Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Ohio ST
Bulldogs Falls to Ohio State 43-10
9/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio Stadium was a big hit. The jury is still out on the team that plays in it.
"The stadium, the field, the crowd - everything was great," coach John Cooper said Saturday after the No. 16 Buckeyes' 43-10 thrashing of Fresno State. Then he added, "Except the way we played."
David Mitchell returned a fumble and an interception for scores, and Michael Doss and Matt Wilhelm also provided defensive touchdowns before the largest crowd ever in remodeled Ohio Stadium.
But the Buckeyes looked sluggish on offense - the first team scored 10 points in the 12 times it had the ball. Ohio State also set a school record with 136 yards in penalties.
"We can play better," Cooper said.
Mitchell's 34-yard fumble recovery came just 21 seconds after Doss plopped on another fumble in the end zone, giving the Buckeyes a 13-0 lead late in the first quarter.
"After the first series, we shut them down," said Wilhelm, who returned an interception 25 yards for a score in the fourth quarter. "Their mistakes really put a nail in the coffin."
Mitchell also picked off a tipped pass and brought it back 51 yards for a touchdown.
Fresno State turned the ball over six times, including four interceptions by David Carr. Ohio State does not keep track of defensive touchdowns in a game, but the school's sports information office said it believed four is a record.
"Whenever you turn the ball over four times for 28 points, that's not going to help you against a good opponent on the road," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "I told John Cooper after the game I'd love to play them again."
The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Ohio State, trying to bounce back from a 6-6 season. It was the Buckeyes' 22nd consecutive victory in a home opener.
Ohio State's defense provided almost all of the thrills for the record crowd of 96,583, breaking the mark of 95,537 set at the 1995 Notre Dame game.
The opener for both teams was the first played in the expanded 78-year-old stadium. Two years into a three-year rebuilding program that will cost $187 million, new permanent stands were built in what used to be the open end of the "Horseshoe" and 19 rows were added atop the second deck. In addition, the field was lowered 14 1/2 feet to accommodate expanded seating near the field.
The crowd was quiet late in the first quarter after the Buckeyes failed to score on four runs from inside the Fresno State 2.
But two plays later, after taking over at their 6-inch line, the Bulldogs made their first big mistake. Derrick Ward ran up the middle and was hit by Ryan Pickett and fumbled. Doss, laying on the grass on the goal line, reached out with his hand and raked in the ball for the score.
After the kickoff Carr flipped a first-down pass to David Shabaglian at the right sideline, but he dropped the ball. Mitchell picked it up in stride and raced 34 yards for the score.
"I think we were a little fazed after the turnovers," Hill said.
The Buckeyes were leading 20-0 early in the third quarter when they were again stopped on a fourth-and-1, at the Fresno 40. But Carr's pass to the right sideline was tipped at the line and sailed to Mitchell near midfield. He coasted into the end zone.
"Today was what I was waiting for - your parents are here, your friends are here," Mitchell said. "I always believe good things will happen, but the interception was too easy. The quarterback threw it right to me."
Carr finished 26-of-44 for 238 yards with the four interceptions.
"This will help us a lot for the upcoming season," Carr said.
Ohio State's offense also struggled all day. In addition to the two drives that stalled on fourth down, quarterback Steve Bellisari fumbled a center snap that was returned 46 yards by Orlando Huff. But Doss intercepted Carr's pass on the next play.
Bellisari was erratic throwing the ball, but had a 23-yard TD pass to Chad Cacchio and ran for 52 yards on 10 scrambles.
"We kind of did what we wanted to do," Bellisari said. "We just didn't execute the big play."
Both teams scored in the final 5 seconds - Fresno State on Jeff Grady's 9-yard pass to Marque Davis, and Scott McMullen's 44-yard heave to Ricky Bryant on the last play of the game.
