Buckeyes dodge huge bullet against Navy

Terrelle Pryor/jimtressel.com

Ask Jim Tressel this week on how he felt about the Ohio State matchup with Navy and you would have seen a coach that seemed nervous about how the Buckeyes would defend Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs.

Dobbs proved to be dangerous as he took Navy to the brink of the biggest upset of week one of the college football season. Buckeye fans have to be reeling as visions of the last year Ohio U. game danced in their minds. Ohio State narrowly escaped Saturday with a 31-27 win over the Midshipmen.

The game has to have everyone scratching their heads on how this performance will project against the fourth ranked USC Trojans who will invade the Horseshoe next Saturday night for nationally televised game at 8pm.

Both offenses started quickly as the Buckeyes started the scoring on its first drive on a Pryor to Sanzenbacher 38-yard touchdown pass to give OSU the lead 7-0. Navy countered with an 80-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 16-yard yard touchdown run by Dobbs to tie the game at 7-7.

It seemed like Ohio State only needed the one defensive possession to get its defensive bearings straight as Ohio State limited Navy to just 37 yards on 13 plays for the remainder of the first half.

A second quarter turnover on a fumble by Dobbs forced by Buckeye defensive end Thaddeus Gibson led to an Ohio State 44-yard seven play drive that ended in a Terrelle Pryor 2-yard touchdown run.

Pryor’s ability to escape from the Navy defensive pressure turned out to be the difference in Ohio State stretching a 10-7 first quarter lead to a 20-7 lead at half time.

After it looked as though Ohio State had the Navy offense figured out in the first half, Dobbs led a Navy touchdown drive that covered 99-yards on 15 plays. The drive culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Dobbs to Marcus Curry. Curry, lined up in the slot, was covered by safety Anderson Russell and ran a fade to the corner of the end zone where Dobbs delivered a perfect strike to narrow the spread to 20-14.

Aaron Pettrey would add a 52-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes a 23-14 lead. Dan Herron would later run for his first score of 2009 on a 6-yard touch run that capped a 30-yard drive that was created when safety Kurt Coleman stripped Mario Washington of the football and Doug Worthington recovered on the Navy 30-yard line. The Buckeyes seemed to gain a commanding 29-14 lead.

The next possession would see the Buckeyes advance to the Navy 15-yard line ready to put the game away midway through the fourth quarter. Herron was denied on a third down run and the ultra conservative Tressel chose to go for it on fourth down instead of kicking a 32-yard field goal that would have put Ohio State ahead by three scores. Navy would deny a fourth down run by Herron over the left side which changed the momentum of the game.

On Navy’s first play, Dobbs would find Curry again, this time for an 85-yard touchdown play that closed the gap to 29-21. Curry beat Anderson Russell for the second time in one-on-one coverage in the slot.

The ensuing Buckeye possession ended in a turnover when Terrelle Pryor was intercepted by Emmett Merchant when he threw high to receiver Dane Sanzenbacher. Sanzenbacher looked open at the Navy 39 yard line for a potential first down. Merchant would return the interception 28-yards to the Ohio State 33 yard line.

Navy took three plays to get the ball in the end zone as Ricky Dobbs on a third and one ran a quarterback draw for 24-yards to pull the Midshipmen within two points 29-27.

Perhaps Brian Rolle saved the Ohio State season when he intercepted a two point conversion attempt and returned it 98-yards for a two point score for the Buckeye defense giving them the lead 31-27.

Navy’s onside kick attempt failed and the Buckeyes were able to convert a first down on a Dan Herron 18-yard gain. The Buckeyes then ran out the clock to preserve a slim victory.