Dante Smith Tight end Ryan Hamby helps Maurice Clarett celebrate his first touchdown as a Buckeye in the first quarter Saturday. Game stats Here are some of the key stats from Ohio State's 45-21 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday. OSU Rushing Clarett, Maurice: 21 carries, 175 yards, 3 TDs Hall,, Maurice: 13 carries, 74 yards Ross, Lydell: 16 carries, 40 yards, 2 TDs Krenzel, Craig: 4 carries, 34 yards McMullen, Scott: 2 carries, -5 yards, 1 TD Passing Krenzel, Craig: 11-for-14, 118 yards McMullen, Scott: 2-for-3, 42 yards Receiving Clarett, Maurice: 4 catches, 30 yards Jenkins, Michael: 3 catches, 58 yards Hall, Maurice: 2 catches, 25 yards Gamble, Chris: 2 catches, 11 yards Carter, Drew: 1 catch, 26 yards Hartsock, Ben: 1 catch, 10 yards Team 24 first downs 317 yards rushing 160 yards passing 74 offensive plays 35:56 time of possession 10 of 15 third-down conversions TEXAS TECH Rushing leader Henderson, Taurean: 3 carries, 32 yards Passing leader Kingsbury, Kliff: 26-for-44, 341 yards, 3 TDs, 1 interception Receiving leader Welker, Wes: 5 catches, 117 yards, 2 TDs Team 17 first downs 31 yards rushing 341 yards passing 64 offensive plays 24:04 time of possession 7 of 15 third-down conversions

COLUMBUS -- It may have been the earliest start ever to an Ohio State football season, but Saturday's Pigskin Classic found the Buckeyes to be in midseason form.

Make that mid-1996 form.

It's been six years since OSU advanced to the Rose Bowl, but a few more victories like the season-opening 45-21 rout of Texas Tech will have Buckeye fanatics booking season-ending flights to Pasadena.

A team supposedly rocked early in the week by the suspension of four players appeared not the least bit distracted as it rolled up 477 yards of offense, slowed Tech's pass-happy attack with seven sacks and threw an unforgettable coming-out party for freshman tailback Maurice Clarett.

Clarett, used to early starts as a Buckeye, rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns in his debut, added 30 yards in receptions and, perhaps most impressively, didn't get stopped once in the backfield on his 21 carries.

Enrolling at OSU last winter so he could participate in spring drills and get a head start on his college career obviously paid off for the Warren Harding product and Youngstown native.

Clarett had raised some eyebrows on Tuesday when he criticized the Buckeyes' lack of effort and intensity in practice. His bluntness could have come back to bite him had he not come through like a seasoned veteran against Tech.

"I can't call what I did after one game a success," he said humbly. "If you do this consistently over an entire season then you can call it success."

The 6-foot, 230-pound Clarett knows he can't afford to take his foot off the throttle. Sophomore tailbacks Lydell Ross (40 yards rushing, 2 TDs) and Maurice Hall (74 yards rushing) are anxious to play more than complementary roles.

"(Fans) love you today, but they may hate you tomorrow," Clarett said. "I'll take what I did with a grain of salt, go back to practice and try to do the best I can."

Usually, it would be easy to call Clarett's performance the difference in the game. His 59-yard burst over an overloaded right side pushed OSU's lead to 14-0 in the first quarter and his carbon-copy jaunt of 45 yards on the fourth snap of the second half put the Red Raiders in a 28-7 bind.

But the defense provided some pivotal plays as well.

Middle linebacker Matt Wilhelm proved he's completely recovered from reconstructive ankle surgery by making a team-high nine tackles, none more important than the wallop he put on halfback Foy Munlin at the goal line on fourth down. That preserved a 21-7 OSU lead at halftime.

Tech coach Mike Leach knew he'd be second-guessed for eschewing a chip-shot field goal on fourth-and-one.

"You have to be able to get six inches," Leach said. "Give Ohio State a lot of credit. They played well on both sides of the ball. They really didn't do anything we didn't prepare for. They just played well."

Leach and fifth-year quarterback Kliff Kingsbury were hoping to exploit OSU's young cornerbacks. The Raiders capitalized once when Richard McNutt slipped covering Carlos Francis on a fourth-and-two slant route. Once McNutt lost his footing, Francis had clear sailing for a 37-yard TD, cutting the Buckeyes' advantage to 14-7.

But Tech wasn't heard from again until Ohio State was safely in front 38-7, partly because of corner Dustin Fox's interception at the goal line in the third period.

Tech wide receiver Nehemiah Glover had worked free in the left corner of the end zone, but Fox recovered to making a diving stab of Kingsbury's floater, preventing Tech from cutting into OSU's 28-7 lead.

"I hope today took some doubts about us away," said Fox, speaking for McNutt. "I felt comfortable out there, and I think this will give Richard and me some confidence."

If Kingsbury (26 of 44, 341 yards, 3 TDs) is a Heisman Trophy candidate, what does that make counterpart Craig Krenzel?

Krenzel was a model of efficiency as an opening day pitcher, completing 11 of 14 passes for 118 yards and orchestrating six scores. He scrambled for 34 yards, didn't throw an interception and showed good poise on third-down conversions that led to touchdowns on OSU's first two series of the game.

"Probably what was best about Craig was what was best about the rest of the team," coach Jim Tressel said. "He played the role he needs to play to make us a better football team."

Originally published Sunday, August 25, 2002