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Smith, Ohio State rout host Iowa

Oct 1, 2006 - 3:27 AM IOWA CITY, Iowa (Ticker) -- Troy Smith and Ohio State made it look easy.

A Heisman Trophy favorite, Smith threw a career-high four touchdowns as the top-ranked Buckeyes blew out error-prone No. 13 Iowa, 38-17, in a Big Ten Conference contest.

Anthony Gonzalez had two touchdown receptions and Antonio Pittman ran for 117 yards and a touchdown for Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten), which was blown out here in 2004, 33-7. The Buckeyes avenged that defeat with a 31-6 rout in Columbus last year.

Drew Tate threw for 249 yards and a touchdown but completed just 19-of-41 passes and was intercepted three times, as Iowa (4-1, 1-1) turned the ball over four times.

"I bet there was some throws that he would like to have back, and there were some drops as well," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of Tate. "You can't make mistakes like that against a quality team like Ohio State."

"Tate is a guy that tries to make plays and our guys just hung in there," Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. "They made mistakes, we didn't, and that's why we're the happy locker room."

Smith opened the scoring with a 12-yard TD pass to Gonzalez over the middle just under 3 1/2 minutes into the contest.

Smith completed 16-of-25 passes for 186 yards without an interception.

"He's got a great grasp on what we're trying to do and also what the other team is doing," Tressel said of his quarterback. "And that's what it's about. He was in command the whole game and if he keeps getting better, we have a chance."

The score was 7-3 when Ohio State safety Brandon Mitchell intercepted Tate on the first play of the second quarter and ran 13 yards to the Iowa 13. Three plays later, Pittman scored on a four-yard run.

Albert Young pulled Iowa within 14-10 on a 15-yard run with 11:10 to play in the period, but Smith countered with a six-yard TD toss to Roy Hall with 2:19 left in the half.

Gonzalez stretched the lead to 28-10 early in the second half when he caught a short pass from Smith over the middle, cut to his right and dashed 30 yards for a score.

Iowa pulled within 31-17 early in the fourth quarter but turned it over three times in the final nine minutes.