First Posted: 9/10/2014
COLUMBUS — Third and forever they call it sometimes when a football team’s offense has to pick up big yardage on third down to get a first down.
For Ohio State’s defense, though, it was more like third and forgettable several times in its 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech last Saturday night.
Virginia Tech made first downs seven times when it faced a third down and 5 yards or longer to go. The Hokies made a first down twice when it was third and nine and once when it was third and 17.
Maybe the costliest instance was when the Buckeyes couldn’t stop them on a third and seven in the fourth quarter right after tying the game 21-21 on a touchdown by Ezekiel Elliott. Not far behind was giving up a first down on third and seven in the second quarter when they had Virginia Tech pinned back on its own 4-yard line.
“The stadium was alive, the team was juiced up on the sideline and we needed a stop to give the offense the ball back again and we just made a couple of mistakes,” Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash said about the fourth-quarter breakdown. “It had nothing to do with effort or the calls that were made. We just made some mistakes.
“Are we discouraged about the game last Saturday? Absolutely. Could we have played better in a couple of situations? Absolutely,” he said. “It’s just the little things, attention to detail.
“We’ll get it fixed. Critical situations you have to be at your best and for whatever reasons we weren’t last Saturday,” Ash said, looking ahead to this Saturday’s game against Kent State.
Notes:
• FACKLER, BAHR UPDATE: Brice Fackler, a sophomore tight end from Kenton, has played in both of Kent State’s games but does not have a catch. He is listed No. 2 at tight end on the Golden Flashes’ depth chart
Freshman Matt Bahr, a safety from Kenton, has not played and might be redshirted this season.
• HONORING A TEAMMATE: The No. 54 Kent State’s players will wear on their helmets on Saturday and in every game this season is to honor teammate Jason Bitsko, who died in his sleep of natural causes on Aug. 20.
Bitsko, a fourth-year junior from Huber Heights Wayne High School, was scheduled to be Kent State’s starting center this season after starting at tackle last year.
• TREADWELL AT KENT STATE: Don Treadwell, who was fired five games into last season as Miami of Ohio’s head coach, is the running backs coach for Kent State.
Treadwell, who was Michigan State’s offensive coordinator when he was hired at Miami, had an 8-21 record with the Redhawks, including 0-5 last season.
Kent State ranks No. 120 out of 124 teams nationally in rushing yards per game at 47.5.
• MEYER REMEMBERS THE MAC: With Ohio State playing a Mid-American Conference team on Saturday, OSU coach Urban Meyer remembered his two seasons at Bowling Green in 2001 and 2002.
“First of all, I loved Bowling Green. We took a team that was really struggling and our first game we go beat Missouri. One of the darnedest things you’ve ever seen. It was one of those moments where it was like, ‘I can’t believe that just happened,’ ” he said.
“It’s a great opportunity, especially in that conference because you recruit all the same players. That’s why I love the MAC. That team comes out of the locker room and they all look alike. Usually the team with the quarterback wins that conference, and there have been some phenomenal quarterbacks come out of the MAC, really good players, too. But they don’t have the depth. But it’s a really good coaching league because for the most part they’re all about the same talent-wise.”
