October 10, 1987 – Columbus, Ohio
A pouring rain made for a dreary day in central Ohio.
For Ohio State and its fans, the conditions outside were the least of their problems.
A balanced attack from Indiana — running, passing and defense, brought one of the more infamous quotes in the history of the storied Ohio State program.
“I’ve known about Ohio State football since I was a freshman here in 1949,” Buckeye Coach Earle Bruce said. “This is the darkest day in Ohio State football since I have been associated with it.”
Indiana rolled into Ohio Stadium and snapped a 31-game losing streak with a dominant second half effort in the downpour against the No. 9 Buckeyes.
Behind Anthony Thompson’s 34 carries for 126 yards and a score, and Dave Schnell’s 200 passing yards and two TDs, IU rolled to a 31-10 win in front of more than 90,000 fans.
“We didn’t come in here to lose, and this is a great confidence builder,” IU head coach Bill Mallory said after the game. “Now the people will understand that Indiana plays some great football.”
On the way to its first win over OSU since 1951, IU did indeed play some great football. The Hoosiers outgained the Buckeyes 405-264 for the game, and outscored Ohio State 21-0 after halftime.
Ohio State could not manage to get a first down in the third quarter and only mustered 10 rushing yards in the second half. The Hoosiers forced three turnovers, including two interceptions by Brian Dewitz.
“Indiana dominated the second half of this football game,” Bruce said.
Mallory was carried off the field as time expired on one of Indiana’s brightest moments. For Ohio State, Bruce couldn’t recall anything darker.
For a complete box score with more stories about the game, GO HERE.
In what was one of the most memorable stretches in the history of the program, the Hoosiers would defeat Michigan in Bloomington two weeks later.
Things would only get more bleak for the Buckeyes a year later. Indiana beat Ohio State again in 1988, 41-7.
To see more great moments in IU football history, GO HERE.
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