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Dateline: 1,209 Kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico
John Isenbarger died last March at the age of 76.
He played a huge roll with the 1967 Indiana Hoosier football team, ranked number four in the country with a 9-1 record in a three-way tie in the Big 10. Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota were all 6-1 in the conference, who's winner had an automatic ticket to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Indiana defeated Purdue. Minnesota defeated Indiana and Purdue defeated Minnesota.
The league had a no repeat rule which eliminated Purdue who played in the 1967 Rose Bowl. The league voted Indiana in over Minnesota because, in part, they were the only conference member that had yet to appear in the classic
Isenbarger was a great all around athlete out of Muncie Central High School. He had a scholarship offer to play basketball for Adolph Rupp at Kentucky. Heisman Trophy winner and broadcaster, Tom Harmon, lobbied Isenbarger to play at Michigan.
Harry Gonso of Findlay, Ohio High School and Isenbarger were sophomore phenoms at Indiana. They competed head-to-head for the quarterback job. Coach John Pont chose Gonso but moved Isenbarger to running back. Isenbarger was the punter too.
Isenbarger was named All Big 10 twice and at the time of his death was still 10th on the Hoosier's list with 1,217 yards rushing.
The dream of a conference title nearly crumbled on October 21 at Michigan.
The Hoosiers jumped in front of the Wolverines, 20-0 but Michigan closed the gap to 20-14 and stopped the Hoosiers inside the 10 forcing a punt.
Instead, Isenbarger decided he could run for a first down. He fumbled the ball at the Indiana 16. Michigan scored a touchdown but a botched snap kept the game tied.
Pont told Sports Illustrated it was the maddest he had been in his life. Isenbarger told his coach, “Why do I do things like that?”
The coach was so angry he pulled Isenbarger from the game, intending to leave him there until he rotted.
Michigan missed a 22-yard field goal and Indiana put a drive together. Gonso pleaded with Pont to bring Isenbarger back which he did. The near goat, scored on a one-yard run with less than two minutes left.
“It was a kind of the goat-to-hero deal,” Isenbarger said. “Had that not happened, I might never have played again.”
The rest of the season the Hoosier student section would yell, "Punt John Punt", whenever Indiana lined up in punt formation.
The Hoosiers took care of Arizona. 42-7, beat Wisconsin 14-9 and edged Michigan State on the road, 14-13, going into the key games against Minnesota and Purdue to finish the Big 10 slate.
Minnesota defended their home turf with a 33-7 drubbing on November 18. That left a game with intra state rival Purdue the defending champion. Purdue fielded what many people consider it's best team in history. The Boilermakers were led by quarterback Mike Phipps and two-way All-American, Leroy Keys.
Indiana upset the Boilermakers 19-14 with Purdue fumbling on Indiana's the one-yard line as time expired. It was Purdue's lone loss of the season.
The Hoosiers took on the University of Southern California on New Year's day 1968. USC won 14-3.
Indiana soundly defeated Alabama 57 years later, 38-3. Fernando Mendoza, the Hoosier quarterback, became the first Indiana player to win the Heisman Trophy, picking up Gonso's legacy. Coach Curt Cignetti will lead his 14-0 team into the NCAA football semi -finals against Oregon in the Peach Bowl on January 9.
Indiana defeated Oregon in Big 10 play, 30-20 on October 11 at Oregon.
Isenbarger was the second round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1970 draft. He played four seasons in the NFL.
