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IU running back recalls '87 win over Ohio State

Posted at 6:55 PM, Oct 02, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-02 18:55:31-04

On Saturday, an undefeated Indiana Hoosiers team will take on the No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd.

If you're heading to the game Saturday, check out an update on traffic conditions near Bloomington in the video player above.

Before the game, a beloved and celebrated player in Hoosier history remembered a time 28 years ago when the team took down the Buckeyes, and did it again the next year.

In 1987, Anthony Thompson rushed for 192 yards and scored four touchdowns against Ohio State. Coach Bill Mallory was carried off the field on his players' shoulders.

It was the first time the Hoosiers had beaten Ohio State since 1951.

Buckeyes coach Earle Bruce remembered what the loss was like.

"I've known Ohio State football since I was a freshman here in 1949," Bruce said. "This is the darkest day in Ohio State football since I've been associated with it."

Thompson, a two-time Big Ten MVP, 1989 Heisman runner-up and College Football Hall of Famer is now the associated athletic director at IU. But he's also known for his work off the field with the Lighthouse Community Church, where he works as a pastor.

"I know one thing about the Lord: You can't negotiate a deal with the Lord," Thompson said. "He said, 'This is the deal.' I prayed about it, and talked to my wife about it and have been pastoring ever since."

IU hasn't been to a bowl game since the 2007 Insight Bowl. Thompson says he's hopeful this will be the year for IU to go bowling again.