Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Defeats Iowa, 38-31
10/23/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Spencer's tackle at 4-yard line preserves victory
Hoosiers move into third-place tie in Big Ten race
Iowa City, Iowa -- Junior cornerback O.J. Spencer's tackle of quarterback
Scott Mullen at Indiana's four-yard line as time expired was the key play
in helping to preserve Indiana's 38-31 victory before 63,777 homecoming
fans at Kinnick Stadium. The win improves Indiana's record to 4-4 overall
and 3-2 in the Big Ten and moves the Hoosiers into a third-place tie with
Michigan State in the Big Ten Conference standings.
Indiana jumped to a quick 17-0 lead on the strength of two touchdown passes
by sophomore quarterback Antwaan Randle El and a field goal by junior kicker
Andy Payne. Indiana scored first on a 24-yard pass from Randle El (23-12-247-4TDs
passing, 12-20 rushing) to junior WR Jerry Dorsey (4-104-2TDs receiving)
with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter. With 9:51 remaining in the second
quarter, Payne capped a 12-play, 53-yard, drive with a 26-yard field goal
that gave the Hoosiers a 10-0 advantage.
On the ensuing kickoff, sophomore Maurice Tucker caused a fumble that was
recovered by redshirt freshman Derek Barnett at Iowa's nine-yard line. Four
players later, Randle El found sophomore tight end Craig Osika in the back
of the end zone for a four-yard touchdown. A Payne extra point pushed Indiana's
lead to 17-0.
However, a never-say-die Iowa club answered with a seven-play, 66-yard,
drive of its own that culminated with a 29-yard touchdown run by RB Ladell
Betts (19-67-2TDs) that closed IU's lead to 17-7.
Indiana threatened to put the game away on its next drive when true freshman
fullback Jeremi Johnson (13-53-1TD rushing) plowed 22 yards for a touchdown.
The six play, 80-yard, drive lasted only 1:53 and a Payne extra point pushed
the Hoosiers' lead to 24-7.
However, another touchdown run by Betts, this one a three-yard run on an
option play, and a Tim Douglas extra point, pulled Iowa to within 24-14
with 2:58 left in the first half.
Both defenses tightened early in the second half and neither team scored
until Randle El bought time scrambling and found sophomore RB Levron Williams
(12-36 rushing, 3-58-1TD receiving) on a 49-yard touchdown pass that pushed
IU's lead to 31-14 with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter.
Again, Iowa answered right back as Mullen (60-36-426-2INTs) scored on a
one-yard run that closed IU's lead to 10 at 31-21 with 2:32 left in the
third stanza.
The see-saw battle continued as Randle El tallied his fourth touchdown pass
of the game, this one a 28-yard strike to Dorsey with :27 seconds left in
the third quarter that pushed IU's lead to 38-21.
Iowa would score 10 unanswered fourth-quarter points, a three-yard run by
Mullen and a 22-yard field goal by Douglas, which cut the IU lead to 38-31.
With less than 3:00 minutes remaining, a Mullen pass was intercepted by
Spencer at the IU-24.
Iowa stopped Indiana on its next offensive possession but senior punter
Drew Hagan (6-54-63LG punting) pushed Iowa back to its own 21-yard line
with 1:54 left. Fifteen plays later, on third-and-goal from the 10-yard
line, Mullen was tackled by Spencer to preserve the victory.
