Illini Legends, Lists & Lore: Memorable Illinois football plays against Ohio State
· Yahoo Sports
Oct. 9—Thirty-four years ago on Saturday, Illinois free safety Jeff Arneson celebrated his 22nd birthday in style, pulling off a unique play that set a Big Ten football record.
After taking the opening kickoff, coach John Cooper's host Ohio State Buckeyes drove to a first down at the Illinois 4-yard line. On third and goal from the 2-yard line, freshman tailback Eddie George was hit by Arneson and the ball popped loose. Illinois' Derrick Rucker tried to pick up the fumble but instead flipped it up in the air. Arneson snatched the ball at the 4-yard line and, after a block by Kevin Hardy on Ohio State's Greg Beatty, went 96 yards untouched for a 7-0 lead.
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It was the longest fumble recovery in Big Ten and Illinois history, breaking the previous conference mark of 92 yards by Dave Kenelpp of Indiana in 1978.
Coach Lou Tepper's Illini put together a game-winning 15-play, 86-yard drive that took more than eight minutes in the fourth quarter, capped by Chris Richardson's 21-yard field goal with 4:46 left, to beat the Buckeyes 18-16.
Arneson's exhilarating moment is one of many memorable individual plays that Illini fans and media recall in the Illinois-Ohio State series.
Former Illini place-kick holder Mike Giddings vividly recollects Chris White's 38-yard game-winning field goal as time expired that beat visiting Ohio State on Oct. 5, 1985. "It went through and I pulled the snap off my right ear."
Facebook's "Bee Tee Bee" recalls Ty Myers' fourth-quarter pick of a Craig Krenzel pass on Nov. 17, 2001, that sealed a 34-22 Illini victory at The Horseshoe in Columbus. Said Bee Tee Bee, "It's a hell of a memory for an Ohio kid who the Buckeyes didn't offer."
Former Illinois sports information director Kent Brown remembers the Oct. 8, 1994 game at Ohio State when, just days earlier, Illini linebacker Dana Howard predicted an Illini victory against the 17th-ranked Buckeyes. No. 40 backed up his "guarantee" by recording 14 tackles (including two tackles for loss) and intercepting a Bobby Hoying pass at the 5-yard line that turned into a 53-yard return when Howard pitched the ball to Antwoine Patton. Said Brown: "That basically won him the 1994 Butkus Award."
Former News-Gazette sports staffer David Woods recalls Juice Williams' rushing for a first down on a critical fourth-down play in the final drive at Ohio State. Final score on Nov. 10, 2007: Illinois 28, No. 1 Ohio State 21.
Illini fan Mark Swatzentruber and many others remembered the game-winning play in the Oct. 15, 1983 game between Illinois and Ohio State. Trailing 13-10 with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter, quarterback Jack Trudeau's offense gained control of the ball at the 17-yard line.
Passing to Scott Golden for gains of 24 and 22 yards, then scrambling for 16 more on his own, Trudeau finally handed the ball off to fullback Thomas Rooks at the Ohio State 21-yard line. Trudeau explained what happened to the Decatur Herald & Review's Mark Tupper. "We had called a draw play but when I went to the line of scrimmage, I read blitz, and I could see they were over-shifted to our left," Trudeau said. "So I called an automatic. It's a 38-toss, just a pitch right to Rooks."
Rooks zipped outside.
"I remember seeing one defender and my instincts told me to make an inside move," Rooks said. "I did and went on in."
On Oct. 9, 1966, legendary Illini receiver John Wright will forever recall his 41-yard reception of a pass from Bob Naponic. Three field goals had given Ohio State a 9-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter, then came the Naponic-to-Wright bomb that set up a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 6:26 left. The 10-9 loss was coach Woody Hayes' first defeat in eight visits to Memorial Stadium.
And just a little more than 100 years ago — on Nov. 21, 1925 — Red Grange played his final game for the Illini at Ohio State. More than 85,000 fans jammed the three-year-old Ohio Stadium to get a glimpse at American college football's greatest player. Though No. 77 gained a somewhat sub-normal 113 yards on the ground, it was a 42-yard interception return by the redhead in the final minute that secured Illinois' 14-9 victory. In the locker room afterwards, Grange announced that he'd begin a professional career with the Chicago Bears five days later on Thanksgiving Day.
Next week's Illini Legends, Lists & Lore will remember several other dramatic single plays in Illinois football history.
Illini Birthdays
➜ Saturday: Kenny Battle, basketball (62)
➜ Sunday: Lisa & Lynnette Robinson, basketball
➜ Monday: Tom Dedin, baseball coach (86)
➜ Tuesday: E.B. Halsey, football (43)
➜ Wednesday: Bill Cubit, football coach (73)
➜ Thursday: Zakhari Franklin, football (26)
➜ Friday: Ben Clawson, football (23)
By Mike Pearson, author of Illinois Legends, Lists & Lore (Third Edition available online). Get more Illini birthdays, trivia and historical tidbits daily on "X" at IlliniLegends, on Facebook at SportsLegendsListsLore, and on LinkedIn. His website is .