The Herald, Sharon, PA Published Tuesday, Aug. 26, 1997
Football '97

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  • OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
    1997 season preview


    Buckeyes will rely on numbers

    1997 schedule
    Wyoming (Aug. 28) (ESPN2)
    Bowling Green (Sept. 13)
    Arizona (Sept. 20) (ABC)
    @ Missouri (Sept. 27) (ABC)
    Iowa (Oct. 4)
    @ Penn State (Oct. 11)
    Indiana (Oct. 18)
    Northwestern (Oct. 25) (ABC)
    @ Michigan State (Nov. 1)
    @ Minnesota (Nov. 8)
    Illinois (Nov. 15)
    @ Michigan (Nov. 22) (ABC)
    COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ Damon Moore has already heard the snide comments.

    On call-in shows, in newspaper columns, maybe even at the summer classes he is taking to retain his eligibility, the Ohio State free safety has heard how the Buckeyes' defense _ which lost eight starters to graduation and the NFL draft _ could be a liability this fall.

    ``If you ask me, I'm more concerned about the offense, personally,'' he said, only half kidding.

    Gone are linebackers Greg Bellisari and Ryan Miller, linemen Luke Fickell, Mike Vrabel and Matt Finkes, and backs Shawn Springs, Ty Howard and Rob Kelly from one of the top defenses in the nation.

    That leaves Moore, a Fostoria junior, along with two others who started in the Rose Bowl, tackle Winfield Garnett and Big Ten freshman of the year linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer.

    Moore bristles when it is suggested that the offense might have to carry the defense, at least for a while.

    ``We have a lot of talent back there,'' he said. ``You just haven't seen it because we've been producing a lot of other great players. I'm sure once these guys get a chance to shine, you're going to know their names.''

    Among the fresh faces are linemen John Day and Jim Bell, both of whom have hung around the program waiting for their turn and are now seniors down to their last chance. There is also linebacker Kevin Johnson, who started most of the 1995 season but was redshirted last year when Bellisari was moved outside to make way for Katzenmoyer.

    Central McClellion, Che' Bryant, Ahmed Plummer and Gary Berry have left their mark as special-teams players, but haven't done much under game duress in the secondary.

    And guys like Jerry Rudzinski, Antoine Winfield and Marcel Willis have long been on the fringes, making contributions in practice but seldom doing it on Saturday afternoon.

    Then there are the newcomers such as Rodney Bailey, Paul Breed, Courtland Bullard, Tim Cheatwood, David Mitchell, Jason Ott, Heath Queen and Greg Simpson. They might get in the mix.

    ``What I could see us doing with this football team is making it a lot more of a team effort,'' said Ohio State coach John Cooper. ``We'll play a lot more players. Unlike the last couple of years with guys like Vrabel and Fickell, we're deep enough that we won't have to play these guys the whole game. We can play a lot more players because we've got a lot more players.''

    Moore and Katzenmoyer figure to be players who won't miss too many downs.

    Five defensive players were taken in the first six rounds of April's NFL draft, with Springs going as the third pick in the opening round to Seattle, two slots behind top pick and teammate Orlando Pace.

    But it was Moore who led the team in tackles.

    ``You don't need superstars like Springs and Katzenmoyer _ although it doesn't hurt if you have them,'' Moore said.




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