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Ohio State football offense needs to scrap conservative game plan against Miami, Bill Livingston writes

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Ohio State must be less conservative in play-calling, no matter if Joe Bauserman or Braxton Miller is at quarterback, to beat Miami, Bill Livingston writes.

luke.jpgOhio State coach Luke Fickell needs to call a halt to conservative play-calling, no matter who is playing quarterback, for the Buckeyes to have a chance to beat Miami on Saturday.

Miami -- During his 13 unloved, but successful seasons at Ohio State, John Cooper had one saying he repeated so often, you knew what he would probably do when the chips were down.

"You want to gamble, but you want to gamble with my chips," he would say to the media. Then he would tighten up like like a screw under a power tool in the big games.

There have been rare exceptions, such as Bobby Hoying to Biletnikoff Award winner Terry Glenn in 1995 and Joe Germaine to David Boston in 1998, both under Cooper; as well as Troy Smith to a stable of spread formation receivers in his Heisman Trophy year in 2006, under Jim Tressel. But Ohio State's game plans have often been as close to the vest as Tressel's sideline attire.

Tressel had a holy trinity of guiding principles for quarterback play: Avoid turnovers, make big plays and make good decisions. In Tressel's book of football virtues, the greatest of these was avoiding turnovers. Tressel is gone now, a victim of the memorabilia sale cover-up. The player who took the snaps and basically called the signals for the scandal, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, is in the NFL.

In Pryor's place is his understudy for the past three years, 25-year-old fifth-year senior and former minor-league pitcher Joe Bauserman, No. 14 in your program, somewhat lower than that in Buckeye fans' hearts.

There was always an inherent tension between avoiding turnovers and making big plays. Tressel was a former Baldwin-Wallace quarterback who tutored quarterbacks and receivers as an Ohio State assistant coach under Earle Bruce three decades ago, then helped groom Buckeye quarterbacks again as the head coach. He knew he had to take calculated risks. "A quarterback is a play-maker. You have to take some risks," he would say.

Bauserman has obviously gotten the first and third parts of the Tressel mantra down. The big play part, not so much.

He has thrown for four touchdowns and no interceptions and no sacks, which is impressive with a group of receivers that is young and mostly untested. If no one is clearly open, he has thrown the ball away like a spendthrift does cash.

Said new coach Luke Fickell, after a frantic victory over MAC contender Toledo: "He [Bauserman] didn't take some chances in some situations where . . . as you look back and think, oh, he really could have taken a chance and try to snake it in there. . . . Sometimes we think throwing the ball up there in the sixth row [of the] stands is not always a bad decision."

It is caretaker football, game manager stuff.

It worked when Tressel had power runners such as Maurice Clarett, Antonio Pittman and Beanie Wells operating behind strong lines. The Buckeyes, in the throes of the Season of Suspensions, don't have that now. It worked when Tressel had Mike Nugent, Josh Huston or Devin Barclay to trot in and salvage points with field goals. Drew Basil has missed four straight field goals, dating to last season. The Buckeyes don't have that now.

There are two options out of this quagmire Saturday night against the Miami Hurricanes.

The less likely one is to remember not only to use heralded true freshman Braxton Miller, but also to summon more risk tolerance with him from the defense-oriented Fickell and his safety-first offensive coordinator Jim Bollman.

Maybe Miller will repeat the threadneedle 15-yard touchdown pass he completed to Devin Smith in the back of the end zone against Akron. Maybe he will pose a dual threat with his legs, like Pryor. Or maybe he will throw a couple of zeppelins, which, even if he gets away with them (like Pryor at the start of the second half in the Sugar Bowl), will have coaches rushing Bauserman back into the lineup. No one knows until Miller gets a real chance.

As for Bauserman, living to play another down is not the most inspirational of slogans. It only works against a team like Miami if some of the other downs turn into big plays. Only seven of Ohio State's 27 first-down plays against Toledo were passes, as Bollman seldom tried to keep Toledo off balance. It was as narrow and predictable as Woody Hayes' 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

You cannot ask a caretaker quarterback to make big plays with his arm when down-and-distance signal his intentions. It is a bad gamble with the Buckeyes' chips.


Will Jim Thome retire or not? Cleveland Indians daily briefing

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The author of 602 career homers says he'll talk to his wife during the offseason to see if he should retire or not.

Jim Thome Jim Thome is still driven by the thought of winning a World Series.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Jim Thome has hit only one homer since he returned to the Indians in a Aug. 25th deal with the Twins.

"But he's hit a ton of home runs in our clubhouse and dugout," said manager Manny Acta. "And he hit a huge one the field to help us win a ballgame. Other than that he's been a great influence to our young kids and coaching staff.

"He's been very supportive to all these guys."

Thome, 41, talked to a group of Minneapolis reporters before Friday's game. It was his first game at Target Field since the deal. He was asked if he would continue to play next year.

"I haven't thought about it," said Thome. "I'm very blessed that I've been able to play as much as I have this year. Let's face it, teams have to call. You've got to get into the winter and see where you stand with that.

"Once I get home and sit down with my wife, similar to last year, we'll see where I'm at."

Thome, a free agent this winter, reached 600 homers this year with the Twins. He's hit 602 in his career and is the Indians all-time leader with 335 and 1002 walks.

"My time in Minnesota was great," said Thome. "All the years in Cleveland have been wonderful. As well as my time in Chicago and Philadelphia."

Thome still sounds like a man who would like to win a World Series before he retires. He reached it twice with the Indians in 1995 and 1997, but lost to Atlanta and Florida. He has not been back.

When the Indians acquired Thome they were still in the AL Central race. That's what prompted him to waive his no-trade clause with the Twins.

"That's what makes going back to Cleveland so unique," he said. "The opportunities we had the 1990s, going to two World Series. The thing is you never know if you're going to go back.

"It would be a dream to win a World Series.  Maybe that's what has driven me to keep coming back year after year."

Tonight's lineups:

Indians (72-75): RF Kosuke Fukudome (L), 2B Jason Kipnis (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), DH Jim Thome, 1B Carlos Santana (S), CF Grady Sizemore (L), LF Shelley Duncan (R), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (L), C Lou Marson (R), RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (9-11, 4.61, 3-2, 4.98).

Twins (59-89): CF Ben Revere (L), SS Trevor Plouffe (R), DH Jason Kubel (L), RF Michael Cuddyer (R), 1B Chris Parmelee (L), 3B Luke Hughes (R), 2B Brian Dinkelman (L), LF Joe Benson (R), C Drew Butera (R), RHP Kevin Slowey (0-5, 6.07).

Lineup note: Carl Pavano is starting Sunday for the Twins. Scott Diamond was originally scheduled to start.

Him vs. me: Butera is 1-for-2 against Jimenez. Cabrera is 7-for-24 against Slowey.

Lefty-righty: Lefties are hitting .353 (24-for-68) with three homers and righties .287 (31-for-108) with five homers against Slowey. The Indians have seven lefties, including two switch-hitters, in the lineup.

Lefties are hitting .234 (75-for-320)n with nine homers and righties .269 (91-for-338) with eight homers against Jimenez. The Twins have five righties in the lineup.

Quote of the day: "Going back down to the minors is the toughest thing to handle in baseball," Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry, former Cy Young winner for the Indians.

Next: Jeanmar Gomez will face the Twins Anthony Swarzak on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. STO/WTAM will carry the game.

Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden preps for another big game against the Colts

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Browns cornerback Joe Haden picked up where he left off last year with an incredible five pass breakups against the Bengals.

hadenjoe.jpgJoe Haden swatted away five Cincinnati passes in the opening loss to the Bengals.

Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron and defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson have a combined 49 years of experience playing and coaching in the NFL -- and neither has ever seen a player swat down five passes in a game the way Joe Haden did last week against the Bengals.

"That's a huge number," said Jauron, who played safety for nine seasons and has coached for 27. "I'm not sure I've ever been around that number."

Said Henderson, who played defensive back for eight seasons and has coached for five: "It was a monster day for him. I can't think of another game where a guy played like that."

Haden, who led the Browns with six interceptions last season, was honored to hear it.

"Coming from them, it means a lot," he said. "I'm just trying to make them happy."

Not only that, but Haden came up with his swats on crucial third downs, which made them all the more meaningful for Henderson.

"They went after him five times on third down, and five times, we were off the field," Henderson said. "I certainly don't ever remember seeing that before."

The one Henderson cherished the most was a "recognition play" in the second half, in which Haden remembered something from earlier in the game to knock the ball away from receiver Jerome Simpson.

"It was a new play, and they ran it on the other side of the field," Henderson said. "Joe came off the field and said, 'Coach, they ran that play again, and I got it.' He knew they flipped it."

The task for Haden will be to duplicate his performance Sunday in Indianapolis, where he'll cover five-time Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne, who's had 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past seven seasons. Last week, Wayne caught seven passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.

"Oh, man, he's a big challenge," Henderson said. "Reggie is really good, really savvy and really intelligent. He knows how to run routes and set things up."

Said Haden, "You'll never really know how good you are unless you test yourself against the best, and Reggie is definitely one of the best."

And, in Henderson's opinion, Haden is headed that way, too.

"Joe never ceases to amaze me," Henderson said. "He's a heck of a player, and he just continually gets better and better. It's exciting to watch. I think Joe can be really, really good if he continues to study like he is now, continues to take care of his body and continues to push himself. Because of his great ability, if he does all of those things, he can be one of the top corners in the NFL."

Haden always credits Henderson with pushing him to become the best he can be.

"When the lockout ended, I came back in shape, and Jerome saw that and was like, 'Joe, I want you to study more film this year, become a student of the game,' " Haden said. "He said, 'There's no reason you can't be one of the top corners in the league. That's what I want for you, and that's what you should want for yourself.' "

Haden took Henderson's words to heart and began to study like crazy.

"After I talked to him, I was like, 'You know what? There's no reason why I shouldn't be,' " Haden said. "So I've just been working extra hard, and it's all paying off."

In between buying sushi for his fans and signing autographs at local sporting events, Haden can be found poring over his iPad, with the next week's coaching films downloaded onto it.

"It's real easy to study it anywhere you are, even in bed," Haden said. "I studied so much film of the Bengals that I knew what they were going to do before they did it."

The key, Henderson said, is to slow the game down.

"If you can do that, you have a chance to make plays," Henderson said. "So I think some it was his film study, some of it was him seeing things and some of it's just his great ability."

Some of it's also his attitude, Henderson said.

"Joe is a great kid, has great energy," Henderson said. "His youthful enthusiasm is contagious. If something goes bad on the field, Joe knows how to move on and put it behind him. He had a great week of practice, and I expect him to go out and have another great game."

Haden has accepted Henderson's challenge.

"He's asked me to go out and dominate, and that's what I'm trying to do," he said.

Indians open series with Twins tonight: Live Twitter updates

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Ubaldo Jimenez faces Kevin Slowey in Minnesota.

jimenez-pitch-wsox-2011-ap.jpgView full sizeUbaldo Jimenez is 3-2 with a 4.98 ERA as a member of the Indians.
The Indians open a series in Minnesota tonight.

Ubaldo Jimenez takes to the mound for the Indians. The Twins counter with Kevin Slowey. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m.

Get updates on Twitter from @hoynsie in the box below.

MLB scoreboard.

Ohio State's Carlos Hyde is one running back the Buckeyes can count on

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OSU's Carlos Hyde looks to improve on a good start.

hyde.jpgOhio State's Carlos Hyde breaks into the open against Toledo. He says being patient can lead to more big plays like this.

Miami, Fla. -- Maybe Carlos Hyde is best explained by what he is not.

For instance, the sophomore may not be Ohio State's starting running back today, though he has held that position through the first two games of the Buckeyes' season. OSU head coach Luke Fickell (Hyde) and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman (Jordan Hall) offered conflicting viewpoints on the potential starter for tonight's game against the Miami Hurricanes. But Hyde should play.

Hyde has not been suspended this season. That separates him from No. 1 back Dan Herron, preparing to serve the third game of a five-game penalty tonight, and Hall, returning after taking a two-game break mandated by the NCAA.

Hyde has not been injured. That separates him from Jaamal Berry, another running back in the OSU recruiting class that Hyde was originally ticketed to be a part of. Berry has too often been unable to show his skills due to injury, hamstrung by his hamstrings.

Hyde has not fumbled twice in two games. That separates him from freshman running back Rod Smith, probably the more celebrated of the two backs the Buckeyes have used in their wins over Akron and Toledo. Smith has been drawing Eddie George comparisons, in his size and speed, but mostly with his early-career issues with turnovers.

And Hyde is not from Florida. Not really. He's listed among the 10 Buckeyes that are returning to their home state today for the first regular-season game in Florida in the history of the OSU program. But he's an Ohio guy, sent by his family from the Cincinnati area to live in Naples, Fla., with his grandmother because it provided a safer, more secure place to attend high school and chase his dreams.

"I'm more of an Ohio guy," Hyde said this week, when asked to pick his state allegiance. "I grew up in Ohio for 14 years, so I feel like I'm an Ohio guy."

What part of him is Florida then?

Hyde paused, then, egged on, agreed with the punchline proffered to him.

"Yeah," he smiled, "the speed part."

So what is Hyde? A fair representation of where the Buckeyes are right now.

He's solid but could have been better last week. He's not the guy you would have expected in April or even August to be in this role, for a team where the unexpected has become the norm. He's good, gaining 76 yards on 20 carries last week and scoring a crucial touchdown on a 36-yard run. But he's not great, averaging 4.3 yards on 39 carries in two games. And the question is whether good will be enough against the Hurricanes, or whether great might be ready to make an appearance, for Hyde or the team.

"If I had been a little more patient on some cutback plays I could have seen some cutback lanes that were wide open," Hyde said of his performance last week, "because the linebacker kept running over. I could have broken a couple of cutback runs."

Instead, his only burst came after quarterback Joe Bauserman checked into a different running play, and Hyde brushed past left tackle Andrew Norwell "and I felt I wasn't touched, so I kept running," Hyde said, describing that 36-yard touchdown run.

Hyde was getting counsel this week from Herron, who as a young back had a tendency to run up blockers' backs but as an older back has shown a much better knack for hitting holes and finding running lanes.

"He was telling me I should have been more patient," Hyde said, promising to read plays based on how the weakside linebacker reacts. "So against Miami I'll be more patient than I was last week."

When it comes to his role, Hyde is actually coming along more quickly than expected. After not qualifying academically to join the 2009 recruiting class, Hyde attended Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, then arrived at Ohio State in January 2010 as a member of 2010 class. He played on special teams and on mopup duty at tailback last season, and, frankly, might have been No. 5 in a five-man tailback race at one point this year. At 6-feet and 238 pounds, he's the heaviest OSU tailback and also faster than you might realize.

"He's real physical," OSU defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins said. "When you see him coming, you need to brace yourself."

"He's a very hard runner," OSU safety Tyler Moeller said. "In practice, you have to fit up on him, but you don't really want to because you know he'll give you a shrug and hit you harder than most of the backs do."

What teammates see now is the confidence that comes when given some responsibility, though Hyde refuses to think of himself as a starter. Any of the backs could do it, Hyde said, and that may be true.

But, the fact of the matter is, they didn't. They either took themselves out of the running or weren't ready to handle the load. Through two games, Hyde was the guy who did it. Tonight, with everyone but Herron available, the Buckeyes may be back to having more backs than they know what to do with. So far, Hyde has been the one they could count on.

Cleveland Indians' Ezequiel Carrera expected to play winter ball: Cleveland Indians chatter

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Cleveland Indians chatter.

carrera.jpgManager Manny Acta says outfielder Ezequiel Carrera (above) has plenty of things to work on in winter ball.

Clubhouse confidential: Rookie outfielder Ezequiel Carrera is expected to play winter ball in Magallanes in Venezuela.

Carrera, if the Indians' starting outfielders had stayed healthy this season, probably wouldn't have made it to Cleveland until September. As it is, Carrera has appeared in 54 games and shown flashes on defense, running the bases and at the plate. It's also clear Carrera's game needs a lot of polish.

"I think he has no other choice but to play winter ball," said Tribe manager Manny Acta. "He's a guy who needs to play. He's not established up at the major-league level. He's got plenty of things to work on."

No second guess: Acta said the Indians followed all the proper procedures regarding Shin-Soo Choo, who was activated Thursday and re-injured his left oblique muscle on his first swing later that night against Texas. Choo returned to Cleveland on Friday and is done for the season.

"Choo went through the rehab period," said Acta. "The last five days, he was feeling good. If the guy is ready to play, there's no sense in shutting [him] down. If you have any doubt, or if he has a serious injury, then you shut the guy down."

Stat of the day: Indians starters have pitched the 11th-fewest innings in the AL at 878 entering Friday's game. Consequently, that has increased the workload of the bullpen, which had pitched the fifth-most innings in the AL at 443 .

Carlos Santana goes deep to lead Cleveland Indians to 6-2 lead over Twins after 6 innings

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Ubaldo Jimenez loses shutout on two-run error by center fielder Grady Sizemore in the fifth.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The Indians lead the Twins, 6-2, Friday night at Target Field after six innings.

Carlos Santana started the Indians offense with a homer in the second off Kevin Slowey. It was his 24th of the season, one shy of matching Victor Martinez's franchise record for a switch-hitter with 25.

The Indians made it 2-0 in the third when Lonnie Chisenhall and Lou Marson singled to put runners at the corners with no one out. Chisenhall scored when Kosuke Fukudome hit into a 3-6-3 double play.

Jim Thome's leadoff single in the fourth started a three-run rally. All three runs came with two out.

Slowey retired Santana and Grady Sizemore after Thome's single, but hit Shelley Duncan with a pitch. Chisenhall followed with his second straight single to score Thome and send Duncan to third. Chisenhall continued to second on center fielder Ben Revere's off-line throw to the plate.

Marson followed with a two-run single to make it 5-0.

Ubaldo Jimenez lost his shutout with two out in the fifth. Rene Tosoni, pinch-hitting for injured Jason Kubel, sent a line drive to center field. Sizemore ran it down at the warning track, but the ball appeared to go through his glove. The former Gold Glove center fielder was charged with an error as two runs score to make it 5-2.

In the last three seasons, Sizemore has made two errors.

Chisenhall made it 6-2 in the sixth with his third straight single. He drove a ball into center field to score Santana from second with two out.

Thome received a standing ovation from his former hometown crowd when he came to the plate in his first at-bat in the second. He hit Slowey's first pitch to the warning track in left for a long out.

The Twins traded Thome to the Indians on Aug. 25.

 

Cleveland Browns' T.J. Ward faces big task in Colts TE Dallas Clark

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Browns safety T.J. Ward faces a big challenge Sunday against the Colts' Dallas Clark. Watch video

ward.jpgBrowns safety T.J. Ward will try to keep Dallas Clark from catching passes in the end zone. He was unable to prevent the Bengals' Jermaine Gresham from catching this touchdown pass in last week's opening loss to Cincinnati.

Browns safety T.J. Ward will have a tall order Sunday covering Colts two-time All-Pro tight end Dallas Clark, who's 5 inches taller and 52 pounds heavier.

"He's definitely one of the best receiving tight ends in the league, and it's going to be a challenge on Sunday," Ward said. "I'm looking forward to proving myself against one of the best."

Secondary coach Jerome Henderson thinks Ward is up to the task.

"[Clark's] one of those special guys that's a matchup problem because, sometimes, he's a little too quick for a linebacker to cover, and then, sometimes, he's a little too big for a safety," Henderson said. "He can muscle you and body you. But T.J. is that special player that can match up with him. You hope T.J. goes out and has a great game against him. We've been working hard on preparing him and getting him ready to go. I expect T.J. to go out and play well."

Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron said he expects Ward to get better covering tight ends as he goes along.

"T.J. will certainly improve as he ages in the game, as he gets more and more experience," Jauron said. "He's another guy that is highly competitive, though, and he will work at it, and he's going to have to use his quickness and strength against Dallas."

Ward hasn't necessarily targeted his coverage skills as an area for improvement.

"I just want to be the best all-around player I can be, covering, tackling, whatever," he said. "Whenever I get the opportunity to put my talents on the field and go against the best, that's what I want to do. Hopefully, we'll come out with the victory."

Hicks to start: Head coach Pat Shurmur said Artis Hicks will most likely start in place of right tackle Tony Pashos (ankle), but that Oneil Cousins will also play there. He also acknowledged that Pashos could be out a few more weeks.

"We'll have to see," Shurmur said. "We'll just take it week to week. But there's a chance of that."

Pashos said he wouldn't put a time frame on his return.

But Hicks was looking forward to starting, with a full week here under his belt.

"Now I'll kind of get the jitters out early," he said.

He said he's never played against end Robert Mathis, who's questionable with a neck injury. Mathis sat out from practice most of the week, but he told reporters it was "precautionary" and that he expects to play.

"I've played against [Dwight] Freeney, but I haven't played against Mathis," Hicks said. "They have a lot of similarities with their skill sets. I'll have my hands full."

Adams' 100th game: Browns defensive back Mike Adams will play in his 100th career game at Indy.

"It's a bit overwhelming," Adams said. "Looking through the [media guide], not many players have played 100 games. It's a great accomplishment."

Adams attributes his longevity to several factors.

"Being healthy, knowing what I have to do, being versatile, playing different positions and just being relentless," he said. "And always outworking the person that's in front of me, or whoever's competing with me for the job."

Said Jauron, who achieved 100 career games in his nine NFL seasons: "Mike is a real pro. He shows up to work every day and gives outstanding effort on the practice field and on game day. We were actually talking about it just yesterday, and it's a remarkable achievement. It seems like it just starts and you are into the 100th game, and then I told him it goes even faster after that."


Aregeros Turner leads Copley to surprisingly easy win over Highland

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COPLEY, Ohio — Hardly anyone saw it coming. Not the fans on the Copley side and certainly not those on the Highland side. That Copley defeated visiting Highland in a game that many pregame predictors felt could have gone either way was not the surprise.

Copley's Aregeros Turner.

COPLEY, Ohio — Hardly anyone saw it coming. Not the fans on the Copley side and certainly not those on the Highland side.

That Copley defeated visiting Highland in a game that many pregame predictors felt could have gone either way was not the surprise.

The margin of victory was.

Like a high and tight fastball, Copley's 33-7 victory on Friday knocked people on their backsides.

"You beat a very good football team tonight," Copley coach Ron Viscounte told his players after they opened their Suburban League season with a victory and ran their overall record to 3-1.

"We are a better football team than that," Highland coach Tom Lombardo said, after his team suffered its first loss after three impressive wins. "They are going to give a lot of teams some trouble."

On Friday the main instigators were junior running back Aregeros Turner, senior quarterback Louie Gigliotti, versatile back C.J. Chatman, and a defense that held the Hornets to 220 yards of offense while stopping the Hornets at every turn in pitching a shutout over the last three quarters. Not to mention a decided advantage in team speed and a no-huddle defense.

Turner, who already has offers from Tennessee and Illinois, darted, danced and spun his way to 236 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Gigliotti completed an efficient 13 of 17 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Chatman caught four passes for 41 yards, and his acrobatic interception early in the fourth quarter took the last gasp of air from the Hornets.

"I never saw it until the last second," Chatman said of his interception. "I wish I would have seen it sooner. Maybe I could have done something with it."

The Indians held Highland's Jerry Scholle to 33 yards rushing and 88 passing. The 6-2, 165-pound senior entered the game with more than 700 yards of total offense. His 30-yard completion to Alex Koran and his 23-yard run -- aided by a face-mask penalty -- set up Highland's lone touchdown, a 2-yard run by Kent Masters, who finished with 42 yards on 10 carries.

Highland led, 7-0, before the Indians went on a 14-play, 78-yard drive that was stopped and started by three penalties. Gigliotti and Turner combined on two passes that netted 56 yards, and Turner gained 37 yards on six plays during the drive, which culminated when senior Isiah Wheeler caught a 5-yard scoring pass with 35 seconds left in the half.

"We knew we were the faster team and we knew we would have to use our speed," Gigliotti said. "The no-huddle causes some chaos, sometimes for us too, but it wears defenses down."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com, 216-999-5169

On Twitter:@TimRogersPD

Aaron Horak's three touchdowns help Parma stop Lakewood

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PARMA, Ohio — Parma's Aaron Horak never had a game like the one he did against Lakewood on Friday night. The junior running back was at a loss to explain how he piled up 259 yards against the Rangers, including scoring runs of 1, 14 and 53 yards. So he did what all good runners do, praise the guys...

Parma's Aaron Horak. - (PD file photo)

PARMA, Ohio — Parma's Aaron Horak never had a game like the one he did against Lakewood on Friday night.

The junior running back was at a loss to explain how he piled up 259 yards against the Rangers, including scoring runs of 1, 14 and 53 yards. So he did what all good runners do, praise the guys up front.

"It's all in the line, basically," said Horak, whose Redmen defeated the Rangers, 28-14, in a Northeast Ohio Conference Lake Division game at Byers Field in Parma. "Either side I went to, left or right. I guess I did better going to the left."

Horak let the visitors know they were in for a special viewing as he scored on the game's second play. He broke free off left tackle and sprinted 53 yards to the end zone with the game 23 seconds old.

He scored on a 1-yard plunge in the third quarter to give Parma a 21-7 advantage and capped his night with a 14-yard dash at the start of the fourth quarter to make it 28-7.

Junior center Matt Murphy and the rest of offensive linemen were able to enjoy watching Horak carry the ball 30 times.

"I always have confidence that he will do his job," said Murphy, who was matched against Lakewood nose tackle Chris Cole. "They had a great defensive line. We just had to outwork them."

The Redmen evened their record at 2-2 and stand 1-0 in the division. Lakewood, playing its last season in the NOC before joining the West Shore Conference, are also 2-2.

After Horak's opener, the Rangers answered in the second quarter with a methodical 17-play, 80-yard drive. Junior running back Jovon Young supplied 45 of the yards on 11 carries. Lakewood senior quarterback Aturo Morgan got the score on a 1-yard sneak with 9:20 to go in the half to tie matters, 7-7.

After the teams exchanged punts, the Redmen covered 85 yards in seven plays to regain their advantage. Horak had runs of 25 and 13 yards on the drive, but the touchdown went to senior wide receiver Bill Pullman on a 16-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Zack Toth.

The extra point attempt went awry to give Parma a 13-7 edge at the break.

The Rangers threatened to take the lead midway through the third quarter as they drove to the Parma 15, but an unsportsmanlike penalty against Morgan set them back. Lakewood coach Ron Lewis replaced Morgan at quarterback for the rest of the game after the ball went over on downs.

That set up an 11-play, 81-yard drive that Horak capped with his 1-yard run.

Lakewood junior quarterback Tommy Fuller connected with junior wide receiver Capriese Jackson on a 16-yard scoring pass with 8:50 to play to account for the final points.

The Parma defense limited Lakewood's Young to 76 yards on 19 carries.

"We wanted to stop the run, which we did," said Parma coach Rob Cyr. "We were able to build on some things. [Horak] didn't surprise me. He hit the holes and had a solid game. It's nice to go 1-0 in the division."

Parma's Toth was 7-for-9 passing for 68 yards. Morgan was limited to 3-for-11 for 34 yards.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-5168

On Twitter:@JoeMaxse

Chardon Hilltoppers can't slow Eastlake North offensive onslaught

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EASTLAKE, Ohio — It was a simple question, and the answer spoke volumes. "Coach, what can a team do to stop Eastlake North's offense?"

Eastlake North quarterback George Gresko threw for two touchdowns and scored three rushing against Chardon. - (PD file)

EASTLAKE, Ohio — It was a simple question, and the answer spoke volumes.

"Coach, what can a team do to stop Eastlake North's offense?"

After watching the host Rangers roll up nearly 500 yards Friday night, Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt stared at the scoreboard for a moment before giving his reply.

"You better ask someone else," he said. "We obviously didn't do it."

The North football machine was in full force once again in the Premier Athletic Conference opener, as quarterback George Gresko passed for 273 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring three times himself, and tailback Jordan Morris gained 161 yards on just 18 carries.

The Hilltoppers hung around and cut the margin to 27-21 late in the third quarter, but the Rangers' no-huddle spread offense was just too much for Chardon to handle. North remains unbeaten after its 39-21 victory.

"It's a very, very good offense, and that's stating the obvious," Hewitt said. "They have a senior quarterback who has taken a lot of snaps under Friday night lights. The last couple of years as an assistant at [Painesville] Riverside we had some success against them, but you can see the maturity in them this year."

Not only do the Rangers score often, but they score fast. Their longest scoring drive was 90 yards and it only took 3:33 to do it. Other scoring drives took 0:38, 1:22, 0:19, 1:56 and 0:11. The total number of plays in North's six scoring drives was 27.

"It all starts with our offensive line," Gresko said. "I have all day to pass the ball and our guards do a great job of pulling and kicking out, giving Jordan all kinds of room to run."

Gresko completed 12 of 17 passes, throwing for touchdowns of 41 and 18 yards to Kyle Holzheimer. His scoring runs covered 6, 1 and 2 yards. For the season he has completed 54 of 93 passes for 881 yards, 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

But if you try to stop the Rangers' passing attack, you have to deal with Morris, who has 847 yards and nine touchdowns in just four games.

"Our offensive line has been just great," he said. "It's improved from year to year to year. I can't thank them enough. I tell them every touchdown I get, they get."

The offensive line is not huge but has good size, averaging about 6-2, 240 pounds. The all-senior unit consists of Mitch Bartholomai, T.J. Dowhan, Brandon Favors, Michael Frank and Jeremy Lemieux.

Solon hits on all cylinders as it runs over North Royalton

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SOLON, Ohio — Solon's defense has been doing a great job of shutting down opponents all season. On Friday night, it scored more points than a lot of offenses. The Comets defense scored two first-half touchdowns and the kick-coverage team scored a third against visiting North Royalton in a Northeast Ohio Conference cross-division football game. The offense also did...

The Comets' Cory Stuart celebrates his touchdown with teammate Austin Stock during the first quarter Friday at Solon. - (Lonnie Timmons III, PD)

SOLON, Ohio — Solon's defense has been doing a great job of shutting down opponents all season. On Friday night, it scored more points than a lot of offenses.

The Comets defense scored two first-half touchdowns and the kick-coverage team scored a third against visiting North Royalton in a Northeast Ohio Conference cross-division football game. The offense also did its part in a 62-20 victory.

"We were running to the ball, playing real fast, hitting hard," Solon linebacker Nick Davidson said. "It was awesome."

Davidson has been the leading tackler for the unbeaten Comets all season. He had one tackle for a loss. The defensive line created most of the havoc against the Bears, sacking quarterback Travis Tarnowski four times and forcing three turnovers.

"Our D-line is awesome," Davidson said. "They open up the holes for the linebackers to get in there and get the tackles. It's been like this all year. We're a fast team. We might not be the biggest team, but we're the fastest."

North Royalton coach Nick Ciulli did not disagree.

"They're real good," Ciulli said. "Their up-front people, all four, are the best I've seen in a long time, and 71 [Nathan-el Hoff], he's a man."

Solon's defense was in fine form from the start. The Bears lost yardage on seven of 13 first-quarter plays. A 1-yard run by George Berry and a 28-yard pass from Patrick Kramer to Cory Stuart staked the Comets to a 14-0 lead.

That's when the defense became Solon's offense. Tarnowski was stripped in the end zone and Hoff recovered for the first defensive touchdown, on the last play of the first quarter.

"That's the strength of our team," Solon coach Jim McQuaide said. "We have experience on that side of the ball. They're leading our team and we're going to go as far as they take us."

North Royalton (1-3) took advantage of a Solon fumble to strike quickly in the second quarter. Carl Lint found a big hole on the right side of the line and sprinted 47 yards for a touchdown. Lint finished with 103 yards on 10 carries and also caught a 22-yard touchdown pass. It was the first score the Comets' defense surrendered since the opener against Shaker Heights. It seemed like they didn't like it.

Solon blasted back with three touchdowns in 29 seconds, two by the defense, to blow the game open.

An 80-yard kickoff return by Darian Hicks set up a 4-yard touchdown pass from Kramer to Ryan Schwenke with 5:58 left in the second quarter. Schwenke scored his second touchdown in 10 seconds when he returned an interception 48 yards for a score.

On the ensuing kickoff, Justin Kresevic stripped the ball from the North Royalton return man and took the recovery 17 yards for a touchdown, and a 42-7 lead.

Bob Migra is a freelance writer in Westlake.

Brunswick holds off Hudson for narrow victory, remains undefeated

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BRUNSWICK, Ohio — A show of hands for anyone who had Brunswick's football team undefeated after four games this season. Anyone?

Hudson running back Ben Gedeon had 102 yards rushing and a touchdown.

BRUNSWICK, Ohio — A show of hands for anyone who had Brunswick's football team undefeated after four games this season.

Anyone?

That's exactly what the Blue Devils are after Friday's 31-28 win against Hudson, and it's not like it's anything new.

In fact, Brunswick, ranked 16th in the Plain Dealer poll, has started out 4-0 six of the past seven seasons, so don't tell the team it's not supposed to be undefeated.

"Give us some respect," said Blue Devils inside linebacker Brad Darlington, who was part of a defensive unit that held Hudson to 272 yards of offense. "We were always the underdog for this game.

"But you can't measure heart. Heart always comes out on top."

It certainly did against a very good Hudson squad that fought tooth and nail with the Blue Devils. Trailing for the better part of three quarters, the Explorers (3-1) kept coming back, but Brunswick always had an answer.

When Ben Gedeon (16 carries, 102 yards, TD) closed things to 24-21 with 11:56 remaining in the fourth quarter, Keith Yohman (three touchdowns) found pay dirt on a seven-play drive to make it a 10-point game again with 6:16 left.

"That was something special," Yohman said. "We kind of like being taken for granted. Count us out, we'll be the underdogs. We're starting 4-0 and keeping the momentum going."

As good as Gedeon and David Nelson (12-of-30, 142, 2 TDs) were for Hudson, the Explorers were their own worst enemy.

Two back-to-back interference calls extended a drive in the middle of the fourth quarter, and a personal-foul penalty essentially ended the game after Hudson bottled up Nick Roberts (21 carries, 79 yards, TD) on third down with less than a minute remaining.

The squad was penalized 10 times for 110 yards.

"It's pretty simple, we got beat," Explorers coach Ron Wright said. "They made more plays than we did.

"I will never blame any official for losing a game. We have to make plays when we need to. They made the plays when they needed to."

Because of it, Brunswick rolls into next Friday's game at Garfield Heights ready for more before one heck of a Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division schedule to close out the season.

What came out of the win against 15th-ranked Hudson was more than simple X's and O's, as Blue Devils coach Luke Beal pushes his team toward making the playoffs for the 10th time in the past 11 seasons.

"These kids find ways to win games," Beal said. "We'll take it one week at a time and keep battling. We've been counted out of a lot games already, and we're 4-0."

Brad Bournival is a free-lance writer in North Royalton.

Late heroics by Chagrin Falls give Tigers a win over Aurora in overtime

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See a photo gallery from the game here. AURORA, Ohio — Naturally, they played overtime.

Chagrin Falls running back Billy Cale gets by an Aurora defender and manages to stay inbounds to score a touchdown on a screen pass in overtime. - (John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer)

See a photo gallery from the game here.

AURORA, Ohio — Naturally, they played overtime.

What else might anyone expect between Chagrin Falls and Aurora, teams that have a combined three state finals appearances in the past three seasons, and last year shared a league title?

Playing 30 total games en route to state runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010 seemed to give Chagrin Falls a decided advantage in Friday's Chagrin Valley Conference opener.

The Tigers drove for a game-tying field goal in the final three minutes, then defeated host Aurora in overtime, 17-10, in front of 5,711 at Veterans Stadium.

"With the experience we've had in the playoffs, we've overcome adversity, and we had to get that done tonight," Chagrin Falls guard-defensive end Alex Tozzi said. "We had guys who stepped up to the challenge.

"This is a springboard into the rest of the season. We knew if we wanted to win the CVC, which is our goal right now, we knew we had to beat Aurora."

A key player who missed last year's excitement played a central role in the victory -- senior kicker Alex Hallwachs. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2010 opener, and his 32-yard field goal with 3.3 seconds left on Friday capped an impressive, 65-yard drive.

He missed a 38-yarder in the third quarter.

"This is fantastic. I can't even describe it. Having this chance to come back out is unbelievable," Hallwachs said.

Chagrin Falls (4-0, 1-0 CVC Chagrin) found another gear with its two-minute offense after Aurora took the lead, 10-7, on quarterback Blake Calcei's touchdown run with 2:54 to play.

The Tigers responded with a clutch drive.

Quarterback Tommy Iammarino completed 7 of 8 passes for 58 yards, and he ran twice for 10 yards. Bradley Munday caught a 22-yard pass on fourth down and a 9-yard pass on third down, converting first downs.

"We practice our two-minute drill starting in July for just that type of situation," said Chagrin Falls coach Mark Iammarino, the quarterback's father. "We caught the ball, we threw the ball and we protected well."

In overtime, Chagrin Falls had the ball first, and Iammarino threw a swing pass to Billy Cale, who dodged a defender en route to a 19-yard touchdown.

Tigers linebacker Andrew Winkelman's third-down interception in the end zone finished the win, the third straight for the road team in this rivalry.

"It was a slugfest. They just made one more play than we did," said Aurora coach Bob Mihalik, whose team dropped to 3-1, 0-1.

Both teams ran for 131 yards, and the difference was at quarterback. Iammarino, a 5-11 senior, completed 18 of 25 passes for 163 yards, and he had 43 yards rushing.

Coming into the season, the prevailing wisdom was that Aurora had a decided advantage with its bigger, more experienced linemen.

"They had a big line up front, and every guy was into it with the most intensity we could bring, and we got the job done," Tozzi said.

The teams combined for 20 penalties for 164 yards, and the flags were a factor early.

In the first quarter, Chagrin Falls drove 75 yards on its first possession, a drive kept alive thanks to a third-down, late-hit penalty. Five plays later, Munday took a pitchout and scored on a 6-yard run around left end.

In the second quarter, Aurora kicker Anthony Melchiori missed a 42-yard field goal wide right, and nailed a 26-yarder. On the latter drive, the Greenmen had first-and-goal at the 9, and Chagrin's defense stuffed a run and forced two incomplete passes.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

On Twitter:@TimsTakePD

Lights go out in Avon, then Eagles turn out lights on North Ridgeville

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AVON, Ohio — Senior Justin O'Rourke is a quality quarterback for a number of reasons. Among them: He will not panic when events don't go swimmingly at the outset. O'Rourke shook off two interceptions in his first three passes to lead Avon past North Ridgeville, 35-7, Friday night in a West Shore Conference football game at Avon Stadium.

AVON, Ohio — Senior Justin O'Rourke is a quality quarterback for a number of reasons. Among them: He will not panic when events don't go swimmingly at the outset.

O'Rourke shook off two interceptions in his first three passes to lead Avon past North Ridgeville, 35-7, Friday night in a West Shore Conference football game at Avon Stadium.

The Eagles, ranked No. 8 in The Plain Dealer Top 25, improved to 4-0, 1-0. North Ridgeville slipped to 3-1, 0-1.

Avon scored 35 unanswered points.

It received the opening kickoff and moved to the North Ridgeville 42. On second-and-5, Rangers defensive back P.J. Bunevich read O'Rourke's eyes and made a pick at the 27 with 9:39 left in the first quarter. Bunevich doubles as the North Ridgeville quarterback.

After the ensuing possession resulted in a three-and-out, Avon took over at its 37. On third-and-9, O'Rourke bought time and eventually threw toward the right sideline. Rangers safety Christian Watkins stepped in front of the intended receiver at the Avon 42, made the grab and raced to the end zone with 6:01 remaining.

"You've got to have a short memory at this position," said O'Rourke, who comes from a family of quarterbacks. "My teammates were behind me, telling me, 'Let it go, let it go.' That helped a lot."

The Eagles tied the score in the final 20 seconds of the quarter. Two plays after O'Rourke connected with Jacob Mullins in the right flat, the two went to work on second-and-9 from the North Ridgeville 15. Mullins caught the pass in the left flat and used good footwork to find the end zone.

Avon rode its no-huddle offense to a 14-7 advantage midway through the second quarter. The Eagles began at their 20 and quickly moved to the North Ridgeville 20 before hitting several snags. Facing fourth-and-7 from the 20, O'Rourke came out of a timeout and threw a strike to Matt Eckhardt for an 18-yard gain.

Two plays later, Cory Furnas plowed in from the 1. Brad Young kicked the extra point.

With less than six minutes left in the second quarter, the stadium's lights went out. The game resumed after a delay of approximately 20 minutes.

The Eagles moved 71 yards to take a 21-7 lead. On third-and-inches from the North Ridgeville 38, O'Rourke threw deep down the left side. The ball deflected off Watkins' hands and into the air, where Eckhardt grabbed it for six points with less than 50 seconds left in the half.

"They had pretty good coverage, but those are two special players," said Avon coach Mike Elder of O'Rourke and Eckhardt.

O'Rourke went 7-of-13 for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Eckhardt caught three passes for 69 yards.

The Eagles dropped the hammer in the third quarter. After stopping North Ridgeville on fourth down at the Avon 39, they drove into Rangers territory. The Eagles converted a fourth-and-1 at the 29 and later scored on Ross Douglas' 5-yard run for a 28-7 cushion with 4:38 remaining in the quarter.

"We had the momentum at the beginning, but to their credit, they took it back," Rangers coach Jeff Riesen said. "They came back, and that was the end of it. I can't say anything bad about our kids. They fought hard. We lost to a team that deserved to win."

Avon's run defense was particularly stifling.

"Our defense was outstanding from start to finish," Elder said. "I think people are going to stand up and take notice, eventually."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664

On Twitter:@dmansworldpd


Woodridge gets off to fast start, then holds on to defeat Mogadore

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PENINSULA, Ohio — Youth and injuries have slowed the Woodridge Bulldogs' progress this year, but a persistent scoring threat from junior quarterback Sean McCoy led the Bulldogs to a 36-28 victory against the visiting Mogadore Wildcats. An injury to the starting running back in last week's game opened the door for McCoy at quarterback because of the need to...

PENINSULA, Ohio — Youth and injuries have slowed the Woodridge Bulldogs' progress this year, but a persistent scoring threat from junior quarterback Sean McCoy led the Bulldogs to a 36-28 victory against the visiting Mogadore Wildcats.

An injury to the starting running back in last week's game opened the door for McCoy at quarterback because of the need to fill the running back position.

For the second straight week, he thrived.

"A couple of weeks ago, we weren't sure he was our starter," said Woodridge coach Eric Earvin. "This week, he had to be our starter. He had to be our guy."

McCoy embraced the role.

He finished with his second straight multiple-touchdown game, as he tossed three touchdowns and ran for another against the Wildcats.

These performances have solidified McCoy's spot as the signal-caller in Woodridge's backfield.

"At this point, he's our guy at quarterback," Earvin said.

McCoy has tallied seven passing and two rushing touchdowns this season.

The Bulldogs led comfortably for a majority of the game after jumping out to a 22-0 lead.

But with less than a minute remaining in the game, Mogadore was down eight points with a chance to score.

"I was going crazy on the sideline," Earvin said.

"With one minute left, we were at that point where we had to have a stop, and we just weren't getting it."

Mogadore's offense started accumulating a few first downs and making a push into Woodridge territory as the clock ran down to fewer than 30 seconds.

"We try not to do that," McCoy said. We need more heart. We need to fight until the end of games."

Mogadore's offense pushed to tie the game, but an interception on the final play silenced the Wildcats.

"We don't know how to handle being up that way," Earvin said. "We're just not there. It's unfortunate, but it's our youth. Luckily, our guys stepped up when they needed to."

It took Mogadore's offense more than 14 minutes into the game to reach the end zone.

With 9:49 remaining in the first half, Gary Strain ran for a 29-yard touchdown.

That gave Mogadore a two-touchdown deficit to overcome, as Woodridge started the game with three straight touchdowns.

Devonte Fellows, who moved from the quarterback spot to fill the running back position, ignited the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run.

Then, McCoy continued with two touchdown passes, starting with a 22-yard completion to Nelson Perry, then a 41-yard heave to Dan Rice, who has three touchdowns on the season.

Each team finished with a touchdown in the final three minutes of the half, making it 29-14.

McCoy carried in a 9-yard touchdown, then Mogadore's Anthony Ricci had a 26-yard scoring toss.

Woodridge had a comfortable lead, but its lack of experience allowed Mogadore a shot at getting back into the game.

After McCoy converted his second touchdown pass to Perry for a 36-14 lead, Mogadore scored 14 unanswered points. Zach Heiglemann scored on a 50-yard run, then Ricci completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kasey Beard.

Cody Erbacher is a freelance writer in Kent.

Kellen Moore, Boise State shatter Toledo's upset hopes with rout at Glass Bowl

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Kellen Moore puts on a passing clinic, going 32-of-42 for 455 yards and five touchdowns.

boise state.JPGView full sizeBoise State wide receiver Tyler Shoemaker, left, pulls in a catch for a touchdown as Toledo defensive back Anthony Washington, left, defends in the second quarter Friday in Toledo.

TOLEDO, Ohio — The home-field chance at a top-five upset evaporated for the Toledo Rockets with a third-quarter meltdown against No. 4 Boise State on Friday night in the Glass Bowl, allowing the Broncos to roll to an easy 40-15 victory before a UT crowd of 28,905.

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore put on a passing clinic, going 32-of-42 for 455 yards and five touchdowns. The score was relatively close at the half, with the Rockets trailing by 11. But Toledo started the second half with a penalty on the kickoff return. By the time the quarter ended, the Rockets had been penalized seven times in the third quarter, with another declined.

The Rockets had one promising drive snapped at the Boise 11 by an interception, then another foiled at Boise's 9-yard line by a fumble. Meanwhile, Moore had posted another passing TD, giving him 400 yards in the air and four TDs at the end of the quarter, staking Boise to a 27-9 lead.

After the game Moore downplayed his performance saying "it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert." But Boise head coach Chris Petersen made it clear Moore is working overtime.

"He's got about 15,000 hours in," Petersen said. "He's been doing this a long, long time."

The Rockets scored first and last in the opening half, but in between, it was all Broncos as Moore began adding to his potential Heisman Trophy resume by going 18-of-23 passing for 298 yards at the break, with three touchdowns, getting the ball into the hands of eight different receivers.

The Rockets scored first as quarterback Austin Dantin was the catalyst, converting one third down on a 20-yard screen pass, a second third down on a 20-yard option run, then flawlessly executing a misdirection screen pass for a 24-yard touchdown pass to receiver Danny Noble.

The PAT failed, but the 6-0 score on the first possession seemed to be a good omen for UT.

But enter Moore. The 6-foot, 191-pound senior might not have the prototypical size, but he has extraordinary ability to thread the needle.

At one point, he completed 13 of 14 passes, alternately throwing short darts when he wanted to and high floaters when he needed to. One was a 26-yard touchdown to Tyler Shoemaker that gave the Broncos a 7-6 first-quarter lead.

Just before the end of the opening period, a short pass to tailback Doug Martin became a 71-yard TD catch-and-run, as Martin high-stepped out of one Toledo tackle, then sidestepped two other UT defenders to go the distance for a 13-6 lead as Boise's PAT was foiled.

Toledo had a golden opportunity to tie shortly after that, as backup quarterback Terrance Owens threw a strike to a wide-open Cordale Scott, but it went untouched -- chest high -- through Scott's hands, incomplete. Then, with less than 90 seconds to go in the half, Moore struck again.

He took the Broncos 64 yards in seven plays, with the key being a deft, deep sideline pass that was caught in stride against quality coverage at the 3. Moments later, Moore lofted a fade into the corner that was caught by Shoemaker for a 20-6 Boise State lead with 17 seconds to play. The Rockets, thanks, in part, to a poor Boise kick that gave UT the ball at midfield, used the seconds wisely and nursed the sidelines, with Owens passing to get close enough for a 35-yard field goal at the halftime horn to close within 20-9.

But that was it for UT, as the Rockets, who were penalized 14 times last week against Ohio State, starting adding them up again against the Broncos, hurting themselves and aiding the opposition. By the time UT scored again, with 4:33 left to play in the game, the Broncos still had a three-possession lead, 33-15.

No. 17 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Miami Hurricanes: Inside the game

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Plain Dealer Buckeyes beat writer Doug Lesmerises offers an in-depth preview of tonight's game at Miami, Fla.

Johnathan Hankins.JPGView full sizeSophomore defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins played on almost all Ohio State's defensive snaps last week against Toledo. That could change in the South Florida climate.
The Physical

Ohio State defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, at 335 pounds, played 67 of the Buckeyes' 72 defensive snaps last week. For an OSU defensive line that, at its best, likes to rotate eight linemen through four spots, that number is both impressive and disturbing.

The fact that Hankins, a sophomore who averaged about 15 plays per game as a freshman, could carry that load is a credit to him.

"I was real excited about that," OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said. "We were hoping he could play more snaps this year. And you put on the film of his last series, and he was going every bit as hard as he did early, running to the football. I never saw him slow down."

But playing 93 percent of the snaps, especially in South Florida, is probably too much. With senior defensive end Nathan Williams out after minor knee surgery, Ohio State might not have a choice. Hankins and John Simon are now the only truly known quantities on the line. Behind them, even Heacock admitted Ohio State was thin.

So J.T. Moore, Garrett Goebel, Adam Bellamy and true freshmen Michael Bennett and Steve Miller should rotate through tonight. But Big Hank probably won't leave the field much again. Against bigger, stronger, quicker offensive linemen than Toledo has, he needs to be just as strong physically in the fourth quarter as he was a week ago.

The Emotional

South Florida Buckeyes have been waiting almost 35 years to see their team in person again. The most recent time Ohio State played in Miami was a win over Colorado in the 1977 Orange Bowl. And in the regular season, the Buckeyes just don't get to the South much. There was the 2004 game at North Carolina State, which is a good 800 miles north of Miami. There was the 2006 visit to Texas, with Austin 1,350 miles west of Miami. The most recent real, regular-season foray into the South was the trip to LSU in 1987 when the Buckeyes and Tigers finished in a 13-13 tie.

So, for those in Florida who love the Buckeyes, this might mean a little something. And for those Buckeyes from Florida, this might mean a little something, too. This is a chance for the 10 Buckeyes who played high school ball in Florida to show their Ohio teammates what it's like in their home state.

"If they want to be educated, we'll definitely hook them up," said junior safety Orhian Johnson, a St. Petersburg, Fla., native.

OSU coach Luke Fickell said: "I think that it's going to be an emotional thing for them. It will be important for them to control their emotions."

There is a practical side to the emotional ties, as well: The Buckeyes want to make a good impression here. Fickell mentioned multiple times this week how important Ohio State's recruiting is in Florida, admitting it's probably their second-most important area behind Ohio. This game was used as a recruiting tool the past four or five years, as coaches told Florida recruits they would get to play this game back home.

If one talented Miami-area player makes an emotional connection with the Buckeyes from this game -- because Ohio State wins, he likes their uniforms or something else -- that effect of this trip will go beyond tonight.

The Mental

At some point in the first quarter, if the Buckeyes get inside the 10-yard line, they might want to take a knee for three plays in the middle of the field and call on sophomore kicker Drew Basil. He could use an easy one.

Nine of 120 major college teams entered this weekend having played two games without making a field goal, though three hadn't tried any. Now, the Buckeyes aren't Duke, which, shockingly, is 0-for-5 on field goals. But it's not good.

Basil, officially, is 0-for-2, missing a 47-yarder wide left last week and a 40-yarder wide right in the opener against Akron. But he originally missed a 45-yarder wide left against the Zips, then saw that wiped out by a penalty before missing the 40-yarder. Add in his two field-goal tries from a year ago -- both of greater than 50 yards, both blocked -- and you have a No. 1 field-goal kicker who has swung his leg five times and doesn't have three points to show for it.

This might be on the edge of becoming a thing. And it might not be best for the Buckeyes if Basil's first attempt today is, for instance, a 48-yarder in a tie game late in the third quarter. They can't afford another miss getting in his head.

"I would be more concerned if I thought Drew wasn't handling it the right way," Fickell said this week. "You know, obviously we have got to get him one . . . just get his confidence back completely. But in practice and camp, Drew had done a great job, and then when Drew misses one, you know, it's not like he mentally seems to be in trouble."

By the way, Devin Barclay was 20-of-24 on field goals for the Buckeyes last season, including 4-of-5 between 40 and 49 yards.

The Fun

Let's get booed. Let's get booed. Many Buckeyes can't wait for the fun and excitement of having people scream at them in Florida tonight.

"It's fun when people boo you. I love that," OSU senior safety Tyler Moeller said. "It might be weird, but I love that."

Actually, the joy of hatred is shared by many Buckeyes. Several said the players refer to their road games as "Black Flag City," their way of saying they're on their own.

"It means all we have is the guys we got there with. That's how we look at it," junior linebacker Etienne Sabino said.

Tight end Reid Fragel said: "I like silencing the crowd on the road. It's a great feeling."

So while being loved is nice, being hated can be better. That might be hard to understand for all the OSU freshmen playing important roles who will be experiencing their first trip.

Let Moeller explain: "I love going to stadiums and fans just booing you and hating you. I love going in there and disappointing them."

-- Doug Lesmerises

Akron men's soccer team battles to draw with New Mexico

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With the draw, the Zips extend their NCAA record home unbeaten streak to 41 games.

AKRON, Ohio — Despite being a man down for the final 52 minutes of the match, the No. 4 University of Akron men's soccer team earned a 1-1 draw against No. 16 New Mexico at FirstEnergy Stadium-Cub Cadet Field on Friday night in front of 4,301 fans.

The double-overtime game, which was broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel, was the second contest of the annual University of Akron Tournament. Cal Poly, Akron's next opponent Sunday at 6 p.m., defeated Syracuse in the first match of the day, 2-1.

With the draw, the Zips (3-0-2), who outshot the Lobos 9-8, extended their NCAA record home unbeaten streak to 41 games (38-0-3).

Akron drew first blood in the 36th minute off a well-executed corner-kick goal.

DeAndre Yedlin, who made a number of dangerous runs down the right side of the field in the opening period, earned UA the opportunity by playing the ball off a UNM defender near the touch line.

Aodhan Quinn played the corner short to Scott Caldwell, who quickly sent the ball back to Quinn to set up the left-sider's service into the box. Michael Balogun, who scored his first goal as a Zip on a corner kick against Cleveland State in the season opener, crashed through the block of defenders and headed the ball off the crossbar and into the net.

The Zips, who took a 1-0 lead into intermission, found more rhythm in the second half and pressed for a second goal. But leading scorer Darren Mattocks was shown a straight red in the 58th minute.

Nonetheless, UA showed tremendous resolve and continued to press the rest of the match -- nearly finding the net on a number of tries during a frantic sequence in the 79th minute.

Three college football games worth watching today

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No. 1 Oklahoma travels to No. 5 Florida State, No. 16 Florida plays Tennessee, and No. 15 Michigan State travels to Notre Dame. Plus a list of other notable games.

oklahoma.JPGView full sizeOklahoma quarterback Landry Jones.

1. No. 1 Oklahoma at No. 5 Florida State

Kickoff: 8 p.m. on WEWS Channel 5.

Early line: OU by 3.

Notable: Possibly a berth in the BCS Championship game on the line. Oklahoma is 1-0. Florida State (2-0) is likely to be favored in the remainder of its games, whereas Oklahoma's toughest test down the road appears to be its season finale at archrival Oklahoma State. A year ago, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones made a mockery of a group of inexperienced Seminoles defensive backs, passing for 380 yards before leaving the game after his fourth touchdown pass midway through the third quarter gave the Sooners a 41-7 lead. Those Seminoles defenders are looking for redemption.

2. No. 16 Florida vs. Tennessee

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. on WOIO Channel 19.

Early line: Florida by 9 1/2.

Notable: Both teams are 2-0, and an early lead in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division is at stake. Gators have beaten Volunteers six straight times. Watch Tennessee WR Justin Hunter vs. Florida's young secondary. The 6-4 Hunter leads the SEC with 16 catches for 302 yards, and has touchdown receptions of 33 and 81 yards. The Gators start two freshmen and two sophomores in the secondary, and haven't been tested in two games.

3. No. 15 Michigan State at Notre Dame

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. on WKYC Channel 3.

Early line: Notre Dame by 5.

Notable: MSU is 2-0, Notre Dame 0-2. MSU finally gets a test after opening with wins over Youngstown State and Florida Atlantic. Notre Dame is aiming to avoid its first 0-3 start since losing the first five in 2007. Key matchup is MSU QB Kirk Cousins vs. Notre Dame DB Gary Gray. If the Spartans watched the tape of Notre Dame's 35-31 loss at Michigan last week, they saw Gray beaten several times, including for the game-winning TD with two seconds left.

Other notable games

Top 25

No. 6 Stanford at Arizona, 10:45 p.m., ESPN

No. 10 South Carolina vs. Navy, 6, ESPN2

No. 18 West Virginia at Maryland, noon, ESPNU

No. 21 Auburn at Clemson, noon, WEWS Ch. 5

No. 23 Texas at UCLA, 3:30, ESPN

Big Ten

No. 7 Wisconsin vs. N. Illinois at Chicago, 3:30

No. 11 Nebraska vs. Washington, 3:30, WEWS Ch. 5

No. 22 Arizona State at Illinois, 7, Big Ten Network

Michigan vs. E. Michigan, noon, BTN

Penn State at Temple, noon, ESPN

Pittsburgh at Iowa, noon, ESPN2

Northwestern at Army, 3:30

MAC

Akron at Cincinnati, 3:30

Kent State at Kansas State, 7, Fox College Sports

Bowling Green vs. Wyoming, noon

Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota, 3:30, BTN

Ohio vs. Marshall, 7

Division II

Lake Erie vs. Saginaw Valley, 7

Notre Dame College at Marian, 1

Division III

Baldwin-Wallace vs. Heidelberg, 6:30

John Carroll at Mount Union, 7

Hiram at Denison, 7

Wooster at Oberlin, 1

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