This Date in College Football Belt History – September 25

Coach Paul Wiggin’s Stanford Cardinal came to Columbus with a 1-1 record to meet the 13^th ranked, 2-0 Ohio State Buckeyes of coach Earle Bruce.  Stanford’s All-American QB John Elway threw 63 times (a Stanford school-record) completing 35 for 407 yards with 2 touchdowns including an 18-yard touchdown pass to WR Emile Harry with just 0:34 to play to lead the Cardinal to a 23-20 upset of the Buckeyes.  Ohio State dominated the game defensively in the 1^st half but the offense was unable to match the defensive effort.  Buckeyes’ PK Rich Spangler scored the only points for the 1^st quarter on a 32-yard field goal but RB Vaughn Broadnax scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on the first play of the 2^nd quarter as Ohio State pushed the lead to 10-0.  With less than a minute in the half, Buckeyes’ All-Big Ten DT Jerome Foster intercepted a tipped pass from Elway to give the ball to Ohio State at the Stanford 26-yard line.  Spangler hit from 24 yards for a 13-0 Ohio State halftime lead.  Buckeyes’ QB Mike Tomczak fumbled the snap on the opening play of the 3^rd quarter giving the Cardinal the ball at their own 42-yard line.  The Buckeyes’ defense held Stanford to a 23-yard field goal by PK Mark Harmon.  A 24-yard field goal by Harmon & Elway connecting with RB Mike Dotterer on an 11-yard touchdown pass tied the game 13-13 as the teams headed for the 4^th quarter.  With 8 ½ minutes to play, Ohio State regained the lead with some trickery.  Facing 2^nd & 8 from their own 32-yard line, Tomczak threw a lateral pass to WR Gary Williams.  Williams then threw to WR Cedric Anderson for a 63-yard gain to the Stanford 5-yard line.  Ohio State’s All-Big Ten RB Tim Spencer’s 2-yard touchdown run put the Buckeyes back in front 20-13.  Harmon’s third field goal of the game, this one from 47 yards, kept the Cardinal close at 20-16 but Ohio State had the ball & looked to be driving for the winning score or at least running out the clock.  Facing 2^nd & 12 from the Stanford 27-yard line with just 1:38 to play, Tomczak tried to hit Williams in the end zone but the tipped pass was intercepted by Stanford’s S Charles Hutchings.  Bruce took the blame for the play call that gave the ball back to the Cardinal.  Four completions later, including a 35-yarder to Harry had the ball at the Ohio State 18-yard line.  When Elway rolled to his right, Harry went to the left corner of the end zone.  Elway turned & threw back across the field to the wide-open Harry for the winning score.  Stanford’s All-Pac 10 RB Vincent White finished with 11 catches for 107 yards while All-Pac 10 TE Chris Dressel added 8 catches for 104 yards.  Tomczak finished with just 71 yards passing with 4 interceptions for the Buckeyes.  Ohio State finished the season 9-3; ranked 12^th nationally while the Cardinal finished 5-6.  Ohio State would play for The Belt again in 1986.

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