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Urban Meyer and Ezekiel Elliott remember Penn State's physicality

By Audrey Snyder/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8 years ago

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State gets their shot at the top-ranked Buckeyes Saturday night in Columbus and Ohio State’s Urban Meyer said it was around this time last year when he learned more about the fight in his squad. 

In fact, is was during Ohio State’s 31-24 double overtime victory against Penn State where Meyer realized his team could be something special. 


Urban Meyer speaks to reporters during the team’s summer media day in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

“Up until that point we were good but I never really saw them fight,” he said Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches teleconference. “To crawl out from underneath a bad situation and they did that time, it was incredible. We did go back and watch it and that was a violent and tough game and a lot of credit to Penn State and our guys. That was a well played, tough football game.”

Interestingly enough, Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott said on a conference call Tuesday evening that Penn State’s physicality last season still stands out to him. Elliott carried the ball 26 times and rushed for 109 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. His longest run of the game was a pick up of 12 yards. 

“[The] Penn State game was a very tough, very physical game. That was probably maybe the second most physical game behind playing Alabama that I played last year,” Elliott said. His 139.2 rushing yards per game are eighth in the nation this season and he’s 25 yards shy of hitting 3,000 for his career. “It was a game where I think both teams played very physically and I just remember being real beat up after that game. … Every yard I earned that game. I definitely earned it.”

Here are some other highlights from Meyer’s teleconference followed by more from Elliott: 

Penn State worked the ball down the field behind a few deep shots against Indiana. How is Ohio State against the deep ball? 

Meyer: “We’ve got a lot of respect, we’ve known Christian Hackenberg for a while now. He’s got NFL abilities, their receivers are much improved. We’ve defended it pretty good this year. We gave up one last week but that was more of a we were out of position, but I think we’ve defended the deep ball pretty decent this year. The thing that’s hurt us is the quarterback run and [Hackenberg] actually ran the ball last week pretty good so we’ve got a lot of respect for Christian.”

How is Ezekiel Elliott better this year compared to last?

Meyer: “This time last year he was still becoming Ezekiel Elliott and now the playoff and the Big Ten Championship and final game obviously he became one of the best backs in the country and I think he doing great.

”This game last year was the best, one of the best I’ve ever seen a tailback play without the ball, and his blocking against a very good defense last year was outstanding. He started to separate himself from a good player to a great player last year around this time.“

Ezekiel Elliott:

Was last year’s game for you against Penn State the one where you went from being a good to great back?

Elliott: “I think that game kind of was a turning point for our whole team from the standpoint of the o-line and myself kind of getting a rhythm together and kind of lining up our plays. Last year we got it rolling at Penn State.” 

What stands out to you about this Penn State defensive line?

Elliott: “They’re just a physical bunch of guys that are very active with their hands and they’re a big, tough group.”

There are some questions in the polls about whether Ohio State is playing well enough to be ranked No. 1 in the country. What is your response to that?

Elliott: “I wouldn’t say that right now we are playing the best in the country right now, but you know that’s really not important now. All we’re really focused on is going out there and getting better every week and if you win every week then you won’t have anything to worry about at the end of the day.”

Audrey Snyder: asnyder@post-gazette.com and Twitter @audsnyder4.