Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff: 32 Days (Anthony Thompson)
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Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
Anthony Thompson (Legacy Hoosier)
Hometown: Terre Haute, IN
Position: Running Back
College Football Hall of Fame
Two-Time Big Ten Most Valuable Player (1988, ’89)
Maxwell Award (1989)
Walter Camp Award (1989)
First Team All-American (1988, ’89)
2nd Round NFL Draft Pick (Phoenix Cardinals)
Indiana University’s All-Time touchdown leader (68 total TDs) and All-Time leading rusher (5,299 yards)
There are 32 days until the 2018 Indiana football season kicks off and this day has been reserved for former Hoosier great, Anthony Thompson. Today we will look at the top five performances from Thompson’s career as a Hoosier.
1. Four Touchdowns in 1988 Win over Ohio State
This was the last time the Hoosiers knocked off the Buckeyes and it was a 41-7 beatdown in Bloomington. Anthony Thompson set a then program record with four rushing scores on 32 carries which netted 190 yards. After the game Thompson told the Chicago Tribune, “I thought maybe we could have a big win against them, but maybe not like this. I don`t care about any individual records. I`m just looking forward to going to the Rose Bowl. That`s our main goal.”
2. Then NCAA Record 377 Rushing Yards, 4 TDs in in 1989 at Wisconsin
There was a time when the Hoosiers were the ones doing the running when they met the Badgers and no one had a bigger day than Anthony Thompson did in Camp Randal in 1989 when he ran for a then NCAA record 377 yards. He also scored four times in IU’s 45-17 romp over the Badgers. Thompson knew it was going to be a big day from his first carry telling the LA Times "The first play, where I went off tackle between Todd Oberdorf and Ian Beckles--I mean there was a hole you could drive a semi through. I just took off running and I felt it was going to be a great day for me."
Thompson’s record stood until 2014 when Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon ran for 408 yards against Nebraska on November 14th of that year. The record was broken just a week later when Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine ran for 427 yards against Kansas.
3. Five Touchdowns in 1989 vs. Northwestern
1989 was Thompsons best season as he ran for 1,793 yards and 24 touchdowns. He won both the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards and came in second in the Heisman race. On October 7th that year, Thompson helped IU get out to a 3-1 start by pummeling Northwestern 43-11 in Bloomington as he scored five total touchdowns.
4. 129 rushing yards, TD in win at Ohio State in 1987
The “Darkest Day” for Ohio State was one of the brightest in Indiana Football history as the Hoosiers went into Ohio State and upended the Buckeyes 31-10. The Hoosiers hadn’t beaten Ohio State since 1951 and it took a whole team effort, but the 129 yards and a score from Anthony Thompson helped the Hoosiers break that streak and create one of the best moments in IU football history.
5. 1988 Liberty Bowl 140 Yards, 2 TDs vs. South Carolina
The Bill Mallory led Hoosiers were good football teams and the trouncing of South Carolina in the 1988 Liberty Bowl was the cherry on top of an 8-3-1 season for IU. The Hoosiers set a then Liberty Bowl record with 575 yards of offense including 140 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries from Anthony Thompson, including a Indiana bowl game record long run of 48 yards which still stands today. It was Indiana’s second-ever bowl victory.