BIG TEN ROUNDUP : Ohio State Holds On, Beats Louisville, 23-15

With Ohio State leading, 16-0, early in the fourth quarter and a hostile crowd of more than 90,000 at Columbus, Ohio, asking for more, Louisville Coach Howard Schnellenberger tried just about everything.

“I prayed a lot and I cussed a lot,” Schnellenberger said.

And quarterback Erik Watts passed a lot, but his last-minute pass into the end zone that could have led to a tie fell incomplete and the 19th-ranked Buckeyes escaped with a 23-15 victory Saturday.

Louisville took over for the final time at its 29 with 2:30 left. Watts, a graduate student making his first start after five years in the program, completed four consecutive passes for 49 yards to help the Cardinals get close.

But with third and one at the Ohio State 12, a run lost a yard and then Watts’ pass for Greg Brohm was incomplete.

“On the third down, I didn’t think they would ever think we would run it. But it didn’t work,” Schnellenberger said. “Then on fourth down, we called the same pass that we had scored on earlier.”

This time it didn’t work.

Watts, who completed 22 of 43 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns, said: “I should have been better out there. The loss is on me with three interceptions.”

Said Ohio State Coach John Cooper: “We’re 2-0, but I’m not very happy with the way we played today. We had way, way, way too many penalties (15 for 118 yards). We had some chances early in the game to put them away. But you’ve got to give Louisville a lot of credit. They’re a scrappy football team.”

Butler By’not’e scored his second touchdown to give Ohio State a 16-0 lead on the first play of the final quarter.

But Tim Williams’ extra-point kick was blocked by Louisville’s Leonard Ray. Ray Buchanan picked up the loose ball and returned it 80 yards for a safety and the Cardinals’ first points of the game.

Louisville (0-2) then scored on a 48-yard pass play from Watts to Jose Gonzalez.

Ohio State (2-0) came back with Carlos Snow, who did not play last year while recuperating from surgery to remove a bone tumor on his hip, scoring on a 16-yard run with 11:55 left.

Watts passed 13 yards to Fred Jones to make it 23-15 and set the stage for the Cardinals’ final drive.

Missouri 23, Illinois 19--Phil Johnson threw three touchdown passes, including an 18-yarder to Skip Leach with less than five minutes left, to give the Tigers a victory over the Illini at Columbia, Mo.

The Illini had a chance to win the game, but tight end Ken Dilger dropped a pass in the end zone with 1:49 left.

Johnson, a sophomore, threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Dunn in the seesaw fourth quarter and a 22-yarder to Byron Chamberlain in the second quarter for Missouri (1-0).

Jason Verduzco, Illinois’ junior quarterback, completed 30 of 58 passes for 430 yards, but had only one touchdown pass--a 54-yard play to Elbert Turner.

Chris Richardson kicked four field goals for Illinois (1-1).

Minnesota 26, San Jose State 20--Linebacker Andre Davis returned an interception 25 yards for the winning touchdown at Minneapolis.

It was Minnesota’s first home-opening victory in four years.

With San Jose State (0-2) leading, 20-15, early in the fourth quarter, Minnesota defensive end Ben Williams hit Matt Veatch just as he threw the ball. Davis intercepted the fluttering ball, broke two tackles to score.

Davis’ touchdowns came after Mike Chalberg, a 18-year-old New Zealander playing his first collegiate game, made a 31-yard field goal with 6:56 left to give Minnesota (1-0) a 26-20 lead.

San Jose’s Veatch, who completed 24 of 45 passes for 385 yards, teamed with Byron Jackson on a school-record 95-yard touchdown pass play.

Wisconsin 31, Western Illinois 13--Troy Vincent returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown and had another 151 yards on kick returns as the Badgers (1-0) rallied to beat the Division I-AA Leathernecks (1-1) at Madison, Wis.

Rice 36, Northwestern 7--Trevor Cobb ran for three touchdowns, including one for 79 yards, as the Owls (1-0) routed the Wildcats (0-1) at Evanston, Ill.