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Right: Quarterback Terrelle Pryor looks downfield in the 2009 Spring Game. (AP Photo)

On a bright, sunny day with a game time temperature of about 80 degrees, 95,721 of my closest, Buckeye-loving friends joined me at Ohio Stadium, breaking the national spring game attendance record in the process as the Gray team defeated the Scarlet squad 23-3, Saturday afternoon.

In Nick Saban’s debut as head coach, Alabama drew 92,138 for their spring game to set the previous record back in 2007.

The Gray team got on the board first after Scarlet quarterback Joe Bauserman fumbled the exchange from center and Ross Homan recovered the loose ball at the 22 yard line. Three pass plays and two completions by Terrelle Pryor netted eight yards, so the Gray team settled for a 31-yard field goal by Aaron Pettrey with 10:23 left in the first quarter.

There wasn’t any scoring until the tail end of the first half when the Gray team scored two touchdowns in a span of 29 seconds right before halftime.

After Ben Buchanan’s 43-yard punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback, the Gray team started their first touchdown scoring drive at their own 20 with 5:02 remaining in the second quarter.

Facing a third-and-4 at the 24 yard line, Pryor connected with Taurian Washington for a 15-yard pitch and catch that moved the chains and kept the drive alive.

On first down, Pryor hit Grant Schwartz for a gain of seven yards, and Ray Small dropped a pass which forced the Gray team into another third down situation. The Pryor-Washington connection struck again for another first down, this time on a 16-yard pass down the middle to move the sticks once again.

At the Scarlet 36 yard line, a screen pass to Small lost two yards and Pryor was sacked for a loss of six on second down. Facing a third-and-18, Washington ran past cornerback Chimdi Chekwa down the far-sideline and Pryor lofted a deep pass into the end zone that seemed to hang up in the air forever, but Washington make a great catch as Chekwa converged a split second too late for the touchdown with 40 seconds left in the second quarter which put the Gray team ahead 10-0.

Wanting to put more points on the board before halftime, Aaron Pettrey recovered his own onside kick just past the 40 yard line and the Gray team got the ball right back with 31 ticks left.

After an incompletion, Pryor found his new best friend open as Washington gained 16 yards on a sideline pass. Pryor then spiked the ball to stop the clock, and after another incomplete pass, the Gray team faced a third-and-10. From the shotgun, Pryor sent a spiral down to Small just inside the 15 yard line near the sideline hash marks, who then juked a few defenders and slithered into the end zone for the touchdown with just one second remaining until halftime which put the Gray team ahead 17-0.

The only scoring in the third came on three field goals, and there was no scoring in the shorten fourth quarter.

For the Gray team, Pryor was 13-of-18 passing for 191 yards and two touchdowns and looks much better throwing the ball downfield than he did last year. Junior running back Brandon Saine gained 55 yards on six carries, while Washington and Small both had four receptions and two touchdown catches. Washington covered 92 yards, and Small had 74 yards. Linebacker Brian Rolle led the Gray team defense with 11 total tackles and a sack.

For the Scarlet, Joe Bauserman was 10-of-21 passing for 119 yards with DeVier Posey catching five of those passes for 46 yards. Boom Herron led the Scarlet in rushing, gaining 43 yards on 10 carries. Tyler Moeller finished with eight total tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.

The best running play of the day was when fifth-year senior Maurice Williams broke loose for a 75-yard gain in the third quarter, only to be dragged down from behind by Moeller. Williams topped the Gray team in rushing with 98 yards on seven attempts.

The best pass play could be either touchdown catches in the second quarter by the Gray team, but I will give the nod to Small’s. His ability to get into the end zone was impressive to say the least.

Th best hit of the day came when tight end Spencer Smith lower the boom on Devon Torrence at the 17-yard line while returning a kickoff.