By Mike Pearson
FightingIllini.com
Thirty years ago—1989—the University of Illinois's season opener had the potential to be dramatically more exciting than any other in its 100-year history. And while the results turned out to be just that, it was for decidedly different reasons than the original scenario.
Created in 1988 by TV executive Rick Ray, the "Glasnost Bowl" was going to be a made-for TV extravaganza staged not on a college campus but in the unlikely setting of Moscow, USSR. Named after the policy of glasnost ('openness") introduced by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985, it appeared to be a positive step in United State-Soviet relations, particularly in light of the decade's prior American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow and the Soviet-led boycott of the '84 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Moscow's Dynamo Stadium (capacity 50,000) was chosen to be the site of the game and more than 80 percent of the crowd was expected to be Russian. The remainder of the crowd was reserved for fans of each of the participating schools.
Former Illini head coach John Mackovic remembered the unfolding course of events.
"Ron Guenther was the interim director at that time," Mackovic said. "He told me about the possibility of playing USC (University of Southern California) in Russia and said, 'Are you interested?' I said 'Sure, why not.' After the 1988 season, the preparations went forward and we were invited to go to Moscow. So Randy Rodgers and I flew to Moscow with some people from Raycom Sports, but it all fell apart because the Russians really weren't ready to handle something like that. They thought they were, but their idea of putting on a big-time college football game was just not up to what we needed it to be."
When the deal fell apart, Illinois found itself stuck with a game but without a place to play. Then along came ABC Sports.
"They said 'why don't we just put you in our Monday Night Football slot,'" said Mackovic. "'It'll be college instead of NFL.' So both teams said, 'OK, we'll play.' Then they said, 'Oh, by the way, we're going to play in L.A.'"
That change in plans was just fine with the Illini players, according to former wide receiver Shawn Wax.
"We had a really young team in '89 and not everybody on the team was really excited about going to Russia," Wax explained. "But when it got switched from Russia to playing in the Coliseum, that became a big deal to a lot of guys on the team. Just a few years before that, of course, the Olympics were at the Coliseum and a lot hype going into the season was about USC.
"They had a lot of great stars (Junior Seau, Mark Carrier, Ricky Ervins, etc.), but the guy everyone was talking about was the quarterback, Todd Marinovich, because of the way his dad had trained him. It was going to be his unveiling for this Top-5 team. From our perspective, it was Monday Night Football at the Coliseum against an iconic team."
As the teams readied to enter the stadium from the tunnel for the 5 p.m. (Pacific Time) kickoff, sparks were flying, according to standout Illini linebacker Darrick Brownlow.
"Their guys were talking a lot and that motivated our guys," Brownlow said. "We almost got into a little rumble. Their mouths were chirping, then we started talking, and it was just on. It was one of those high-intensity, high-emotion games."
Defense dominated the first half, with the only points being produced by a 37-yard field goal by USC's Quin Rodriguez.
"We focused on stopping their run," Brownlow said. "Ricky Ervins and Leroy Holt were two tough backs, a dynamic duo, and we knew that in order to stop their pass game we had to shut the run down and force them to pass."
In the third quarter, USC safety Marcus Hopkins blocked a Brian Menkhausen punt and dashed 37 yards into the end zone to give the Trojans a 10-0 advantage. A second Rodriguez field goal made it 13-0 USC after three quarters.
With only six minutes remaining in regulation, Mackovic's offense finally got a gigantic break. Illini quarterback Jeff George unleashed one of his patented missile passes in the direction of Mike Bellamy, but that's not where it ultimately landed.
"My role on that play was to clear out the safety," Wax remembered. "That meant I had to run as fast as I could and hope that the safety felt threatened to turn and run with me. Of course, I was so slow that I don't think that either Carrier or Cleveland Colter felt any threat. Luckily, the pass was tipped, and the ball just landed in my hands. One of the safeties tried to tackle me, but I slipped out of that, and we were off to the races (for a 53-yard touchdown). I can remember three of four touchdowns in my career, but that one's right up there. Given the setting and the point we were in the game, that was a big one for me. It sparked the comeback."
The Illini defense, triggered by Brownlow, nose guard Moe Gardner, and an all-star defensive secondary, forced the Trojans to punt, regaining possession of the ball for Illinois at its own 20-yard line with just 4:18 left on the clock.
Short passes from George to Howard Griffith, Steve Williams and Darren Boyer set up a second down and 10 toss to Wax, keeping the drive alive.
"Jeff threw a perfect pass that was high," Wax recalled. "I had to jump for it with my back into the safety and he absolutely drilled me. It cracked my rib, but I hung onto the ball. I was hurt, but I didn't want guys to know, so I stood up and I remember having to walk off like I was Fred Sanford. I was like 'Get me out of here', but I didn't want to let those guys know that I was hurt. I laid down on the bench and was out for three or four plays. When it appeared that we were going to score a touchdown, I wanted to get back in there. Coach Mack told me 'OK, we're going to run 91 step and go.'
"It was a little fake to Stevie Williams," Mackovic said. "Pump fake left, Steve cuts to the sideline, then sprints straight for the end zone. Jeff laid it over top, wide open for the touchdown."
Though Wax says he too was wide open on the play, he couldn't have been happier for his teammate.
"That was exciting because Steve was a California kid and so for him to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers and catch a touchdown pass at the Coliseum against USC to win that game was a huge, huge moment for him and for all the guys on the roster who were from California."
Now, it was time for Brownlow and the Illini defense to step up again and secure the victory.
"On their last two possessions, our defense was trying to bend but don't break, making sure that people stayed in front of us," Brownlow said. "We wanted that clock to run down so that we could get out of there with a victory. That was one of the biggest highlights of my career."
When Marinovich's final pass fell incomplete and the clock hit zeroes, the Coliseum scoreboard showed Illinois victorious, 14-13.
Said Trojan coach Larry Smith in the postgame locker room, "Illinois is a very good team. They controlled the line of scrimmage with their defensive line. That was a key. We just couldn't keep any drives going."
