Remember When

Illinois’s hopes for the season may rest with a good performance this Saturday versus Ohio State as a loss will send them into their game next week against Penn State with a 1-2 record. The Illini can fall back on solid play against the Buckeyes the past three years, including an upset win in Columbus two seasons ago. With the Illini struggling out the gate, Remember When will look back on a glorious day in the history of the rivalry when Illinois and Ohio State knocked heads for an exciting game.

1963 was a memorable season for Illinois. After combining for a 2-16 record for the previous two seasons, the youthful boys from Champaign unleashed two stars on the rest of the Big 10: bruising FB Jim Grabowski and C-LB Dick Butkus, for whom the word bruising does not do justice. They entered the Ohio State game with a surprising 2-0 record after shutting out a QB Craig Morton-led Cal team 10-0 in their opener and then stunning in-state rival and no. 4-ranked Northwestern in their conference tip-off, 10-9. Ohio State entered the 1963 season hungry for another Big 10 title after slipping to a third place tie in ’62. The Buckeyes had shut out both Texas A&M and Indiana to move up to no. 8 in the AP poll. The game promised to be a good one and in delivered as our recap from The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia makes clear:

OHIO STATE 20 Illinois 20: Record crowd at Ohio Stadium saw 52nd renewal of series provide 4th Q heroics by both Ohio State (2-0-1) and Illinois (2-0-1) and questionable conv decision by Illini coach Pete Elliott. Illinois scored 1st on HB Sam Price’s plunge and led 7-3 at the H. Concentrating on power ground attack (209y) that was keyed by FBs Matt Snell and Willard Sander, Buckeyes built 17-7 lead. Illini QB Mike Taliaferro (10-23/148y, TD, 2 INTs) passed 2y on 4th down TD to E Eddie Russell that trimmed deficit to 17-13, but instead of kicking conv, Taliaferro was sent on pass-run option rollout that was stopped. With Illini trailing by 4 pts, Taliaferro launched 56y pass to Price, who, although overhauled at the Ohio 3YL, still set up HB Jim Warren’s 4y TD run. This time, Elliott brought about 20-17 lead for Tribe by ordering x-pt kick to follow TD. But, K Dick vanRaaphorst booted to-date Big Ten record 49y FG to tie with 1:53 to go, and vanRaaphorst had another chance on a 56y FG try, which he missed on game’s next to last play.