By
Ryan Finley
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Jenkins scampers, sputters en route to 27-17 loss
So much for a perfect season.
Dogged by penalties and harassed by Ohio State's swarming defense, the UA football team (1-1 overall) dropped its first game of the season Saturday night, in a 27-17 loss to the Buckeyes.
"Ohio State makes plays (and) we don't," junior defensive back Brandon Nash said of the team's loss. "We all take responsibility for what happened."
Bolstered by a 17-point run in the second half, the Buckeyes (2-0 overall) notched their second win in as many weeks.
The turning point in the game occurred when, with 7:53 left in the third quarter, OSU quarterback Steve Bellisari completed a 60-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chad Cacchio, tying the game, 17-17.
Despite struggling throughout the first half, Bellisari finished the game with 12 completions for 240 yards.
"Coming into the second half, we had our backs up against the wall," Bellisari said. "It was going to take some big plays in the second half for us to get on top. We did that, and it feels good."
After forcing a UA punt, the Buckeyes - bolstered by key penalty calls - drove 72 yards in just three minutes to take a 24-17 lead with 2:44 left in the third quarter.
Running back Jonathan Wells' one-yard touchdown run proved to be all the Buckeyes needed - OSU added a field goal in the fourth quarter to prevail by 10 points.
"We settled down in the second half and adjusted well," OSU head coach John Cooper said. "We were calm in the locker room during halftime, (and) we just concentrated on things."
Entering the break with a 17-10 lead, the Wildcat offense seemed to collapse in the second half.
For the second straight week, the Wildcat offense appeared anemic in the face of stiff competition.
Senior quarterback Ortege Jenkins went just 11-for-23 from the field in his second consecutive shaky start. In last weekend's 17-3 victory against Utah, the senior completed just three of 15 passes.
Saturday night, the senior was unable to elude Buckeye defenders and was sacked eight times in the loss. Jenkins struggled to gain yardage on his feet as well - the senior ran the ball 19 times for just four yards.
UA's offensive line, hobbled by the first-quarter departure of left guard Steven Grace, who left the game with a left shoulder injury, was seemingly boggled by OSU's pass-rushing schemes and superior size.
"The problem was Ohio State kicked our butts," senior center Bruce Wiggins said. "In the second half, we got behind We didn't pick up blitzes. We couldn't protect O.J., and they teed off on him."
Jenkins, who has yet to return to his 1999 form, was visibly frustrated in the game's waning moments.
"I'd be frustrated, too, if I was getting sacked every play," Wiggins said. "I can't blame him - there were silver helmets in every direction."
Despite the team's offensive woes, Arizona was able to compete with the Buckeyes thanks to key defensive and special teams play.
With 10:47 left in the first quarter, OSU kick returner Nate Clements fumbled a Chris Palic punt that was recovered by Arizona's Malosi Leonard on the Buckeye 19-yard line.
Two plays later, Jenkins scored 10- yard touchdown on a naked bootleg.
At the time, Jenkins' sneak gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead but UA's clutch plays seemed few and far between, however.
"They made more big plays," Wiggins said. "They made more little plays."
Jenkins continued to miss his receivers, including tight end Brandon Manumaleuna. Despite being one of the Pacific 10 Conference's best tight ends, the senior has yet to catch a pass in 2000.
"We haven't been able to get the ball to Brandon," Tomey said. "He should be an integral part of our offense."
According to sophomore wide receiver Bobby Wade, success will come with experience.
"O.J.'s got a new lineup of receivers, (but) we've got to get the offense rolling," Wade said. "We've got to get it together."
