1985: Ohio State v. Iowa (Drive-Thru)

www.ourhonordefend.com
The Buckeyes upset the #1 ranked and undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes on a rain soaked evening at Ohio Stadium.

[@windcatcher331]

Hawkeye fan here. I was there and this was heart wrenching. This game was circled on my calendar after the 1984 Freedom Bowl and annotated with a big "uh-oh." I'm here because I have to hand it to the Buckeye fans. Even in a monsoon they were loud and accounted for. That crowd and atmosphere was nuts. It always played havoc with Hawkeye teams. Specifically our offense because it interfered with our audibles which we relied on heavily. Buckeye fans give yourself a pat on the back: You played a part in this despite the monsoon and your team clearly fed off the energy. That's loyalty and true homefield advantage. I've said it before and I will say it again: Columbus produces the best game day atmosphere in college football. And someday.....we will repay in kind.

[@xjoseywales]

Appreciate the comment, this game was before my time but I've always loved when OSU plays Iowa for the same reason. Iowa has passionate fans, probably the best Blog in the B1G (BHGP) and a great environment at Kinnick. For as good as Iowa has been it seems like the Buckeyes always have their number, but I definitely root for you guys when you play Penn State, Michigan or out of conference games.

[@robreiner3527]

I was at the game covering it for the Lantern. Great game. But another 9-3 season under Earl Bruce.

[@fredkruse9444]

My memory from being at this game was that I barely had time to get there from my new job. I wore a rain coat over new dress clothes. It rained so much that my new $100+ pair of leather shoes were ruined.

[@imbigful]

in 2017 you repaid us more than enough lol

[@clearlycaribbeanreb7176]

Fred Kruse That was a lot of money in 1985! Lol O-H!

[@jeffs3752]

What a day. I was an OSU student in the north end zone. That party lasted until morning.

[@BillyBong05]

Best camera view of a blocked punt/safety ever.

[@BillyBong05]

The blocked punt has to be one of the coolest camera shots of a play I've ever seen

[@wdrauch]

Spielman was such a stud

[@Maal7432]

Sooo nasty!

[@robquaintance903]

Still enjoy watching this! I was watching this at Papa Joe's right before I had to DJ there that night! Yes...A piece of that Goal Post came in and stayed!

[@scottklusty7351]

I was supposed to be at this game but my Dad caught a bug the night before and we could not go. We watched it from our hotel room and cheered and jumped up and down. My poor Dad felt awful but still made the day fun for his 14-year-old son. I will never forget that game.

[@Packman1294]

What a great ballgame, one that used to be a staple of WOSU's Ohio State Football classics series (wish that was still on). Iowa came in number one in the country having beaten the team up north a couple weeks earlier on a last second field goal. Crowd was in a frenzy, rain was coming down, and the Bucks' defense played lights out. After all was said and done, this one was the highlight of the '85 season for OSU, and needless to say Iowa wasn't number one anymore.

[@jasonmorgan3138]

Loved this game! Go bucks!

[@45ODOGG]

Amazing game......... Glad I was there with my dad.........

[@brysongilbey1]

I love this game since I'm a Ohio State fan and this game was awesome since we won over #1 Iowa

[@ohiopower]

Turn up the volume.

[@mitchdfla]

I remember this game because right after it, my buddy was over here and nearly broke my coffee table because his school, Florida State, got beat!

[@scottmanning2545]

This was the Game that Cost Chuck Long the Heisman in 85. I know some people will disagree with me but it's the truth.

[@KingJames23Cleveland]

Omg...that field. Never agian

[@pronkb000]

@UsonianAC This wasn't a night game, just a 3:30 start under dark clouds. The first night game was the year before, against Pitt.

[@would26]

Wow that turf was like a sopping wet sponge

[@michaelandcolinspop]

would26 HAHA! Yep, All-Pro Turf certainly wasn’t known for its water-handling. I saw the Minnesota game there around this time and it poured all day then too. It was like watching hockey in some spots. And how about those temporary lights and all of the dark areas on the field? By the time I was at OSU in ‘92, we still had the temporary lights but the dark areas were gone, thank goodness.

[@loufancelli1330]

Actually it's the opposite of a sponge, it was basically threadbare carpet over cement. It was designed to let the water run off, some fields had noticeable crowns, but this one was fairly flat. There was SO MUCH water I think it rained 4 or 5 inches throughout the game, it just all puddled up, and eventually had nowhere to go and just backed up on to the field. That sound the shoes made on the turf is as memorable to me as squeaking sneakers on a basketball court :)

[@loufancelli1330]

@@michaelandcolinspop I think they only had temp lights in the south end zone, after this game they started bringing in sets for the north end zone corners too. I was an OSU student from '89-'92 and remember watching them bring those lights in for 3:30 games. I also remember watching them put up and take down the south stands every autumn.

[@michaelandcolinspop]

@@loufancelli1330 Thanks for the info, Lou. I was there ‘92-‘97 and we’d see the Musco light trucks parked on the east side of the stadium for every 3:30 kick, which there were many. Starting in ‘93, IIRC, they put two temporary sets of lights on the top of the press box with generators on the ground and left them there for the entire season instead of using light trucks on the west side. Those Saturdays were some really great times.

[@loufancelli1330]

@@michaelandcolinspop They really were great times, even if the product on the field isn't always as good as it is now, it was still better than most places for sure. When you were there did they still print 1:30pm as kickoff time "subject to change"? I know they now just put TBA, but when I was a student there were still some non-televised games so they stuck with the traditional 1:30 kickoff time for all tickets and adjusted to 12 or 3:30 for TV games.

[@chuckcollins2349]

I was there...what a blast!

[@RuffRyder_43]

Holy crap that turf was awful

[@geo_ashburn]

@scbuck1 I was at this game, too. Probably the most perfectly executed game I've ever seen Ohio State play. The crows was INSANE.

[@wdrauch]

@5OCCharlie I guess Long's performance in this game was a foreshadowing of his pro career!

[@Tsyroc]

As an Iowa fan the two things I remember about this game was how psyched up the Buckeyes were for this game, and Harmon getting stuffed on that 4th & 1 (I think by Chris Spielman). The Hawkeyes finished the season getting spanked by UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Certainly a season of almosts and could have beens.

[@markhall6306]

I am Gophers fan game in 1985 pretty good game glad Ohio State beat Iowa but glad they beat Michigan. I like Ohio State can't stand Michigan actually don't mind the Hawkeyes either great fans in Iowa City don't like Michigan and Wisconsin. Go Bucks good luck in the playoffs against Georgia

[@UsonianAC]

Was this the first night game at The Horseshoe?

[@loufancelli1330]

No, it was a 3:30 game. It was in November, so when you take that into account, plus the solid cloud cover and torrential downpour, it got dark pretty early. It also looked darker on TV than it was live. I was at the game and don't remember it being as dark in the stadium as it looked on TV.

[@imaging85]

How and when did Keith Byars hurt his foot?

[@BIGBUCK20]

Keith Byars hurt his foot during the spring of 85 (originally) and it nagged him that entire season because he tried to come back too soon. I believe he actually broke a bone in it and it never healed up properly. He was never the same player again that he was in 83 and especially in 84. He also went on to spend a long, successful career in the NFL, but still wasn't the spectacular, Earl Campbell style RB we saw in 83 and 84. He was mainly a possession back in all his years in the NFL and I've always wondered what might have been had he not gotten hurt in the spring of 85. He certainly WOULD have won the Heisman in 84 had Doug Flutie NOT thrown that ridiculous "Hail Mary" vs. Cryami on National TV, Thanksgiving weekend of that year.

[@BSS14285]

SPANGLER WAS THE 3RD best kicker in columbus at one time behind the guy at Westerville south I think it was and then Manny Matsakis at Capital LOL

[@burmese434]

What were they playing on?

[@weinerdisc8099]

3:29 Blocked it so hard, it hit the camera. XD

[@JesusIzAPunkRocker]

@mongoose704 Ya

[@BIGBUCK20]

God, has this game been that long ago? Thanks for posting!!! GO BUCKS!!! O-H.....

[@BSS14285]

i was there and soaked

[@pronkb000]

I gotta tell it like it is here: the AstroTurf-era Ohio Stadium is the single ugliest-looking field in the history of college football (and no, I am not forgetting the Bronco Stadium blue turf). Ugly surface and a ridiculous midfield design.

[@mongoose704]

7:00 Nice personal foul by #2 (Is that Cris Carter?) Right in front of the ref too and no flag. That happened all day. They just let the teams play.

[@markhall6306]

As Gophers fan Iowa and Ohio State beat fans best atmosphere Ohio State and Iowa good in other sports wrestling basketball 🏀. Hawkeyes should get a hockey team. 🏒 I am St Cloud State fan