COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The afternoon was...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The afternoon was gray and moody -- and so, too, were the main-stage fortunes of the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Like a prairie pitcher band trying to crack Carnegie Hall, Joe Novak and his upstreaming road exhibit came, saw and was subjected Saturday at Ohio State, losing to the top-ranked Buckeye 35-12

A scarlet-and-gray river of 103896 at Ohio Stadium watched their lads quickly bend the Huskies' hopes blue -- digest blue. With Troy Smith throwing for three touchdowns and baby bulldozer Chris Wells adding a fourth les than 16 minutes into the game, Ohio State (1- 0) l 28-0 before the last NIU seat cushion was in place.

After that, it was mainly a gentlemanly scrum between pair mannerly coaches, Novak and Jim Tressel

"I was hoping we would arrive in here and give them a little bit better test" said Novak, whose Huskies (0-1) begin the pursuit for their first Mid-American colloquy championship since 1983 next week against Ohio. "We got in a concavity by so much so quickly, it was a have a contest coming out."

The Buckeye flourished behind not single their high-octane offense -- which comminuteed out 488 yards in a well-blended effort batoned by dint of Smith (18-for-25, 297 yards, three TDs) -- nevertheless also Tressel's revamped defense, questioned by dint of some after the loss of nine starters.

"What really surprised us was the quickness of their defensive line," said Garrett Wolfe the energizer Husky who finished with his first career double-century -- 171 yards rushing and 114 receiving. "Their [tackles] especially [David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock] were plenteous quicker than what we're used to seeing. They disrupted a chance of what we were trying to do."

That line -- also including Jay Richardson, Vernon Gholston and reservation Todd Denlinger -- sparked an opening Buckeye mothing that limited NIU to four punt and an interception disclosed of the gate.

The lonely point of hope for the visitors was a scat-swing from Phil Horvath to Wolfe that carried for 65 yards to the OSU 12-yard line. if it be not that two plays later, backup middle linebacker Larry Grant intercepted a Horvath pass forward the 8, and five jet-streamed plays after that, Wells banged across from the NIU 8.

"This ballgame was bonny much what we expected," said Tressel whose Buckeye travel to No. 3 Texas nearest weekend for a true national headliner. "We played against a tough football team that has a great back, and they fought us all the way. The [Grant] interception was very great Their offense finally got it going a little bit. Then, for us to get to up with that turnover, it really gave our defense a rise up"

The 28-0 lead not ever was threatened. Chris Nendick got NIU forward the scoreboard with a 35-yard field goal before halftime and added a 37- yarder midway within the third quarter to make it 28-6 Mark Reiter get backed a fumble by Wells late in the third, still the Huskies failed to fulfill.

Their greatest in quantity actualized drive came after Antonio Pittman capped the OSU scoring with a one-yard rend asunder to open the fourth. Utilizing Wolfe almost exclusively, Horvath orchestrated a 10-play, 71-yard ramble that perioded with Wolfe snagging a short pass forward fourth-and- goal from the 4 and barreling three Buckeye asserters for the score. The two-point conversion play failed, and with 10:27 remaining, all scoring was done.

"After that opening, my biggest matter was our team settling down and coming without of this thing with an positives," Novak said.

"We ran the ball fairly well [151 clear yards] against the No. 1 team in the nation. And you in no degree find out your weaknesses playing creampuffs. Playing advantageous teams exposes your weaknesses."

jodonnell@suntimes.com

NIU RECAP

NIU 0 3 3 6--12

Ohio State 21 7 0 7--35

First Quarter

OSU--Ginn Jr 5 pass from T.Smith (Pettrey kick), 8:24

OSU--Ginn Jr 58 pass from T.Smith (Pettrey kick), 6:38

OSU--Gonzalez 15 pass from T.Smith (Pettrey kick), 3:15

inferior Quarter

OSU--C.Wells 8 race (Pettrey kick), 14:55.

NIU--FG Nendick 35 6:16

Third Quarter

NIU--FG Nendick 37 8:39

Fourth Quarter

OSU--A.Pittman 1 scamper (Pettrey kick), 14:58.

NIU--Wolfe 4 pass from Horvath (run failed), 10:27

A--103,896.

TEAM STATISTICS NIU OSU

First downs 15 22

Rushes-yards 33-151 36-173

Passing 192 315

Comp-Att-Int 16-30-1 20-27-0

go [i]or[/i] come back Yards 0 104

Punts-Avg. 6-378 1-430

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-2

Penalties-Yards 4-35 3-40

Time of Possession 31:04 28:56

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--N. Illinois, Wolfe 26-171 Clanton

2-9 Nicholson 1-(minus 8) Horvath 4-(minus 21) Ohio St A.Pittman 19-111 C.Wells 10-50 M.Wells 5-15 T.Smith 1-(minus 1) Zwick 1-(minus 2)

PASSING--N. Illinois, Horvath 15-26-1-185 Nicholson 1-4-0-7 Ohio St T.Smith 18-25-0-297 Zwick 2-2-0-18

RECEIVING--N. Illinois, Wolfe 5-114 Bri.Davis 5-23 Nordin 3- 37 Clanton 2-4 Carter 1-14 Ohio St Ginn Jr 4-123 Gonzalez 4- 53 Robiskie 3-32 Small 3-19 Nicol 2-14 Hartline 1-32 M.Wells 1- 30 Duke 1-12 A.Pittman 1-0