Meadowdale H.S. graduation 2012
Middletown H.S. graduation 2012
Dunbar H.S. graduation 2012
Home > Blogs > Buckeyes Beat > Archives > 2008 > September > 20
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Pryor takes over as Buckeyes QB
Even though his coach won’t say it, Terrelle Pryor is Ohio State’s quarterback. That is obvious now, and Pryor showed he deserved a shot in a solid debut Saturday at a ho-hum Ohio Stadium.
Pryor passed for 139 yards and ran for 66 in a workmanlike 28-10 win over Troy. He threw four touchdown passes. Impressive. But best of all, in Jim Tressel’s eyes, he didn’t turn it over. Pryor’s one interception was a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.
Listening to Tressel last week, he sounded most disturbed that former starter Todd Boeckman had been careless with the football. After Saturday’s game, Tressel said he wished Boeckman would’ve got more than a few snaps, but was careful when someone asked whether Pryor was now OSU’s starter.
“Weren’t you at the game?” Tressel said. “You have to keep doing what you need to do.”
So, how about the new kid?
“It was feeling to me that Terrelle had some rhythm, making some plays with his feet,” Tressel said. “He has a lot of presence back there. He doesn’t get flustered when things aren’t perfect.”
Good quote, and maybe a message directed at Boeckman. And what about his senior QB?
“I wish Todd would’ve got to play more,” Tressel said. “I had a whole column of Todd things (on his play sheet).”
SOME THINGS that jump out on the stat sheet:
— Dan Herron rushed 20 times for 94 yards. Looks like Piqua’s Brandon Saine is officially a third-string tailback. “Boom is a football player. He’s a physical guy and wants the ball,” Tressel said (maybe sending a message to Saine?).
— Troy’s QB completed 30 of 43 passes. That’s a pretty good percentage, and something that has to concern the Buckeyes, who host Minnesota in their Big Ten opener next week.
— Northmont graduate Kurt Coleman intercepted two passes — the first two of his career, including a beauty during which he was undercut by teammate James Laurinaitis. “Kurt Coleman’s a player,” Tressel said. “He flies around and adds energy to a fast defense. We’re better when number 4’s in the game.”
— Just one turnover for the Buckeyes, and it really didn’t count. OSU cut down on turnovers, won the field-position battle (A.J. Trapasso dropped three punts inside the Troy 20), plugged away and won.
