Iowa Cooks Earle's Bruce: Hartlieb finds tight end with last-minute pass to edge Ohio State, 29-27

(Published 11/15/1987)

COLUMBUS, OHIO -

Marv Cook, now we know why they call you Marvelous.

Cook, the junior tight end, and quarterback Chuck Hartlieb teamed up on a miracle play - a 28-yard touchdown pass on fourth and forever, no time outs, very little clock and nearly no Hawkeye hope left.

The play beat Ohio State, 29-27, on Saturday in sunny-but-surly Ohio Stadium.

It's historically significant because, before Saturday, Iowa defeated Ohio State only once in its last 20 attempts.

Further, you'll have to check back to 1959 to find the last Iowa win in Columbus. In 1959, Hawkeye coach Hayden Fry was defensive coordinator at Baylor and Herbert Hoover was the most famous person to come from West Branch.

No more. Cook made his move to go one-up on the former President, at least in today's papers, by catching nine passes covering 159 yards and punting five times for a 43-yard average.

"To be honest with you, I don't even know the final score," Cook said. "I know we won. That's all."

Fry, who has been trying to beat Ohio State since he became a head coach in 1962, was as happy as anyone has ever seen him.

"I think I'll just go ahead and retire right now," Fry said with a laugh.

The Hawkeye win may have hastened the retirement of Buckeye Coach Earle Bruce. His team lost its third straight Big Ten game, the first time since 1971 that's happened at Ohio State.

The Buckeyes are 5-4-1 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten with the arch-rivalry at Michigan up next. A loss next week and Bruce could be saying goodbye, Columbus.

Iowa, 8-3 and 5-2, will choose between several bowl offers today after its fourth straight victory. Scouts from the Peach, Liberty, All-American, Bluebonnet, Hall of Fame, Freedom and Holiday bowl were fighting for Fry's ear and seventh straight bowl appearance.

"Anybody listening, if you haven't called in about your bowl, please call in now," Fry said.

The winning points came after a 10-play, 64-yard drive marked with penalties, quarterback sacks and three Hartlieb too Cook passes.

Ohio State had taken a 27-22 lead on freshman tailback Carlos Snow's 14-yard run with 2:45 remaining.

Hartlieb, who finished 20-of-37 for 333 yards, went to work with short passes to Rick Bayless and Mike Flagg.

On the 14-yard pass to Flagg, the Buckeyes were flagged for 12 men on the field, tacking on another 15 yards to give Iowa the ball at the Ohio State 30.

But the Hawkeyes slipped into reverse. After a holding penalty, tackle Ray Holliman belted Hartlieb, whose fumble was recovered by fullback David Hudson for an 11-yard loss back into Iowa territory.

What do you call on second and 31? A pass to Cook which got back 27 down to the OSU 24.

But Kevin Harmon, who gained 151 yards Saturday, was stopped short on third down.

What do you call on fourth and three? Another pass to Cook in the left flat for eight yards and a first down at the 15.

But this was Ohio State, not Northwestern or Kansas State or Wisconsin. Defensive end Eric Kumerow blindsided Hartlieb, sacking him for minus-eight, forcing Fry to use his final time out with 47 seconds left.

Harmon lost five more yards on a sweep when Kumerow caught him. One incomplete pass later, Iowa was in trouble.

What do you call on fourth and 23 with 16 seconds left? Yet another pass to Cook, who caught it inside the 10 and carried Sean Bell and Ray Jackson into the end zone. Barely.

"I didn't know for sure if he was in," Hartlieb said. "I was running downfield trying to get another play off."

If Cook doesn't score, the clock runs out and Iowa loses.

"I knew where I was and where I had to get," Cook said. "I was an inch over. It wasn't by much."

That pass play was installed especially for the Buckeyes this week.

"He was well covered," Hartlieb said. "It took some luck. But for us not to win here in so long, they had to have some luck on their side. Maybe we had it today."

The Buckeyes elected to skip the blitz and drop back.

"We were playing three deep so they wouldn't get the big one," Bruce said. "But they hit in between the deep and underneath with the tight end. I thought we had him covered."

Famous last words.

"The tight end ran that play six or seven times," said Buckeye cornerback William White. "We knew what they were going to do. They just made the play and we didn't."

What's the name of that play, anyhow?

"It's called Marv Cook for a touchdown," Cook said.

Fry nearly sent Flagg in for Cook on the last play, but changed his mind and went with smaller, faster Cook. "It was total chaos," Cook said.

"I was surprised at everything connected with that last play," Fry said.

It was the first touchdown pass the Ohio State defense had given up in 14 quarters. "We wanted this as badly as any game I've been in in the last four years," Hartlieb said.

Midway through the second quarter, it looked like another Hawkeye loss.

Ohio State jumped out to a 14-3 lead on flanker Everett Ross' two touchdown receptions from quarterback Tom Tupa, the latter covering 60 yards.

Harmon scored on a nifty 50-yard run - the team's longest from scrimmage this year - to get Iowa back into the game. Rob Houghtlin kicked three first-half field goals, including a 22-yarder as the half ended to give his club a 15-14 lead in the locker room.

Houghtlin became Iowa's career scoring leader with 278 points, breaking Tom Nichol's record by one. The senior also broke his own mark for field goals in a season with 19.

"I'd rather win like that every game," Houghtlin said. "I'm not in it for the personal stuff."

Tupa found tight end Jeff Ellis for six to put the Buckeyes back in front, 21-15, with 6:14 to play in the third.

Ohio State wanted more, and may have gotten it if not for two disastrous penalties and a botched punt.

The Buckeyes had a first down inside the Iowa 30 called back because of a holding penalty. On the next play, an offensive pass interference call pushed them back into their own territory.

Tupa's punt was rushed by a trio of Hawkeyes, with Marshall Cottom getting credit for a blocked kick.

Mike Burke covered the kick and stumbled to the Ohio State 37. Seven plays later, Hudson dove over from the one.

Iowa's 22-21 lead was short-lived, however. Snow, who rushed for 96 yards in his second college start, finished off a 16-play drive with his touchdown.

"We got beat. What can I say?" were Bruce's final comments.