Katzenmoyer Robs Banks of Spotlight

The nation’s top-ranked offense ran into the nation’s top-ranked linebacker on Saturday and let’s just say Andy Katzenmoyer won the head-on collision.

In No. 7 Ohio State’s 23-7 victory against No. 11 Iowa before a crowd of 92,536 at Ohio Stadium, Katzenmoyer did everything but lead the band through its famous “Script Ohio.”

The Buckeyes’ sophomore linebacker stuffed Iowa’s star back, Tavian Banks, in his first three carries, holding him to minus-two yards, was the lead blocker at fullback on Michael Wiley’s one-yard, second-quarter scoring run--becoming the first No. 45 in the Ohio State backfield since Archie Griffin--and then clinched the Buckeyes’ victory when he intercepted a Matt Sherman pass with 6:40 remaining.

“Sideline to sideline, he’s probably got as good as range as any linebacker I’ve ever seen,” Iowa Coach Hayden Fry said.

Iowa (4-1) was not totally exposed as a fraud in the game, but the investigation continues. The Hawkeyes entered the contest leading the nation in total offense--567.8 yards per game--and averaged 55.3 points in frat-house raids against football hayseeds Northern Iowa, Tulsa, Iowa State and Illinois.

Saturday was a reality check, with Ohio State holding Iowa to a touchdown and 106 rushing yards.

It was Ohio State’s goal to hold Iowa to less than 125 yards and perhaps change the topic regarding Heisman hopefuls.

The Buckeyes succeeded on both fronts. People went into the game talking about Banks--the nation’s rushing leader with 835 yards and an ungodly 9.1 yards-per-carry average--but left raving about Katzenmoyer.

Banks finished respectably, with 84 yards in 22 carries, but was trumped and thumped by Katzenmoyer’s nine unassisted tackles and two assists.

“He was in the backfield more often than I was today,” Banks said. “He came from the back side and he came from the front side. He has great quickness. We expected that, we just couldn’t do anything about it.”

Leading with his chin, Katzenmoyer set the game’s tone on Iowa’s first possession, hawking Banks like a heat-seeking missile.

Banks carried four times on the opening drive and never got beyond the line of scrimmage.

“I think that was a real big momentum-builder for us,” Buckeye defense end Tony Eisenhard said. “Iowa feeds on emotion. When we stopped them it had a snowball effect. It dampened their emotions.”

Ohio State (5-0) was not totally revealed as a national power either, showing enough weaknesses to draw a chorus of second-half boos.

It has been the Buckeyes’ pattern in four previous victories. They played good enough to win, but not good enough to win the loyalists over. Saturday, they botched an extra-point attempt, missed a field-goal try, and came away with no points after Percy King blocked an Iowa second-quarter field-goal attempt.

It had the makings of a blowout after Wiley’s one-yard run with 38 seconds left in the half put Ohio State up, 10-0. Wiley’s path over right tackle was cleared by Katzenmoyer, making his debut in the Ohio State backfield.

Katzenmoyer took out free safety Eric Thigpen on the play, with Wiley cutting inside his block for the score.

“I practiced it the last four weeks, and in camp,” Katzenmoyer said of his fullback role. “I was prepared for it and ready for it.”

The next step for Katzenmoyer is to take the handoff himself.

“I hope so,” he said. “I hope they give me the ball. I’ll just help out the team any way I can.”

Ohio State quickly expanded its 10-0 halftime lead, making it 16-0 on its first second-half possession, driving 72 yards in six plays for a touchdown, a six-yard pass from Stanley Jackson to David Boston with 10:35 left in the quarter.

But Dan Stultz’s extra-point attempt hooked wide left, and it seemed to give Iowa hope. The Hawkeyes countered with an 80-yard drive, sparked by Banks’ 28-yard run on third and four to the Ohio State 13. Three plays later, Sherman rolled to his right and hit tight end Austin Wheatley for a six-yard scoring pass to make the score 16-7.

Iowa was still in the game, facing third and seven at the Ohio State 45, when Katzenmoyer stepped in again.

Sherman fired a pass toward receiver Tim Dwight, who had slipped on his cut and deflected the ball with his left hand. The ball then bounced off Buckeye cornerback Antonio Winfield into the hands of Katzenmoyer, who was trailing the play.

The interception was fatal to Iowa’s comeback hopes, as Ohio State drove 57 yards in five plays to score again, on Wiley’s 11-yard run with 3:13 left.

How overrated was Iowa? It’s hard to tell. Its defense held its own and the offense did finish with 308 total yards.

Banks even got an endorsement from the man who hounded him.

“He’s an excellent back,” Katzenmoyer said. “He had an off day, or maybe we played great.”

How underrated was Ohio State? Even harder to tell. The Buckeye defense was solid and did a great job of keeping the ball away from Iowa’s dangerous kick return tandem of Dwight and Tony Collins.

Ohio State will know more next week, when it treks to Happy Valley to face No. 2 Penn State. Iowa gets a week off before taking on Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Banks can use the time off to clear his mind of a certain middle linebacker.

“I think he probably won the Butkus Award today,” Banks said of Katzenmoyer.

Funny, but Ohio State has another award in mind.