Ohio State On This Date: “Holy Buckeye” Win Over Purdue in 2002 Highlights OSU’s History on Nov. 9

Ohio State's first game on Nov. 9 was a 4-0 win at Cincinnati in 1895. The last time the Buckeyes played on this date, they embarrassed Maryland 73-14 in Ohio Stadium five years ago. Overall, Ohio State has a 13-4 record on Nov. 9, including five consecutive wins.

One of those wins ranks among the most memorable games in Ohio State history.

On this date 22 years ago, the Buckeyes defeated Purdue – the same opponent they’re playing today – in a game that has been known forever since as “Holy Buckeye,” in reference to Brent Musburger’s iconic call of Craig Krenzel’s touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins in West Lafayette.

Many of you know how the story unfolded. With under two minutes to play, No. 3 Ohio State trailed the Boilermakers 6-3 and had 4th-and-1 at the home team's 37-yard line.  

With the game and perfect season on the line, Krenzel dropped back and threw into the wind down the left sideline toward Michael Jenkins. The tall receiver caught the ball over his shoulder and gave the Buckeyes a 10-6 lead.

Krenzel was not supposed to throw to Jenkins, but he called an audible, confident he could hit the All-American receiver with the pass. His instincts paid off, bringing the term “Holy Buckeye!” into national consciousness.

Let's dive into some plays of this critical game in Ohio State history that sometimes get overlooked due to the spectacular play from Kreznel and Jenkins on fourth down.

Purdue's Offense Comes up Empty

A sometimes forgotten aspect of this incredible game is Ohio State's defense holding the Boilermakers' offense to one made field goal in three red zone trips in the first 20 minutes of play. 

Kyle Orton guided the Boilermakers to Ohio State's 15-yard line on an 11-play opening drive. However, Purdue came away with zero points as Dustin Fox intercepted an Orton pass attempt by coming down with the ball and tiptoeing in the back corner of the end zone.

The home team's second trip into the red zone stalled at the Buckeyes' 4-yard line and ended with a 21-yard field goal from Berin Lacevic. Purdue was in the red zone again on the next series, but Lacevic missed a 36-yard field goal and the Boilermakers had only three points on the scoreboard after three trips into the red zone.

“In the red zone we kind of bow up, look at each other and play extra harder,” Fox said of the defense’s red zone stops.

Interception Leads to Critical Points

With just under two minutes to play in the first half, Purdue faced 3rd-and-6 from its 30-yard line. Linebacker Matt Wilhelm picked off Kyle Orton and the Buckeyes took over at the Boilermakers' 41-yard line. Five consecutive running plays – three straight from Maurice Clarett and two from Krenzel – gave Ohio State a 1st-and-10 from Purdue's 13-yard line with 38 seconds remaining in the half.

Krenzel could not connect with Jenkins on first down, Clarett picked up one yard on second down and Tressel used his team's last timeout of the first half with 19 seconds on the clock. Facing 3rd-and-9 from the 12-yard line, Tressel called for an empty backfield and a quarterback draw with Krenzel. The quarterback ran straight down the left hash marks but was dropped short of the first down with 10 seconds on the clock.

With time running, Mike Nugent and the field goal unit team rushed onto the field and the ball was snapped just before the clock hit zero. Nugent barely got set before banging the ball through the uprights to tie the game at 3-3. In today's age of replay, the kick would have been looked at to make sure the ball was snapped in time.

"In retrospect, I'm lucky our field-goal team did a great job getting on the field, lining the ball up, getting the snap and getting the kick through," Krenzel said after the game.

Big-Time Player With a Big-Time Sack

With the game still tied 3-3 early in the fourth quarter, Ray Williams hauled in a 58-yard pass to kickstart the Boilermakers' offense. Five plays later, Purdue had 3rd-and-3 at Ohio State's 4-yard line. Brandon Kirsch was in the game at quarterback and as he dropped back for a pass, Wilhelm brought him down for a 6-yard sack.

"That was probably the play of the game," Mark Dantonio said of Wilhelm's stop. "The defense gave them three instead of a touchdown at the critical part of the game." 

Simon Fraser added the following about Wilhelm: "That's why he's a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. He's a different guy right now, a senior who has been pouring his whole life into this one year. And to see it flash before his eyes ... he has stepped it up and grown as a player."

The stage was set for the heroics of Krenzel and Jenkins.  

Gamble with a Gamble

Plenty of time was still on the clock after Jenkins' touchdown for Purdue to still live up to the name of Spoilermakers. Purdue receiver Taylor Stubblefield raced into Ohio State's secondary and appeared to be open. Chris Gamble ditched the man he was covering and deserted the left side of the field to snag the ball away from Stubblefield at the Buckeyes' 11-yard line with 45 seconds remaining in the game.

"I saw the quarterback was scrambling to the right and I acted like I was with one receiver so he'd throw it to the other receiver. I timed it right, and it was like the quarterback was throwing it to me as the receiver," Gamble said of the game-clinching play.

Ohio State Robbed at Michigan State in 1974

Heading into this game, No. 1 Ohio State looked unstoppable as the Buckeyes outscored their first eight opponents 360-75. With 9:03 remaining in the game, Woody Hayes' squad led 13-3 following Champ Henson's touchdown run. At this point, the 78,533 fans in Spartan Stadium expected Ohio State to extend its unbeaten streak to 19 games. 

On the ensuing drive, Michigan State quarterback Charlie Baggett found Mike Jones for a 44-yard score. The two-point try failed, but Ohio State's lead was cut down to 13-9.

The Spartans forced the Buckeyes into a three-and-out after Hayes went conservative with three consecutive running plays. A Tom Skladany punt pinned Michigan State at its own 12-yard line and it appeared Ohio State had successfully flipped the field. Those appearances were wrong.

On first down, Baggett handed the ball to Levi Jackson, who sprinted past the Buckeye defense for an 88-yard touchdown, giving the Spartans a shocking 16-13 lead with just over three minutes to play. An ending for the ages was now set. 

Following eight plays and a massive 31-yard Archie Griffin run, Ohio State faced 2nd-and-5 from the Michigan State 6-yard line with 0:40 on the clock. Henson burst up the middle for five yards and a first down. After a measurement, the Buckeyes had 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line with zero timeouts.

Henson was called upon again and was ruled inches short of the goal line. He was stopped with around 13 seconds remaining, but the Spartans were deliberately slow in getting off of the pile. They were so slow, another 10 seconds ran off the clock before the last Spartan was off of the melee.

With the seconds racing to zero, the ball was snapped through Cornelius Green's legs and Brian Baschnagel picked up the loose pill and dove into the end zone. More confusion ensued as one official signaled for a touchdown and another said Baschnagel was short. Both teams thought the game ended with them as the winner.

The Big Ten didn't officially decide the winner of the game until 46 minutes after the final play. Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke declared that Ohio State did not snap the ball before time expired. 

Hayes had his opinion on the final play:, "They laid on top of the pileup and wouldn't let us run the play, and the referee wouldn't call a timeout. He should have stopped the clock but they let the time run out."

Stat Superlatives

Five Fun Facts

1. King Right 64 Y Shallow Swap was supposed to be a first-read play to Ben Hartsock for a short gain, but Michael Jenkins changed the script – and history – by going deep instead of running his post route.
2. Mike Nugent's field goal at the end of the first half against Purdue extended his program record of made field goals to 22.
3. The Purdue game was the third straight for Chris Gamble to start at both cornerback and wide receiver.
4. Archie Griffin gained 140 yards against Michigan State in 1974, becoming the first NCAA player to rush for 100+ yards in 19 straight games. 
5. Tippy Dye intercepted Chicago's Jay Berwanger to seal Ohio State's win in 1935. Berwanger won the Heisman at the end of the season.