1981 Ohio State vs Gophers Game

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jon marston

jon marston

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Its on BTN at 11:30 pm central! Gophers win 35 - 31. Yes!!
 


I was 7 months old then. Remember it like it was yesterday. This is really cool to see Memorial Stadium as all I knew was the Dome.
 


The size of the shoulder pads is simply amazing. Along with the loose mesh jerseys.

I wonder how much money Art Schlichter had this game?

If it existed, I would love to be reading Gopherhole right about now with them down 21 - 7.
 


And Terry Hanratty doing the color.

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AuEGO4 said:
I was 7 months old then. Remember it like it was yesterday. This is really cool to see Memorial Stadium as all I knew was the Dome.
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Was thinking the same thing. I was born 12 days AFTER the game. (Nov 19th) My view of the game wasn't as good. :D
 


The entire announcing team was pathetically bad. PBP guy was terrible, but Hanratty was horrible.
 



West Fargo Gopher Fan said:
Was thinking the same thing. I was born 12 days AFTER the game. (Nov 19th) My view of the game wasn't as good. :D
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I was at the game or at least part of it. I worked at the Big Ten bar, then it was called the Brickhouse after Memorial stadium. Us bartenders took turns going to the game. One of the ticket takers was a friend of the "bar" and would let us in. I just remember it as the busiest and craziest football Saturday I ever worked.
 

They could not stop the tight end. Jay Carroll in the corner, Jay Carroll in the open end, Jay Carroll again. Everything is the same, except I was there. I personally loved the bobbled catch and him using the ball to cross himself.
 

Many of us fans thought we had turned the corner. Then, of course, we lost our next two games to finish the season. Still we were ranked early the next season after winning the first three games in pretty convincing fashion. Then lost the last eight in a row.
 

This was the last season at old Memorial correct? This win kept Smoky Joe's seat comfortable for another year?
 



I was there. I remember taking my first puff off of a victory cigar from my dad.
 

WorkingMyTailOff said:
This was the last season at old Memorial correct? This win kept Smoky Joe's seat comfortable for another year?
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Yes, it was the last season at Memorial. It was also the last win at that stadium (they lost to Wisconsin in the season finale)

Was at the game with my OSU alumni roommate on his birthday - (he attended U of M grad school), to say he was disappointed was the understatement of the year

The victory was also significant in that we helped keep OSU from winning the title outright - allowing Iowa (of all teams) a co-championship. This was the first year since 1967 (14 years!) that a team outside of Michigan or Ohio State finished first in the Big Ten. The 70's had been the decade of the Big Ten being called the "Big Two, Little Eight"


Despite a couple of close calls the Gophers never beat Michigan or OSU in the Dome - time to start fixing that at the bank.
 

cemba99 said:
Despite a couple of close calls the Gophers never beat Michigan or OSU in the Dome - time to start fixing that at the bank.
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A combined 0-25 vs. Michigan and Ohio State in Minneapolis since this game. Pretty remarkable.
 

Thank you for Cemba99, for sharing more about this game. I recorded this game last night and I'm looking forward to watching it.
 

highwayman said:
The entire announcing team was pathetically bad. PBP guy was terrible, but Hanratty was horrible.
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I too watched the retro game last night. My observations:

1) Yes, Hanratty was bad as was the PBP guy (was it Dave Dials?). His voice was familiar but I could not place it for sure.
2) My memory was that we had to have played a perfect game to win. We did not, but hung in there and got the win.
3) I tried to read as many of the names off the back of the unis that I could, but they were attached so high and close the the neck they were hard to read. I clearly saw big Ed Olson #58 anchoring the O line.
4) I will always remember the big hit that Mike Robb, who played in the '81 win over OSU, put on Gordy Bohannon down in Iowa City 2 years earlier (a game that I was at). That hit would now get 15 yards and a game ejection.
5) I was trying to ID Gopher assistants on the sidelines. I might have seen Bruce Vandersol, but i'm not sure.

OT - I was home for the Iowa game last weekend. After it I tailgated with my Iowa cousin and his friends in the Moroon lot. As I was leaving I spotted current Gopher assistant Pat Poore talking to a fan and introduced myself. I actually interrupted his conversation, but he was gracious and seemed plenty friendly. I've always been a Gopher nerd but now I'm a Pat Poore fan too.
 

Amazing to think that Ohio State is 1 of 4 (including Nebraska)B1G programs to NEVER lose at the dome... Funny that the transition to the dome was going to be a "good" thing for recruiting ...
 

One of the most fun games I ever attended. I had a friend here from Japan who knew nothing about football and I took him to the game. After it was over he looked at me and said great game!.
 

That team had Randy Rasmussen at Center, Olson, and Ken Dellafior. And could not run the ball. This was the origin of run and shoot or west coast offense.
 


savagerube said:
Amazing to think that Ohio State is 1 of 4 (including Nebraska)B1G programs to NEVER lose at the dome... Funny that the transition to the dome was going to be a "good" thing for recruiting ...
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Are you sure about the four? I have Michigan, OSU and Nebraska (3 times, all prior B1G membership) - I cannot figure out who the fourth B1G team Is. Technically Rutgers and Maryland never lost in the Dome (but they never played there either)
 

denguegopher said:
4) I will always remember the big hit the Mike Robb, who played in the '81 win over OSU, put on Gordy Bohannon down in Iowa City 2 years earlier (a game that I was at). That hit would now get 15 yards and a game ejection.
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I played with Mike Robb on the first Woodbury teams. He crushed me in practice a few times. He mostly played RB back then.
 

I believe Kris Humphries dad was also playing oline with Ed Olson that day.
 

In retrospect it's really pretty remarkable just how quickly it all fell apart for Joe Salem. After that game the 1981 Gophers were 6-3, 4-3 in the Big Ten, and had wins over the two teams that would tie for first place in the conference. And two years later he was resigning during one of the worst seasons in college football history, which saw his team give up 50 or more points six times and become a national joke. I recall once hearing a former player from that era - can't remember his name - who said he actually thought Salem was a good X's and O's coach, but that he simply wasn't up to the rest of the job, in particular recruiting.
 


xyz1 said:
In retrospect it's really pretty remarkable just how quickly it all fell apart for Joe Salem. After that game the 1981 Gophers were 6-3, 4-3 in the Big Ten, and had wins over the two teams that would tie for first place in the conference. And two years later he was resigning during one of the worst seasons in college football history, which saw his team give up 50 or more points six times and become a national joke. I recall once hearing a former player from that era - can't remember his name - who said he actually thought Salem was a good X's and O's coach, but that he simply wasn't up to the rest of the job, in particular recruiting.
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As Cal Stoll's recruits started graduating there was not much talent brought in to backfill. Had student season tickets in 1982 and 1983, and starting with the second half of the Illinois game in 1982 the Gophers arguably underwent their worst football in history over the next year and a half (we were 1-18 during than span). There was so much apathy in the players, coaches and fans that it even hurts to think about it again. Any of you who thought we hit rock bottom at some point during the Brewster tenure is too young to remember 1983. Our AVERAGE margin of loss in that 1-10 (0-9 Big Ten) season was 34 points!
 

I watched this game last night and yes, the announcers were comically bad but really funny. Hohensee had a great game as did the rest of the team. OSU was bringing the house towards the end of the game and the catch by Carrol was great way to win the game.

There was a personal foul called against the Gophers in the first half that would never be called today. The game was played and refereed differently for sure.
 

I remember Tony Hunter, the HB from Memphis has a gold inlay in his front tooth in the shape of a star. He always seemed too be injured. Can't remember if he made it the 4 full years. When they hired Salem the marketing department put up a half dozen billboards with a picture of Salem with a rose in his mouth. Talk about a kiss of death.
 

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