News-Journal from Mansfield, Ohio • 43

if News Journal, Mansfield, 0. 1 Sunday, September 17, 1978 Buckeyes full to Penn State, 1 9-0 i ft' y. -t- t- i i'" 'It xv Jt 1'. I I 1 i 5 r- r' I 'Yt'j V-- 'V XS I 1 i a I i i I yr. I i J- )'''' a 1 mm If By Mike Van Sickle COLUMBUS A new era in Ohio State football dawned Saturday.

But with it came one of the most frustrating games in Buckeye history. All the pre-game rumors were true. Yes, freshman quarterback Art Schlich-ter started the game for Ohio State. Yes, senior Rod Gerald was moved from signal-caller to receiver. Yes, Coach Woody Hayes put the ball in the air.

No, it didn't matter. Penn State's defense intercepted five Schlichter passes, recovered three fumbles and controlled the football on the ground to hand the Buckeyes their first opening-game home shutout in 77 years, 19-0, as 88,202 "live" fans looked on at Ohio Stadium along with millions more via ABC-TV. The Nittany Lions (3-0) did it with a defense that kept Ohio bottled up and bewildered and set up the Lion offense for four Matt Bahr field goals. The Buckeye offense moved in spurts, but saw opportunity "choked off every time it seemed to beckon. The victory was Coach Joe Paterno's first-ever against Ohio State and surprisingly Penn State's fifth win in six game at Columbus between the national collegiate powers.

The Nittany Lions' poll rankings (No. 5 AP, No. 6 UPI) should take a turn for the better after handing the Buckeyes their third straight loss dating back to last season with Michigan and Alabama. It's been six years since that last happened. "Our offensive line told our line coach aUialftime that we could run the ball at them," said Paterno.

"We took their advice, got our momentum going and moved the football the last two quarters." Penn State grinded out the yardage, senior fullback Matt Suhey ripping off piercing runs. Suhey scored the Lions' only touchdown with 4 52 left in the third quarter on a 3-yard burst around right end. The 13-play scoring march was fueled by a questionable third-down pass from Chuck Fusina to split end Bob Bassett for 17 yards. It appeared that Penn State had movement in its offensive line before the play began, but no call was made. The long-gainer placed the football on the Buckeye 22 and set up Suhey's six-pointer, three plays later, to make it 10-0 Lions.

The game was still within Ohio's reach, even at that point. But Schlichter was sacked for a 6-yard loss on third down the next series at the OSU 26 and the Buckeyes had to punt again. The series typified their offense all day. The most important of the Ohio State miscues came early in the contest and may have been the single most crucial play of the game. After Bahr had given the Nittany Lions a 3-0 lead with his first field goal from 30 yards early in the initial period, Schlichter had a third-and-7 play at the OSU 36.

He dropped back and rifled a bomb to Gerald, who hauled in the pass at the Penn State 26. Gerald side-stepped a Lion defender and was turning upfield when the ball was stripped from his hands. Penn recovered on its own 22. That was as close as the Bucks would get until the fourth quarter and the contest was already hopeless. They threatened a score with backup quarterback Greg Castignola at the controls.

Castignola marched the club from the Ohio State 20 to the Lion 5 with just 28 seconds to play. But even that drive fizzled when his fourth-down pass went over Jimmy Moore's head in the end zone with 0:21 on the timer. "We had 19 first downs, but sure didn't do a heck of a lot," said a sullen Woody Hayes. "Their drive the second half and that motion penalty they (officials) didn't whistle were the keys." "The biggest single thing, though, was our inability to establish our running game," he said. "A lot had to do with them (Lions), some with us." Ohio had 127 net rushing yards to 193 for the Lions, Suhey picking up 96.

The leading Buckeye ball carrier was Ron Springs with 58 yards in 20 tries. In passing, Schlichter threw 26 and completed 12 for 182 yards. The 34 team attempts is the highest OSU single-game total since 1952. The Buckeys averaged only 10 aerials a game last season. "Our new quarterback will be as fine a passer as there is in college football," said Hayes.

"We're just asking a little too much of him this early in the season. When you get into a passing game this early, you sometimes have to expect these kinds of things to happen," Hayes confirmed he made up his mind about starting Schlichter, the 6-3, 190-pounder from Washington Court House, during the two week previous to the game. Gerald, who has started since his sophomore year at quarterback, was suffering with a leg injury. "He (Schlichter) was very bright and learned things very quickly," said Hayes. "We'll keep with be a great quarterback, there's no doubt." Gerald, now the team's split end, hauled in four Schlichter passes for 91 yards in his new role.

He also saw brief duty at quarterback. The Lions made the score 13-0 with 13:12 remaining in the game after linebacker Lance Mehl intercepted a Schlichter pass and returned to the OSU 35. A personal foul penalty on the Bucks then placed it at the 20, but the drive stalled and the consistent Bahr was called upon again to show his stuff. He came through from 41 yards. On its next series, Penn State moved from Ohio's 44-yard line to the 9, setting up a 25-yard Bahr chip shot and 16-0 lead at 6: 45 of the final quarter.

He closed out scoring with 2:53 left on a 30-yarder set up by yet another Schlichter mis-connection. The interceptions were not all Schlich-ter's fault, however. Poor pass blocking by the Buckeye line had him under constant pressure. Turn to Page 6-E Mike Gilsenan of Penn State (37) swings at the football as Ohio State split end Rod near the sidelines in second-half action. The Nittany Lions' defense intercepted five Gerald reaches during Saturday's game at Columbus.

The pass fell incomplete Buckeye passes and recovered three fumbles on the way to a 19-0 win (Photo by Charles Zirkle) Bald win-Wallace prevails, 30-12 ICnox captures second straight Adams award Three blocked punts prove Eagle undoing I A 4 ized his goal of becoming a touring professional was out of reach. "My dream is long lost," he sighed. "It wasn't a sudden thing, I just gradually came upon the knowledge that it wasn't going to be too easy making the pros. "I missed making match play in the Mid-Am and that was my first tournament of the summer and it took a lot out of me. I'd had a good spring and then shot that 83 at Possum Run," he said.

"It's been that way in tournaments all summer. It's been a lot of disappointment for me. But I still love the game and I'm stilll going to compete in tournaments during the summers. My main concentration now, though, is going to be getting my education and degree." Knox noted that most engineering majors "have about 20 or more job offers when they graduate. I'll be looking for one in a warmer climate so I can golf year round.

Arizona would be nice." Knox praised The News Journal, its tourney, and the scholarship. "It's a good idea awarding a grant just on grades," he said. "So many scholar MIKE KNOX Journal of Knox's selection after a careful review of all applicants. Since interest in the scholarship and the Mid-Am have skyrocketed, The News Journal can now announce that the scholarship is self-sustaining. Mid-Am entry fees now pay the entire $500 and as soon as sufficient funds exist, two scholarships to Ohio State will be given.

Fox's block turned the football over to Baldwin-Wallace 37 yards away from another score. Veteran quarterback Joe Surniak then guided the Yellow Jackets to a 16-0 lead in six plays, scoring himself from 2 yards away at 4 08. The B-W defense, led by hard-hitting tackle Paul Petrella, a 1975 graduate of Mansfield Senior, continued to stymie any Eagle attempt at mounting a drive. Ashland reached B-W territory only twice in the first half, once on its first possession when it was stopped at the Jacket 17 on a busted fourth-down play, and again in the closing seconds of the half when it reached the B-W 44. John Sanner's 3-yard run capped the Jackets' first-half scoring at 1:03.

Ashland put both of its touchdowns on the board in the final canto, one a 4-yard run by Tim Burns and the other coming from Mark Mauk's 3-yard burst. Bn'l two-point conversion attempts failed. The Eagle dri" covered 72 and 70 yards, respectively. A 44-yard touchdown rint by Andrachik was sandwiched in between AC'S tw' late tallies. Andrachik ended the night with 126 yards on 20 carries and came within four yards of outgaining the entire Eagle team.

Andrachik has rushed for 253 yards in the last two years against the Eagles. He was second in Ohio Conference rushing totals last year, leading B-W to a third-place Division III national ranking in ground gaining. Burns finished as Ashland's top rusher for the second straight week. The 180-pound senior from Wellington had 68 yards in 17 tries and now shows 133 yards in two games. The Eagles' usually-potent air game was all but grounded until the second half.

Quarterback Jim Leitch rallied for a respectable 142 yardson 13 completions, 5 going to Jo Jo McRae and 4 to favorite target Dan Hall. Aggressive Keith Dare once more led Ashland's defensive effort The 205-pound All-Amerlcan defensive end was in on 15 tackles (27 in two games). Junior middle guard Brian Garverick, another Mansfield Senior product, made a pivotal fourth-and-goal stop for Ashland early in the second quarter. The goal-line stand only temporarily halted B-W, however, as several minutes later the Jackets blocked their first punt and were off and running. By Steve Eighinger ASHLAND Baldwin-Wallace demonstrated to Saturday night's 4,351 onlookers at Community Stadium exactly why it is a prime candidate for an NCAA Division III national football title.

The Yellow Jackets, defending Ohio Conference champions, combined a rock-ribbed defense, an explosive-when-it-had-to-be offense and some exceptional specialty team performances in flattening Ashland College, 30-12. Baldwin-Wallace (1-0) constructed a 23-0 half time lead behind an awesome punt defense, blocking three straight Dave Gurney boots in the second period. All three thwartings led to Jacket scores and put the game out of reach before intermission. The win was B-W's 12th straight over the Eagles, dating back to 1924, and gives the Yellow Jackets a 13-1-1 series advantage. Seven of the Baldwin-Wallace wins have come since 1970.

It was the second straight game Ashland (1-1) has had punting woes. In last week's 42-21 triumph over Franklin, two of the three touchdowns Ashland permitted came as a result of bad snaps on punts. Against B-W, the Eagles' troubles amounted to Gurney simply not having enough time to get a kick off. "I've coached the punting game at Ashland for 20 years and until once last season we never had any breakdowns," reasoned Eagle Coach Fred Martinelli. "It all starts psychologically.

We might have some people not confident of their responsibilities. "When you have a breakdown, just one can lead to a disintegration of morale It's hard to come back, and it happened to us three times." B-W's Florenzo Johnson, Cluis Zito and Bill Fox recorded second-stanza blocks, setting up the Jacket blitzkrieg. Johnson's block came in the Eagle end zone and result ed in a safety at tht 13:05 mark. Zito's affort gave the Jackets the ball at Ashland's 25. Three plays later, workhorse fullback Roger Andrachik scored the first of his two touchdowns at 8:53 on a 2-yard run.

Tim Robinson's first extra point kick madeit9-0. By Mike Van Sickle Mike Knox, the cerebral golfer from Gahanna, is the winner of The News Journal's Arnold Adams Memorial Scholarship for 1978. The award, In its second year of existence, yearly gives $500 in grant to Ohio State University. For Knox, it is his second straight Adams scholarship. Knox, 19 and a sophomore this fall at Ohio State, carried a 3.42 accumulative grade average last year in his major of chemical engineering.

He has switched his major this fall to industrial engineering, but promises the grant will be put to good use. "Tuition is $325 a quarter, then there's book and other essentials and travel expenses," he said. "Last year's grant really came in handy and this one will, too." Knox's expenses are not as great as many students at OSU, since be commutes every day instead of living on campus. He became eligible for the award by entering this year's Mid-America Junior Open golf tourney, sponsored by The News Journal. The award itself is in memory of local golf backer and one of the founders of the Mid-Am, the late Arnold Adams, who died about two years ago.

In the Mid-Am this year, Knox shot only an 83 and failed to qualify to match play. Last year he was runner-up in Championship Flight to Art Robidoux of Brunswick. It hasn't been his greatest summer of golf for Knox, and not long ago he real Critical state INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) Jim Gilliam, coach and former star of the Los Angeles Dodgers, slipped into a coma and was listed in very critical condition Saturday following surgery for a massive brain hemorrhage, hospital officials said. Gilliam, 49, an outstanding infielder during 14 seasons as a Dodger player, was rushed to the hospital Friday afternoon after suffering stroke at his home.

ships are based on financial need and you really have to be poor to qualify. There just aren't that many based entirely on grades and I should know, I applied for five last year." The News Journal's award procedure is merely obtaining the applications from interested competitors in the Mid-Am tourney and then forwarding them to Ohio State's Aids Office. Aids Director Rod Harrison informed The News.