The year was 1987.
Ronald Reagan was president.
The price of a stamp was less than a quarter.
A gallon of gas would cost a driver less than a dollar.
And, in Bloomington, something special was happening within the Indiana University football program under fourth year coach Bill Mallory.
The Hoosiers were 2-1 heading into Big Ten play and knocked off 9th ranked Ohio State on the road for the first time since 1951, knocked off Minnesota and beat Michigan for the first time since 1967 to climb to first place in the Big Ten and 11th in the polls. Indiana would lose to Iowa and Michigan State before knocking off Illinois and Purdue before accepting an invite to play in the Peach Bowl against Tennessee. The Volunteers held off Indiana 27-22, as the Hoosiers ended the season 8-4 and ranked 20th.
Fast forward 33 seasons and this year’s installment of the Indiana football team appears prime to recreate some of Mallory’s Magic with Tom Allen at the helm.
The Hoosiers knocked off 8th ranked Penn State in the opener to pick up their first win over a top ten program since 1987.
According to Van Waiters, a captain on the 1987 squad who went on to be drafted by the Cleveland Browns, there are a lot of similarities between his 1987 team and this year’s installment of the Hoosiers.
“When we played, we were a tough team,” Waiters told TheHoosier.com. “I see the same similarities in this year’s team compared to when I played. I am not even a little bit surprised by their success. Tom Allen and Scott Dolson, the athletic director, are putting together something special and with recruiting and such, it is the right coach and the right formula.”
While the 1987 had talent, it was Coach Mallory that set it apart.
“As a captain and leader, Coach Mallory said take the bull by the horns, and, as a captain, I tried to lead the team and instill what it meant to play at Indiana,” Waiters added. “The thing that stood out the most to me was taking the bull by the horns. We tried to lead our teammates to make sure they understood what it meant to play Michigan and Ohio State. We would travel to Iowa and at Kinnick Stadium, their visiting locker room is pink. We made sure the guys knew what to expect. We wanted to leave a legacy. When you look at the photos in Assembly Hall, we wanted to be a part of that, and it started with beating Michigan and Bo Schembechler.”
Both Waiters and former Indiana standout Derrick Jackson, who was a member of the 1987 squad, said the similarities between Allen and Mallory are special.
“Coach Allen has aligned his vision with the talent and ability of this team. Like Coach Mallory back in 1987, this team believes in each other. Each player has accepted accountability for their part in preparation to go out and do what others thought was not possible,” Jackson said. “Coach Allen coaches old fashion – lockjaw, from the heart and believes in his players. Coach Allen has that fire, and that intensity is high all week during game week.”
Waiters said he can see plenty of similarities between the two.
“Coach Allen is definitely a lot like Coach Mallory in that they are both demanding, both are great coaches, both building something and both care about their players,” Waiters added. “I had enough 1 on 1’s with Coach Mallory to know he really cared about his players. I would be in his office and he would ask me how I was doing, ask about my family, he truly cared.”
The 2020 version of Indiana football will look to take another step and do something not done in 33 seasons this Saturday and that is beat Michigan.
The Wolverines enter with a 1-1 record, having lost last week to Michigan State. Michigan hold an all-time edge of 59-9 in the series, has won 24 straight and 39 of the last 40 meetings.
The lone Indiana victory came in 1987 when “Mallory’s Men” overcame a 10-7 halftime deficit to pick up a 14-10 win in front of 51,000 fans. In that game, Indiana took a quick 7-0 lead in the first quarter after Bill Reisert blocked a punt to set up a Dave Schnell to Ernie Jones touchdown pass. Down 10-7 at the half, Indiana used a 14-play, 65-yard drive that ate eight minutes off the clock and ended with Schnell finding the end zone from three yards out to pick up the win. Indiana’s defense held Michigan to 88 yards in the second half and the 1987 team became the first to defeat both Ohio State and Michigan in the same season.
Over the years though, there has been plenty of misery and losses felt by Indiana at the hands of the Wolverines.
Waiters says a lot of that has to do with the depth Michigan has had over the years.
“Indiana may have 40 good players and Michigan has 60. When you’re playing week seven, you may have some guys banged up and it has been a matter of depth. When you’re superstar goes down, you have a freshman or sophomore stepping in. Late in the game or late in the season, we are down a couple good players and they are able to rotate good guys in. I think their depth is a major reason why they’ve won through the years,” he said.
However, this is a new year and both Waiters and Jackson are confident Indiana can not only play with, but beat Michigan for the first time since they suited up in the Cream and Crimson.
“I think the formula is there, and it is a matter of going out and playing the game,” Waiters said. “It’s not about who the coach is on the sidelines or what stickers are on the helmets, it is about going out and realizing it’s a football game. Michigan and Ohio State have a great tradition, but those guys aren’t coming back. We’ve played their kids in high school, our weight program is just as good as theirs, so what’s the difference?”
Jackson believes this is the season it all comes to an end against Michigan.
“Having fans would be awesome as they were highly engaged in 1987. But, since that’s not possible, this team needs to take it one snap at a time and each phase must be executed according to the game plan,” Jackson said. “I am confident in the ability of the play calling on both sides of the ball. The key to this game and Indiana being successful is in the trenches. We must win first and second down. Finally, leave it on the field and minimize penalties.”
Numerous times this season, Allen has talked about Indiana becoming a program that not only can compete for but win a Big Ten program.
Waiters says that can definitely happen.
“I’m waiting for the day they win the Big Ten. That is one thing we didn’t accomplish there, and I am anxious for it. I expect them to do it. We had a chance to do it and lost to Michigan State. We are there now and we are the Big Ten. I felt that way then and still feel that way.”
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