has been looking forward to playing Notre Dame even though he has tried to keep the game out of his mind.

"I have to an extent (been Uiinking about it)," said Vrabel, a junior from Walsh Jesuit High School. "It's just another step but it's a bigger step than we've had before. So it's going to be fun. We're looking forward to it." In other Ohio State news: HEISMAN WATCH Eddie George, who became the object of much Heisman Trophy speculation after rushing for 311 yards in the Buckeyes' first two games, may not be alone anymore. Flanker Terry Glenn, who set school records with 253 yards and four TDs yesterday, must now be thrown into the hunt, as should quarterback Bobby Hoying.

After completing 15-of-24 passes for 296 yards and five TDs, Hoying is now 50-for-76 (.723) for 757 yards and eight touchdowns. Glenn has caught 19 passes for 449 yards and five TDs. George has rushed for 433 yards and four touchdowns on 77 cames. LOCALS A number of area players in addition to Vrabel had strong performances yesterday. Freshmen cor-nerback Antoine Winfield from Garfield High saw plenty of action and had three solo tackles, including one devastating hit that forced a fumble.

Defensive back Che Bryant, a redshirt freshmen from Canton McKinley, also forced a fumble and was in on two tackles. For Pitt, freshmen halfback Demetrius Hams was impressive in rushing for a team-high 56 yards in 17 carries. The Brunswick High product gave Buckeye defenders fits with his quickness and came close to breaking two runs for touchdowns. John McCray, a senior linebacker from Buch-tel, had a team-high nine tackles, including four solo stops. NOTEBOOK This was Kent's most lop-sided defeat in three losses to the Mountaineers, and the Flashes' second 39-point losing margin (Miami won 39-0) this season.

West Virginia's Steve Lippe (Lake) had two tackles from his linebacking position after being brought in late in the game. West Virginia tight end Shawn Lutz (Jackson) caught a 14-yard pass in the third quarter. Coaches Jim Corrigall and Don Nehlen were inducted into the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame together in 1994. Associated Press pressure on Akron's Brian Magrell. guys would have tried to put three on the board (attempt a field goal on fourth down).

But he said, 'No, get out there and put a touchdown on the On the bright side for the Zips (0-3), inside linebacker Nate Boyd already had 11 tackles with 2:33 left in the first half. Given the score and all the missed tackles to that point, Boyd must have had three-fourths of Akron's official tackles in the first half. KSU's Miller completed 12-of-15 passes for 141 yards and three touchdowns. NOTEBOOK, -r Already knowing they probably would be facing the best passing attack they'll see this season in Kansas State, the Zips were forced to leave home two starters in the secondary because of injuries freshman strong safety George Germany (knee) and sophomore comer-back Jaiye Murdoch (neck). Junior John Harprtng started for Germany and junior Bryan Coles for Murdock.

Pitt, which fell to 2-2, bounced back from Hoying's 75-yard scoring toss to Glenn with a nine-play, 65-yard drive that ended with quarterback John Ryan hitting Dietrich Jells on a 24-yard touchdown pass at the 5:14 mark. After Glenn's 12-yard scoring grab, Pitt rebounded with another nine-play drive that covered 79 yards and tied the score at 14 when halfback Chris Patton ran it in from the Buckeyes' 3-yard line. Ohio State managed 24- and 39 yard field goals by Josh Jackson before halftime to go into the locker room with a 20-14 lead. The Buckeyes took control on their first drive of the second half. After George ran the ball five straight times for 30 yards to put Ohio State at Pitt's 36, Hoying hit Glenn on a post pattern in the end zone.

The duo hooked up moments later on the two-point conversion to make it 28-14. "I felt it was very important for us to take the second-half kickoff and march down and score," Cooper said. "I think we let them live too long in the first half." After hitting fullback Nicky Sualua on a 2-yard scoring pass five minutes into the third, Hoying connected with Glenn one last time on a 61-yard bomb that mad? it 41-14. Buckeyes now are ready to start talking up game with Fighting Irish year coach Lee Owens almost was in a state of shock, "We feel humiliated," he said. "We feel embarrassed about where we are at this point as a football team and a program.

We've just got to reaffirm our commitment to make sure this doesn't continue to happen, and find ways to turn this program in the right direction." In three games this season, the Zips have been outscored 166-41. Another way of putting it is the Akron defense is surrendering 55.3 points a game. Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, whose 39th victory last night at KSU marked the most in school history, spoke to Owens and the Zips after the game. "He (Snyder) said he had this same kind of experience against Nebraska six years ago," Owens said. "And he said the direction of our program is the direction he took his program, and there are no shortcuts.

I appreciated his comments. "He apologized for the score. And I honestly told him there was no reason for him to apologize. I don't believe in that. If anything, it was an indictment of our program, not his team.

The objective on offense is to score. And the objective of his team is to win football games." By the end of the first quarter, Akron's starting quarterback Brian Magrell already had been inter- ing Pitt's defensive backfield look like a group of overmatched walk-ons. With blazing speed and a seemingly endless supply of moves, Glenn got wide open all day. When the Panther backs did manage to stay with him, he shook them after catching the ball. Case in point was his first touchdown, a 75-yarder from quarterback Bobby Hoying six minutes into the game.

Glenn caught a bomb from Hoy-, ing 35 yards downfield at Pitt's 40. After pulling in the ball, Glenn stopped and ducked, making defenders Jim Williams and Daryl Cash collide and collapse. Then he sprinted untouched into the end zone to give the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead. As it turns out, the duck and dodge wasn't Glenn's only smart move on that play. "I was supposed to go down the sideline, but I saw that there was no safety, so I came inside and waved to Bobby," said Glenn, who made a diving 12-yard reception to put the Buckeyes up 14-7 seven minutes later.

"Then I just split the cornerbacks." Glenn, who has 19 catches for 449 yards and five TDs this season, broke two Ohio State records and tied a third. His 253 yards surpassed Gary Williams' mark of 220 By Roland Queen Beacon Journal staff writer Manhattan, Perhaps the University of Akron Zips should have toured the U.S. Cavalry Museum at nearby Fort Riley before, yesterday's massacre at Kansas State. Gen. George Armstrong Custer's house is part of the museum.

And a quick history lesson on what happened to Custer and his troops at the Little Big Horn might have prepared the Zips for what they would face at KSU Stadium. Custer was overrun by Chief Sitting Bull and his Sioux warriors. The Zips were wiped out 67-0 by quarterback Matt Miller, tailback Eric Hickson and the rest of the 19th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats (3-0). It was the second-worst defeat in school history. The worst was a 75-6 mauling in 1914 by Michigan State.

The Wildcats scored touchdowns on each of their first five possessions in the game three coming after Akron turnovers and led 35-0 with 14 minutes and 22 seconds left in the second quarter. They finally failed to score on their next sixth possession only because place-kicker Martin Grama-tica's 54-yard field-goal attempt hit the right upright of the goal post and bounced harmlessly to the turf. When it was over, Akron's first- OSU Glenn makes fans take notice in win over Pitt Continued from Page Dl have forgotten about Galloway, the flamboyant split end who caught 91 passes for Ohio State in 1993 and 1994, but they aren't going sleepless because he's now in Seattle. Glenn, a backup to Galloway and Chris Sanders last season, turned in the most fascinating performance in a day full of outstanding football by Ohio State yesterday at Pitt Stadium. The 5-foot-ll junior caught nine passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns as the Buckeyes routed the Pitt Panthers 54-14.

"I've been telling you all year long that if he plays in games like he performs in practice he'll make you forget about Galloway," Cooper said after his No. 8 Buckeyes out-scored Pitt 34-0 in the second half to improve to 3-0. "And I think you saw today what I've been talking about." What folks saw was Glenn mak By Chris Broussard Beacon Journal staff writer Pittsburgh: Having taken care of Boston College, Washington and Pitt, Ohio State can now turn its attention to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The Irish, which have run off three straight victories since losing to Northwestern in the first game of the season, will march into Ohio Stadium on Saturday to play the Buckeyes for the first time since 1936. The historic matchup should be every bit as good as expected.

The Buckeyes, coming off of yesterday's 54-14 thrashing of Pitt, look like perhaps the best team Coach John Cooper has had at Ohio State. The offense is clicking on all cylinders and the defense is giving up less than 14 points a game. And Notre Dame seems to be improving every week. Yesterday, the 21st ranked Irish whipped 13th-ranked Texas 55-27 in South Bend, Ind. Evidently, they have put the shocking upset to Northwestern behind them, and so should anyone interested in the Buckeyes' welfare.

"They're on track right now," Cooper said. "They had a great victory over Texas, which I thought would happen. The message is loud and clear that that place will be rocking over in Columbus next week.".