Ohio State Defense Strikes Often

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 touchdowns, 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 only 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 21 seconds after Doss fell on a fumble in the end zone, giving the Buckeyes a 13-0 lead in the first quarter.

Fresno State turned the ball over six times, including four interceptions by quarterback David Carr.

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.