‘Beanie’ Wells has big game in return and Pryor has another big day as Ohio State rolls over Minnesota in Big Ten opener
Shaun Bennett | The Chronicle-Telegram
COLUMBUS — With Chris “Beanie” Wells missing Ohio State’s last three games, there were questions.
When Wells fumbled the ball during the Buckeyes’ second drive of the game Saturday, there were more questions.
When Wells launched his 6-foot-1, 237-pound frame over a Minnesota defender during a 21-yard gain, there were only wide eyes and open mouths.
Wells provided plenty of answers during his triumphant return from a foot injury suffered during the season opener, running 14 times for 106 yards in the Buckeyes’ 34-21 victory over the Golden Gophers in their Big Ten conference opener.
“I wasn’t looking — I was blocking downfield and saw that he broke free,” wide receiver Brian Robiskie said of Wells’ highlight move. “I heard the crowd cheer and I thought he must have broke free for a touchdown. But when I looked back, I saw Beanie had gotten tackled. I was like, ‘What’s everyone cheering for?’
“Someone said he’d hurdled a defender. I said, ‘You mean he stepped over somebody?’
They told me he got off the ground about 13 inches. He told me later that he was 8 feet in the air.”
While the exaggeration brought laugher in the interview room, the sight of a supposedly limited Wells soaring over safety Kyle Theret and into the Golden Gophers’ red zone was a surprise to everyone, including Wells.
“It felt like I was running in combat boots out there,” Wells said. “I had on those big old cleats, they were linemen’s cleats. I knew I couldn’t make a move on him so the only thing I could do was jump in the air.”
While Wells said he’s only about 75 percent — “I’m hoping to be about 90 percent by the end of the season,” he said — the Buckeyes didn’t need to rely too heavily on the banged-up running back.
Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor made his second straight start for Ohio State and was able to relieve the pressure off Wells with a career rushing day and another solid passing performance.
Pryor set a school record with 97 rushing yards (12.1 per carry) — the most by a true freshman quarterback — and two touchdowns. He also completed 8 of 13 passes for 70 yards and another score.
Pryor said it wasn’t just his performance that helped make things easier for Wells, but that the junior’s return to the lineup made his job easier, too.
“Of course, he’s the best back in the country so there was a big difference,” Pryor said.
Ohio State (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) also got boosts from Robiskie — who caught Pryor’s touchdown and added another from Todd Boeckman in the fourth quarter — and kicker Ryan Pretorius — who hit on a pair of field goals in the second quarter.
But it was Wells return to the lineup that helped Ohio State’s offense put up its best rushing performance of the season and gave Buckeye fans some confidence before a big road game against Wisconsin next weekend.
“It was great getting back out there,” Wells said. “All week I’ve been telling my teammates I felt like a caged animal.”
Contact Shaun Bennett at 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Shaun Bennett | The Chronicle-Telegram September 28th, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 3% |
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