Article published October 27, 2004
Smith gets call: Tressel names QB for Penn State game
Troy Smith had a lot of good statistics in the Indiana victory, but coach Jim Tressel's favorite was 0 turnovers.
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THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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By RON MUSSELMAN
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
COLUMBUS - The announcement caught Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith off guard, and had him scrambling for words.
He didn't know he was going to get his second consecutive start for the Buckeyes until coach Jim Tressel made his decision public yesterday during his weekly news conference.
"I was somewhat surprised by what he said, just like you probably were," Smith said. "But he made the decision and I'm ready to go with it."
Tressel said Smith will get the call on Saturday against Penn State even if former starter Justin Zwick has recovered from a mildly separated right throwing shoulder suffered early in the third quarter of the Iowa game.
"I think there's no question, that's the best thing for us," Tressel said.
Smith, who threw a late touchdown pass at Iowa for the Buckeyes' only points after replacing the injured Zwick, is 1-0 as a starter after beating Indiana 30-7 on Saturday.He completed 12 of 24 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns as the Buckeyes snapped a three-game losing streak. He also ran for 58 yards and directed an error-free offense that reached the 30-point plateau for the first time all season.
"He did the most important thing that any quarterback can do and that's lead an attack that didn't turn the football over," Tressel said. "And for the historians out there, I haven't found a game where the Ohio State quarterback had zero interceptions and rushed for more than 50 that we've ever lost."
Zwick went 3-3 and committed nine turnovers - six interceptions and three fumbles - while starting the first six games for the Buckeyes.
"As far as production goes, I worry about the things that I do, not the things that other people or other players do," Smith said. "Once I start thinking about someone else, I sort of take my mind off the things I need to do, so I'm focused on the things that I need to do."
Smith, a 6-1, 215-pound sophomore, helped Ohio State pile up 443 yards total offense against the Hoosiers - its highest total since the opener against Cincinnati. He also engineered first-quarter scoring drives of 80 and 85 yards.
His roommate, freshman tailback Antonio Pittman, ran for 144 yards and a touchdown as the Buckeyes racked up a season-high 282 rushing yards against Indiana.
"I felt as if I did a pretty good job," Smith said. "Of course, there's areas of my game I need to improve, day in and day out, which I will. But other than that, I felt pretty good, I felt pretty confident, in the way I played.
"One thing coach always talks about is decision-making. I felt like I did pretty good as far as making decisions for the betterment of my team - not turning the ball over, as always, and we came out with a victory."
Not everyone, though, was happy with the Buckeyes' victory over hapless Indiana, which remained winless in the Big Ten.
"People say a lot of things and it all depends on how you react to what they say," Smith said. "Indiana is a team, just like any other team. It's not like Indiana goes out there with nine people as opposed to everybody else having 11."
Tressel hinted that the starting job now may be Smith's to lose, but Smith remains cautious.
"I feel like the starting job is in coach Tressel's hands, in the rest of the coaching staff's hands," he said. "It's sort of like I'm on call. Anytime I get the call, I have to go out there and do the things I can do to help this team win.
"I'm always excited when I get a chance to play on Saturdays. Even in the 2002 season, when I redshirted, I was still excited going out there on the field as a Buckeye. I feel pretty happy being able to run out there with my guys with that jersey on and represent this great university and tradition."
Backup tailback Maurice Hall said Smith ran Ohio State's offense like a veteran last week, not someone making his first start.
"I definitely feel Troy was a factor," Hall said. "He's a fiery guy. He wants to make big plays. He encourages all the linemen, the receivers and the running backs to make big plays. You get excited about that and that's what you want in a quarterback."
Smith admits he might be "more of an upbeat guy" than Zwick in the huddle.
"I try to get as much out of my guys as I can," he said. "So the way I lead might be different from Justin, but I know Justin's a leader, just like I am."
Unless Zwick makes a miraculous recovery - he has been limited to tossing tennis balls on the sideline during practice - freshman Todd Boeckman will be Smith's backup once again.
"Preparation is the same for me, week in and week out, whether I start or whether I back someone up," Smith said. "I'm going to go out there and practice as hard as I can and do the things possible to help my team."
QUICK HITS: Senior tailback and co-captain Lydell Ross has been cleared to return to practice with the scout team and will dress for Saturday's game, but his one-game suspension has not yet been lifted. A complaint filed last week accused Ross of passing phony money coupons at a local strip club. "We're kind of sitting still, if you will, because there have been no charges," Tressel said. ... Kicker Mike Nugent leads the Big Ten in field goals made (2.14 per game), field goal percentage (88.2 percent) and scoring (8.6 points). ... Linebacker A.J. Hawk leads the conference in tackles per game (12.6). ... Penn State quarterback Zack Mills is expected to miss the game with a concussion, meaning backup Michael Robinson likely will make his second start of the season. ... Penn State is 0-5 at the Horseshoe in Big Ten play. ... The woeful Nittany Lions have lost their last eight road games.
Contact Ron Musselman at:
mussel@theblade.com
or 419-724-6474.
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