Posey's home season: 1 game
11/20/2011
Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey, who had been suspended for 10 games, makes a catch for a first down against Penn State's D'Anton Lynn in the first quarter. Posey made four catches for 66 yards.
COLUMBUS -- Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey, who served a pair of five-game suspensions this season, returned Saturday just in time to be announced as one of 24 Buckeye seniors playing their final game in Ohio Stadium.
Posey received the biggest ovation of the bunch from the crowd of 105,493, then started for the Buckeyes, playing his first game since the Sugar Bowl in early January.
"He came out ready to play," Ohio State senior offensive lineman Mike Adams said about Posey. "I think he showed that. It's great to have another leader out there on the field during the game."
On Ohio State's third play of the 20-14 loss to Penn State, Posey improvised his route as quarterback Braxton Miller scrambled out of the pocket and extended the play. Posey looped behind the Penn State defense and caught a pass from Miller for a 39-yard gain.
"We know he can make a lot of plays in that situation," Ohio State coach Luke Fickell said. "I think his first catch was a scramble and a broken play. And he obviously did what you expect him to do . . . and Braxton finds him."
Posey finished the game with four receptions for 66 yards, which included a nifty one-handed grab for an 18-yard gain early in the second quarter. His 39-yard catch earlier in the game was Ohio State's second-longest pass play of the 2011 season.
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"It felt normal to be out there, to be with the guys," Posey said about returning to the playing field for the first time in nearly 11 months. "I was excited. I just hope the young guys learned a lot tonight."
BIG STAND: After a Jordan Hall fumble set Penn State up at the OSU 11 about midway through the third quarter, the Nittany Lions pushed to the 1-yard line and took three cracks at the end zone from there, but each time the Ohio State defense made a stop on the play. The Buckeyes took over on downs at their own one.
MILLER'S TIME: Miller, OSU's freshman QB, had 188 of Ohio State's 289 total yards, rushing for 105 yards on 18 carries and passing for another 83 yards.
Miller had a 24-yard touchdown run for the Buckeyes early in the second quarter and threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Stoneburner with about five minutes left in the first half.
Miller's six touchdown runs this season have all come in Ohio State's last four games.
SUPER SUB: True freshman Ryan Shazier started at linebacker, replacing senior Andrew Sweat who was out with a concussion he suffered in last week's loss to Purdue. Shazier made the most of the first start of his career, turning in a team-best 15 tackles.
GETTING PICKY: Ohio State defensive back Orhian Johnson gave the Buckeyes the short field with his pass interception in the second quarter which set Ohio State up at the Penn State 37. The Buckeyes scored a touchdown five plays later. Johnson has three interceptions this season and four in his career.
STONEBURNER SIGHTING: Ohio State junior tight end Jake Stoneburner, who had four touchdown catches in the first two games of the season but had not caught a single pass in the three most-recent games against Wisconsin, Indiana, and Purdue, had one catch for seven yards and a touchdown Saturday against Penn State. He leads the Buckeyes with seven touchdown receptions this season.