Brett Law's Historic Day Propels Indiana Over Missouri on September 26th, 1992
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Image: Indiana University Athletics
Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
As the stay at home order in Indianapolis is extended to May 1, we will take another walk down memory lane on Throwback Thursday. Today, we go all the way back to September 26, 1992 for a matchup between the Hoosiers (2-1) and the Missouri Tigers (0-3). It was the final game of an eight-game series that spanned from 1985 to 1992 and saw the Hoosiers go 6-0-2 against the then Big Eight foe. The 1992 game looked like a ho-hum 20-10 IU victory, but it featured one of the best single-game rushing performances from a running back in IU history.
Brett Law came to Indiana as the state’s all-time leading rusher in high school (6,863 yards), but had his career impacted significantly by injury and a step up in competition. He redshirted his freshman year due to lead poisoning. However, on this rainy day in Bloomington, Law made it look like he was at Sheridan High School again as he ran for 240 yards on 42 carries and scored two touchdowns as the Hoosiers gutted out a 20-10 win to close the eight-game series with the Tigers undefeated.
The Hoosiers dominated the first half, but only led 14-3 at halftime due to a Law fumble near the goal line and a failed fourth-and-goal run by Trent Green on another drive. The Hoosiers scored on two short Law runs from two and three yards out to take a 14-0 lead. Missouri would get on the board with a Jeff Jacke 38-yard field goal as the first half gun went off.
The Hoosiers issues finishing drives arose again in the second half as a Scott Bonnell missed a field goal that would have extended the lead to 17-3. The Tigers would strike quickly after that as Missouri quarterback Jeff Handy hit a streaking Victory Bailey for a 63-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 14-10 with 9:58 left in the third quarter. The Hoosiers would extend the lead to 17-10 on Bonnell 24-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Even though the Hoosiers had dominated offensively most of the afternoon, IU could not breathe easy. Later in the fourth quarter Missouri would have a fourth-and-two from the Indiana 24-yard line with IU hanging on to that 17-10 lead. As Memorial Stadium held its breath, Handy lofted a pass that was broken up by Damon Watts. The Hoosiers finally put the game away on a Bonnell field goal with 34 seconds left to put IU up 20-10.
Law’s 240 rushing yards were the third-most in IU history at the time and currently sits at ninth most in IU history. Law would finish with 541 yards and three touchdowns. Law would finish his career at IU after the 1994 season with 36 games played, 258 rushing attempts, 1,134 yards and nine touchdowns, but for that one day in September of 1992, he showed the football world what he could be capable.