Football Flashback: Buckeyes Blank Miami, 10-0, to Open 1977 Season – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Ohio State shutout Miami, 10-0, 30 years ago in the 1977 season opener Sept. 10 in Ohio Stadium. A dominating defensive effort by the Buckeyes halted the Hurricanes running game to the tone of minus 13 yards and Ohio State forced three turnovers.
Ron Springs, a junior tailback, was the only player to reach the endzone, scampering 21 yards to cap the scoring in the second quarter. Earlier in the period, sophomore place kicker Vlade Janakievski put the Buckeyes on the scoreboard with a 31-yard field goal.
Springs finished the game with 114 yards on the ground on 27 carries as the Buckeyes netted 287 yards rushing for the day. Backfield mate Ricky Johnson added 64 yards on seven totes.
It was the Ohio State defense, however, that stole the show in the 1977 kickoff contest. Led by All-American linebacker Tom Cousineau, who picked off Miami QB E.J. Baker and contributed to Baker’s total of negative 63 yards rushing.
“It was the same old story, a great defensive performance but our offense at best was sporadic.” Woody Hayes, Ohio State head coach, told the Columbus Dispatch.
Typical of Hayes’ coaching style, of the 80 plays the Buckeyes ran on offense, 71 were kept on the ground. Quarterback Rod Gerald finished an efficient 6-for-9 through the air for 60 yards.
The 1977 season would be Hayes’ second-to-last on the Ohio State sideline. The Buckeyes finished 9-3 and tied for first place in the Big Ten. The team played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, but dropped a 35-6 decision to the Crimson Tide.
