OSU football: Frosh QB Bauserman gets noticed in spring game
Shaun Bennett | The Chronicle-Telegram
COLUMBUS — Junior wide receiver Brian Hartline knows that one thing about every Ohio State spring football game remains the same.
“Every year you see a young guy that does something exciting in the spring game,” Hartline said after his Scarlet team came away with a
20-7 victory over the Gray squad Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium. “Some of the younger guys really stepped up today. They looked good out there.”
Hartline should know what he’s talking about as it was he who had the breakout performance last year, and he led the Scarlet team this year with six catches for 82 yards.
But it was the second-quarter connection between freshman quarterback Joe Bauserman and sophomore wide receiver Taurian Washington on the opposite team that had Hartline, the rest of the Buckeyes and the 76,346 people who sat in the rain oohing and ahhing.
On first-and-10 from the Gray 49-yard line, Bauserman dropped back and let go of a towering pass down the middle of the field. Washington, who had managed to split the Scarlet defenders, ran underneath the ball and into the end zone for a touchdown play that looked way too impressive for a couple of backup players.
“Joe can always make the play, whether it’s with his feet or with his arm,” Gray junior defensive back Kurt Coleman said. “Man, does he have an arm — he can throw the ball really deep. I think he can definitely be the second quarterback on this team.”
Bauserman and Washington hooked up four times for 71 yards, and had a 63-yard touchdown — that looked nearly identical to the first — called back after sophomore tackle Andrew Miller was called for holding.
“Taurian just knows how to get open,” Coleman said. “Joe just gave him the opportunities to make plays, and that’s all you can ask of your quarterback.”
While Bauserman (who could end up as the fourth quarterback behind backups Terrelle Pryor and Antonio Henton) clearly had a vote of confidence from Coleman, starter Todd Boeckman — a fifth-year senior — looked solid in leading the Scarlet squad to victory. Boeckman was 12-of-18 passing and ran for a 1-yard score to take the early 7-0 lead.
“When they called the quarterback sneak, I was like, ‘Are you serious?’” Boeckman said.
The day wasn’t all sunshine and roses for Boeckman, however, as he was sacked twice and threw a pair of interceptions. He was working without top running back Chris Wells and top receiver Brian Robiskie, two of a number of players resting injuries.
The sacks were due to a couple of breakdowns on the Scarlet offensive line, and the interceptions were merely the result of a pair of athletic plays by Gray defenders Ross Homan and Coleman.
“I thought Todd played solid,” Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. “On the interception that Kurt Coleman made, the ball wasn’t that far underthrown. I don’t think B. Hart noticed that Kurt was that close and Kurt made a great play.
“On the other interception, I thought maybe Todd tried to force it a little bit, and Ross made a good diving pick. But other than those two plays, I thought (Boeckman) showed good command and good understanding.”
The interceptions may have had a few of the fans at the Horseshoe feeling a bit nervous. Boeckman had thrown six in the final three games last season — including three in a home loss to Illinois and another pair in the national championship loss to LSU.
It was during that stretch, according to senior running back Maurice Wells, that the Buckeyes began using a toss (or pitchout) play for some success in the running game.
“We put it in during the Illinois game last season and it really took off,” Wells said. “This spring it’s been our main run play.”
The Buckeyes used the pitch play eight times — all in the first three quarters — between five different running backs. Wells picked up 8 yards on two pitchouts; sophomore Brandon Saine had
minus-6 yards on three attempts; sophomore K.C. Christian picked up 2 yards on his only pitchout; junior Marcus Williams picked up 6 yards on one attempt and junior Joe Gantz had no gain on his one pitchout.
Despite the limited success either squad had with the play on Saturday, Wells insists that the pitchout is his favorite way to get the ball.
“I love it,” he said. “It gives me, as a running back, the freedom to run and make decisions at a quicker pace.”
Although the game was full contact and the players seemed to understand the importance of getting the most they could out of the spring game, there was still plenty of time for fun moments and sideline high jinks.
“Yeah, I was talking a little trash to (Gray assistant coach and former OSU standout receiver) Cris Carter out there,” Hartline said with a laugh. “I yelled over at him when we were walking off the field at halftime and said, ‘You’d better come up with a solution in the second half.’
“I had to kind of catch myself and remember that I was talking to a future Hall of Famer.”
Contact Shaun Bennett at
329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com.
Scarlet 20, Gray 7
Gray 0 7 0 0 — 7
Scarlet 7 3 7 3 — 20
First Quarter
Scar—Boeckman 1 run (Pettrey kick), 1:37
Second Quarter
Gray—T .Washington 51 pass from Bauserman (Pretorius kick), 2:49
Scar—FG 48 Pettrey, 00:00
Third Quarter
Scar—Herron 1 run (Pettrey kick), :23
Fourth Quarter
Scar—FG 24 Mattimoe, :41
A—76,346
Gray Scarlet
First downs 8 12
Rushes-yards 21-44 24-61
Passing 136 207
Comp-Att-Int 8-20-0 17-25-2
Return Yards 131 48
Punts-Avg. 5-35.4 2-36.0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 9-79 6-44
Time of Possession 17:21 25:58
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Gray, M.Williams 3-20, Bauserman 8-12, M.Wells 3-10, Henton 1-10, Gantz 1-0, Sanzenbacher, 1-(minus 4), Saine 4-(minus 4). Scarlet, Herron 10-30, Christian 2-23, DeLande 6-21, Henton 3-(minus 4), Boeckman 3-(minus 9).
PASSING—Gray, Bauserman 7-14-0-125, Henton 1-5-0-11, Saine 0-1-0-0. Scarlet, Boeckman 12-18-2-145, Henton 5-7-0-62.
RECEIVING—Gray, T.Washington 4-71, Schuck 2-41, Kacsandi 1-13, Sanzenbacher 1-11. Scarlet, Hartline 6-82, Small 5-74, Nichol 2-17, Ruhl 2-9, Stoneburner 1-19, DeLande 1-6.
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Filed by Shaun Bennett | The Chronicle-Telegram April 19th, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 4% |
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