Tag: Terrelle Pryor (Page 11 of 15)

      Ohio State’s offense abysmal as Purdue upsets Buckeyes

      October 17, 2009 /

      After turning in one of the more pathetic offensive displays in recent memory, No. 7 Ohio State was shocked in West Lafayette on Saturday as Purdue beat the Buckeyes 26-18.

      His final numbers (17 of 31, 221 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs) don’t do justice to how bad sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor was today. Midway through the third quarter, he was just 7 of 14 passing for 84 yards with interceptions. And his fumble in the second quarter killed a potential scoring drive.

      Pryor has all the physical tools to succeed, but Jim Tressel was wrong when he said this summer that the sophomore was developing as a passer. He’s not. His decision-making isn’t very sound and he’s not good enough to overcome turnovers, which was evident today.

      That said, Tressel hasn’t helped Pryor in his development. His play calling and in-game decisions are often befuddling and he clearly isn’t the right person to nurture a quarterback as skilled as Pryor. Also, Ohio State’s running game was non-existent on Saturday, which is staggering considering Purdue was allowing over 160 rushing yards per game coming into today.

      This was a sad offensive display by the Buckeyes and they deserved to lose with the way they played. But let’s give credit to a Purdue team that took advantage of the opportunities that it was given. They could have opened the door for an Ohio State comeback when the Buckeyes added a field goal early in the fourth to cut the Boilermakers’ lead to 23-10. Instead, Purdue added a field goal of its own to all but put the game out of reach.

      This was a nice victory by a Purdue team that many people figured would just play dead today.

      College Football

      Pryor rebounds, uses dual threat skills to beat Toledo

      September 19, 2009 /

      One of the criticisms that Ohio State sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor faced after the Buckeyes’ loss to USC last Saturday in Columbus was that he didn’t use his legs enough to make plays. Not only that, but he was hesitant to throw the ball vertically and often settled for safe passes under 10 yards.

      But in OSU’s 38-0 beat down of Toledo on Saturday, Pryor resembled the quarterback that Buckeye fans envisioned he would be last week. He racked up 110 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries while also throwing for 262 yards and three TDs on 17-of-28 passing.

      Granted, Pryor did throw two interceptions, but he threw passes of 76, 28, 15, 13 and 12 yards to six different receivers. His 76-yard touchdown pass to Dane Sanzenbacher on the Buckeyes’ third offensive play from scrimmage set the tone for the rest of the game.

      This is the Terrelle Pryor that the Buckeyes need to see more of, especially in big games. While it’s nice to see him rack up these kinds of numbers against any opponent, as he continues to develop as a quarterback he needs to trust his arm and legs to make things happen against elite competition.

      This was a nice bounce back game for both Pryor and Ohio State. They’ll host Illinois next week in their Big Ten opener before facing Indiana on the road on October 3 and Wisconsin at home on October 10.

      College Football

      Tressel’s conservative approach once again dooms Ohio State

      September 13, 2009 /

      Over the last few seasons, Ohio State has gone into marquee matchups (whether it be the national championship or other wise) and the coaching staff has held back. For whatever reason, Jim Tressel succumbs to the pressure of big games and often plays not to lose.

      Entering their clash Saturday night against USC in Columbus, the Buckeyes had everything to gain and nothing to lose, or at least that’s how Tressel should have approached it. The Buckeyes were embarrassed last year at the Coliseum, but have a much better squad this season, especially at quarterback now that Terrelle Pryor is the full time starter.

      Tressel and his coaching staff would have benefited from staying aggressive for four quarters. Instead, Tressel once again played it close to the vest (no pun intended) and the end result was an 18-15 Trojans victory and yet another loss for the Buckeyes in a game big.

      Even though it was in the first quarter, one drive from this contest tonight painted a perfect picture of how Tressel game plans against opponents with equal or better talent.

      With just over four minutes left in the first quarter, Ohio State marched down the field methodically, keeping the ball on the ground until Pryor completed a 34-yard pass to DeVier Posey that got the Buckeyes to the USC 2-yard line.

      From there, Tressel attempted one pass (which fell incomplete), decided it was too dangerous to put the ball in the air again and then rushed Boom Herron consecutive times on 2nd and 3rd down, which resulted in a gain of just one yard. Facing a 4th and 1 from USC’s goal line, Tressel opted to kick the field goal instead of trying to punch it in and take a one-touchdown lead.

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      College Football

      Five Things to Watch: USC at Ohio State

      September 11, 2009 /

      One of the most anticipated matchups of the 2009 college football season takes place Saturday night in Columbus as the Ohio State Buckeyes host the USC Trojans one year after Pete Carroll’s team waxed Jim Tressel’s bunch at the Coliseum. Here are five things to keep an eye on as we get closer to kickoff.

      1. Which running game will take over?
      This game is going to be won or lost in the trenches. Whichever team can establish its running game and wear down their opponent’s defensive line will emerge unscathed. Carroll is starting a freshman quarterback (Matt Barkley) on the road and he’s not going to want to put the game on his young signal caller’s shoulders. Instead, he’ll trust that his running game (which chewed up San Jose State for 342 yards last week), led by junior Joe McKnight (14 carries, 145 yards, 2 TDs) and one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country will open things up for Barkley in the passing game. But McKnight (who fumbled twice last week) must protect the ball, because the Trojans won’t survive if they turn the ball over on the road. Defensively for the Trojans, they can expect to see a steady diet of “Boom” Herron and Brandon Saine after the duo combined to rush for 125 yards on 26 carries last week against Navy. Tressel will also get quarterback Terrelle Pryor on the move early and often in order to keep USC back on their heels.

      2. The X factor for Ohio State.
      Speaking of Pryor, this is a game that could help put him on the map as a passer. If the Buckeyes’ running game can get into a grove and open things up for the passing game, Pryor needs to capitalize on all the hard work he put in this summer and prove that he can beat opponents with his arm. Tressel has marveled at how far his sophomore quarterback has come as a passer since his first year and now it’s time for Pryor produce against a secondary that’s going to challenge his resolve. Taylor Mays is one of the best safeties in the nation, so it would be wise if Pryor stayed away from the senior’s side of the field. One thing Pryor shouldn’t be shy about doing, however, is moving around the pocket and making things happen with his legs. If passing lanes don’t start to open for him early on, moving around and creating his own lanes could be beneficial and keep the ball moving for OSU.

      3. Barkley gets a taste of the big stage.
      The fans at the “Horse Shoe” are going to make things a living hell for Barkley, so it’ll be interesting to see how the frosh quarterback does in his first real test of his collegiate career. Barkley has a strong arm and is a gunslinger through and through, but he falls victim to believing he can complete any pass in any coverage and he’s susceptible to throwing a high number of interceptions. Things can go south real quick for a young quarterback if he starts turning the ball over on the road, so Barkley needs to trust that his running game will open things up for him and he can take calculated risks only when they present themselves.

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      College Football

      USC-Ohio State to be decided on the ground?

      September 9, 2009 /

      Dave Curtis of The Sporting News.com thinks so:

      The Trojans rocked overmatched San Jose State for 342 rushing yards, an average of 7.6 yards per carry, and six touchdowns in their 56-3 victory. Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel raved about the USC offensive line, which cleared paths for all those gains.

      …center Kristofer O’Dowd is expected to return from a dislocated kneecap. The move shifts fill-in center Jeff Byers back to guard, and gives USC one of the most talented and most experienced offensive lines in the country.
      The backfield, though lacking Navy’s deception and misdirection, has more speed and strength than the Mids. Joe McKnight, who’s spent most of his Trojan career fighting injuries, emerged as USC’s primary back and racked up 145 yards on 14 carries Saturday afternoon.

      Ohio State, on the flip side, brings a defensive line capable of hanging with the Trojans. Veterans Doug Worthington, Cameron Heyward and Thaddeus Gibson have struggled in big games in the past but possess experience against top Big Ten teams and Texas in the Fiesta Bowl.

      The veteran presence falls off after that.

      Curtis brings up a good point. Everyone is focused on the two quarterbacks (OSU’s Terrelle Pryor and USC frosh starter Matt Barkley) in this huge matchup, but it probably won’t be an aerial show come Saturday night in Columbus. Both teams might try to wear each other down on the ground and then go for big strikes over top in the passing game.

      Pete Carroll has to rely on his running game. He has a freshman under center playing in a hostile environment; he can’t put everything on Barkley to win the game, and I highly doubt he will.

      College Football

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