I've been wanting to do this lost for a long time. I don't think the order of the plays/notable happenings is really what has caused me to delay doing this for so long. As a matter of fact, it is actually the finding videos from youtube and other sources so I could help to document them. By the way, you will certainly not agree with this list because they are not all from bowl games or #1 vs. #2 matchups, but they are plays or memories that are so rare and so crazy that they make college football what it is, not just for today, but for the last 140 years. Hey, maybe I should have done 140 memories... nah that would take too long. Also, there will be no Cal-Stanford play on here because that would be too easy to pick #1, it's a major cliche, and its only real historical significance is that it kept John Elway from appearing in a bowl game. Let's get to it.
#25 Michigan vs. Everyone 1991 Desmond Howard's Magical Run to the Heisman- Howard's run for the Heisman all started on September 7th when he led a comeback victory against Boston College. After trailing 10-0, he caught 3 TD passes from Elvis Grbac and scored on a 93-yard kickoff return to really command attention. The following week he made probably the most famous catch by a Big 10 player with his 4th down, 4th quarter catch against Notre Dame in the far corner of the end zone. The gutsy call by Wolverines' head coach Gary Moeller showed that he knew what kind of weapon he possessed. Even though Michigan was humbled 51-31 the following week by #1 Florida State in a showdown game, Howard still had an amazing day against All-American CB Terrell Buckley. Michigan's next game against Iowa offered little rest for Howard as he clinched the game with two key touchdown receptions, making the most of his four grabs on the day. Iowa would only lose one game on the year by the way, so this effectively cost the Hawkeyes a Rose Bowl berth. Late in October, Howard had another opportunity to shine as Michigan rolled over Minnesota 52-6. Howard caught a long TD pass and then added a 41-yard scoring strike to set the Big 10 record for TD receptions. In mid-November, Howard and the Wolverines sowed up a Rose Bowl berth by blanking a decent Illinois squad 20-0, with Howard scoring on a short TD pass and a 15-yard run to seal the deal in the 4th quarter. In the annual season finale vs. Ohio State, Howard made what would be the signature play of the 1991 season. Howard took a punt deep in his own end and seem trapped, but after a few quick moves he was past the first wave of Buckeye defenders and off to the races. The 93-yard punt return for a TD was a school record and his 23rd of the season. After he finished, he struck the Heisman pose just moments after ABC announcer Keith Jackson had proclaimed, "Hello Heisman!" If ever did a player campaign for an individual award and deserve it, it was Howard. Florida St. vs. Michigan 2-parter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0YxHNpZpiw & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RYQ3vrFJtU&feature=related "The Catch" vs. Notre Dame http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJA3sJawFaY&feature=PlayList&p=8D822BDFED9AAB47&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=33 Michigan vs. Iowa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQNQhXe1qMk&feature=PlayList&p=2DFD321D82935866&index=0 Michigan vs. Illinois http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF9JUlHZi4M&feature=PlayList&p=2DFD321D82935866&index=1 Heisman pose http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2E_cOgyCKY
#24 Texas vs. Nebraska 1996 Big XII Title Game "The Gamble That Paid Off"- This was not to be that close of a game considering Nebraska was the two-time defending national champions and with just a win in this game, they might be playing for another national title shot on New Year's Day. Led by QB Scott Frost, IB Ahman Green, an outstanding OL and multiple future NFL players on defense, the Longhorns only chance was to keep this game close. And, that they did. With a slim 30-27 lead late in the 4th quarter, Longhorns Coach John Mackovic had to make a call on 4th down, deep in his own territory. Instead of handing it off to Ricky Williams or Priest Holmes, who would have 120 yards on just 9 carries, he let much-maligned QB James Brown roll left and throw a strike to Derek Lewis, who rumbled with it 61 yards. Holmes would score on the very next play, and Nebraska's hopes at a 3rd straight national title were dashed. This allowed Florida to sneak in and play Florida State for a Sugar Bowl rematch and the ability to win the national title since undefeated Arizona State and their QB, Jake Plummer, lost in the Rose Bowl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x3DmBfQrIE
#23 Oklahoma vs. Nebraska 1986 Keith Jackson, All-American- With Colorado still a few years away from reaching any threat to both of these clubs for Big 8 supremacy, every matchup between these rivals had not just conference championship implications, but national title ones as well. Jackson was an outstanding TE for the Sooners, never gaining a ton of yards through the air thanks to the Wishbone attack Barry Switzer loved to employ, but he sure made the most of his receiving opportunities. On this play, Sooners' QB Jamelle Holieway throws a perfect strike down the sideline with under 20 seconds to play and looking to get into FG range. Jackson makes the catch and somehow gets deep enough for a chip-shot FG. It was a 3rd down play and had the Sooners not managed to get the winning kick, their dreams of a national title may have disappeared.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2ctTxZZ1Yo
#22 Georgia Tech vs. Virginia 1990 The Greatest Game You Never Saw- This is one of those games that will never pop right into people's heads as one of the great games in college football history, but it truly was. UVa, who came into the game being led by standout QB Shawn Moore and WR Herman Moore, were on a roll and cruising past opponents by a margin of 37 points, averaging 48 themselves per during their 7-0 start. The Cavaliers had an ended an impressive losing streak to Clemson that dated back to 1955 by dominating them 20-7, but aside from that, they had no key wins before their showdown with the Yellow Jackets. The game started off quickly for both QBs as Shawn had 2 TDs runs while GT QB Shawn Jones, who would become for a time the all-time leader in ACC history for total offense, scored on a 23-yard TD run of his own. Still, trailing 28-14 at halftime, Jones fired TD passes to Jerry Gilchrist and Emmett Merchant to tie the game at 28 in the 3rd quarter. After a 63-yard bomb from Shawn to Herman Moore gave UVa yet another lead, Jones had one of the great second halves in terms of leadership by a QB as he was determined to keep the Yellow Jackets on track towards the 1990 national title. Besides just the 2 TDs that erased a 14-point halftime deficit, Jones also was the triggerman on a 74-yard drive that ended with TB William Bell scoring on an 8-yard plunge. The Jackets took a 38-35 lead thanks to K Scott Sisson, right before an emotional goal-line stand forced UVa coach George Welsh to decide on going for it on 4th down or playing for a tie and kicking the FG. He chose to it at 38-38, and then Jones led a drive with just under two and a half minutes left to play that culminated in Sisson's game-winning FG from 37 yards away. Post-game coverage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D13kdB5kgVQ&feature=related
Final Drive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKEQ1vrq-fw&feature=related
#21 Notre Dame vs. Colorado 1990 Orange Bowl It Wasn't His Fault- I know this list has seemed pretty positive, at least for the fans who had great memories, but this sure isn't a good one for Notre Dame fans. Possibly the greatest kick returner in history, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail had a chance to end Colorado's dream of a national title in 1990, just as the Irish had done the previous year. With the game in it's final seconds, the Buffs made a mistake kicking it to Ismail, who returned the punt all the way for a TD. Thankfully for Buffs fans, they were bailed out by a clipping call.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqC_Br3cDJg
#20 1992 Alabama's final 3 Games The Greatest CB Tandem of All-Time, George Teague and Antonio Langham- The first highlight is from the '92 Iron Bowl where Antonio Langham stepped in front of a Stan White pass and returned it for a TD to start the 17-0 domination. Then, against future All-Time SEC passing leader Shane Matthews in the 92 SEC Title game, Langham did it again to win the game, as it was tied 21-21 late in the 4th. Then, when the Hurricanes faced Alabama in the 1992 national title game at the Sugar Bowl, everyone expected the 'Canes to dominate with speed, speed, and more speed. However, the Tide showed why they may have had the best defense of the last 20 years. Late in the game, 'Canes' FL Lamar Thomas was sprinting towards what appeared to be an easy TD when Tide CB George Teague caught him from behind to cap an amazing season. Teague also had an INT return for a TD in the national title game if you care to look it up. All three highlights are fantastic.
Alabama-Auburn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Cp4VH07ns&feature=related
Alabama-Florida http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeYvYYz4VpM
Alabama-Miami http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb5HPqEBwB0&feature=related
#19- Missouri vs. Colorado 1990 "The Fifth Down"- Sadly, this game will be remembered not just for the five downs the Buffs needed to score on their final drive, but the fact that Colorado win impacted the national championship race. Had the Buffs lost, GA Tech would have likely been the undisputed champs. Nevertheless, the game was quite competitive as it was tied 14-14 at halftime and with under 3 minutes remaining, Tigers' QB Kent Kiefer threw his 3rd TD of the day for a 31-27 lead. Playing without their team leader and option QB extraordinaire, Darien Hagan, the Buffs had Charles S. Johnson drive them 15 plays for the winning TD. The fifth down controversy started with Johnson spiking the ball on first-and-goal. On second down, TB Eric Bieniemy gained two yards and the Buffs called timeout, which is when the chain official forgot to mark the next play as 3rd down. Bieniemy got stuffed on the next play and Mizzou tried to stall the game. They refused to get up from the pile and officials had to stop the clock momentarily, which allowed Johnson a chance to spike the ball on what should have been 4th down. Tigers' fans tried to storm the field and tear down the goalposts, assuming they had won, but CU had one last play. Johnson sneaked across the right side on an option keeper. He was hit hard by LB Tom Reiner, but stretched the ball across the goalline, although it's hard to tell whether his knees had hit the ground before or after the ball crossed the plane. Nevertheless, the officials ruled the play a TD, and after a long delay, CU ran out to attempt the extra point, which Johnson simply kneeled. The Buffs' escaped Columbia with a 2-point win and their national title hopes still alive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJT8q0MMwQ
#18 Arkansas vs. Tennessee 1998 "He Stumbles and Fumbles"- The 'Hogs had not been a premier play on a national stage since the late 80s with Quinn Grovey at the helm. Their run at the top of the SWC stage ironically ended with a shootout loss to Tennessee in the 1989 Cotton Bowl, and in 1998, with those final two numbers reversed, Arkansas had a chance for revenge in Knoxville as the two undefeated teams met to stake their claim at the national title. However, 'Hogs QB Clint Stoerner only had to muster a single first down when he tripped over his own OL and fumbled the ball to the Vols. The Vols would march downfield for an easy TD and go on to win the national title. "Good ol' Rocky Top, you'll always be home sweet home to me. Good ol' Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tennessee." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_U6yNYEAQo&feature=related
#17 1993 Florida State vs. Notre Dame "The Game of the Century"- This is one of the most important years for two reasons; first of all, it setup the rationale that a team could lose to another team and if they were ranked #1 or #2 at the end of the season, it didn't matter who won the head-to-head matchup. In easily one of the 5 greatest games of their era, FSU got out to an early lead, but the Irish dominated with 2 TD runs by usual DB Jeff Burris and a reverse to little-used FL Adrian Jarrell. The Irish had leads of 24-7 and eventually 31-17 in the 4th, as they caused QB Charlie Ward to have one of his worst games ever, throwing aimless passes into coverage. If it wasn't for 'Noles' TB Warrick Dunn's coming out party, the 'Noles may not have even mounted a late comeback. They scored on a 4th down with 2:26 after an Irish DB lost an INT and it fell into the hands of WR Kez McCorvey. Choosing to kick instead of try an onside kick, the 'Noles got the ball back, but Ward's desperation final pass into the end zone was batted down. However, despite the 31-24 loss, the Seminoles got the last laugh, and the national championship. Pre-Game Intro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cipJq3ZHuuQ&feature=related
Game Highlights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEq7D2HTEDQ
#16 SMU vs. Texas Tech "The Miracle Man" Bobby Leach- The Pony Express, led by Eric Dickerson and Craig James were not quite invincible during their multi-year run in the SMU backfield. Nowhere was this more evident than when the Mustangs traveled to Lubbock to take on the lowly Red Raiders in a regular season game in 1982. The Mustangs were heavy favorites, but Texas Tech had managed to keep it close and looked likely to come with a 27-27 tie, effectively ending any national championship hopes for the SMU squad. However, SMU WR Bobby Leach executed a perfect trick play on the final kickoff, taking a lateral 91 yards for a TD to win the game 34-27. It was voted the 3rd greatest moment in SMU football history. As the SMU website mentions, this was the Music City Miracle play, long before anybody ever knew about the Tennessee Titans. Amazingly, I found video and an article. Very lucky to find either, plus John Facenda narrates the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx1PccepNHQ
Article: http://smumustangs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/greatest-moments-03.html
#15 USC vs. Ohio State 1980 Rose Bowl Charles White's Day In the Sun- If it wasn't for Tony Dorsett coming along a few years earlier, Charles White would have easily ended his college career as Div I-A's all-time leading rusher. Still, in White's final season, with future 2,000 yard rusher Marcus Allen blocking for him at FB all year, he was able to clinch the Heisman rather easily over Billy Sims of Oklahoma. He had his dominant OL to thank. One player, Brad Budde, would be selected by KC of the NFL in the first round of the following year's draft, while 3 other future NFL stars, Anthony Munoz, Don Mosebar and Bruce Matthews, also made heavy contributions. The latter two were actually freshman. Center Keith Foote, G Roy Foster and T Keith Van Horne also helped make up an indomitable force up front. On defense, LBs Chip Banks and Dennis Johnson were a nice pair of tacklers, but the secondary was loaded with future NFL Pro Bowlers in Joey Browner, Ronnie Lott and Dennis Smith. The Buckeyes didn't have many stars as only sophomore QB Art Schlichter really stood out. Nevertheless, it was to be a thrilling contest and White had an amazing final game as he ran 39 times for 247 yards in the Trojans victory over the Buckeyes, but his team fell short of clinching a share of the national title with Alabama. What made White's day even greater was that when the final drive started with under 6 minutes to play, his team was down 16-10 and needed a TD, so they went to their workhorse. As one of my old videos said, "It was Student Body Right and Student Body Left" as White ran 71 yards on 6 carries, including hurdling over his statuesque OL for the game-winning TD. It took me awhile, but I found video, luckily.
http://www.fandome.com/video/88027/1980-Rose-Bowl/
#14 Washington vs. Michigan 1992 Rose Bowl Huskies Dismantle Howard- Desmond Howard probably had the single greatest season in college football history outside of Barry Sanders' performance in 1988. The national media was all over Howard; his game against Florida State early in the season was a huge matchup against CB Terrell Buckley and it seemed that about 80% of his games were covered by ABC or ESPN, and this was back when college fans didn't have 30 different channels (or more) to choose from. Well, I suppose the 1991 Huskies were tired of hearing about all the hype and chose to take Howard down a notch. Superstar WR Mario Bailey for UW outplayed Howard all game, while All-American DBs Walter Bailey and Dana Hall suffocated Howard, who made 1 reception for 35 yards, had a 15 yard run, and only got 60 yards on returns. It may sound like a decent all-purpose game, but not for a Heisman winner who had flourished under the bright lights all season and ran away with the Heisman in convincing fashion. The Huskies cruised to a 34-14 victory and a share of the national title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KleZ8Ujqn8&feature=related
#13 Florida vs. Georgia Lindsay Scott Races Towards Immortality- In an improbable season where freshman Herschel Walker quickly became the most dominant player in college football, it was actually 'Dawgs SE Lindsay Scott who became a folk hero. Scott had a troubled past at UGA, with his scholarship being taken away at one point for getting into a shoving match with an academic counselor. Well, I guess all was forgiven when he raced 92 yards for the game-winning TD with under 2 minutes to play after QB Buck Belue found him wide open over the middle. Only looking to secure a first down, Scott took the pass, turned around and headed for the sidelines, probably thinking he would just get out of bounds to save clock. However, after he realized there was no one in front of him or who could catch him from behind, he ran all the way to immortality. The 26-21 win gave them a #1 ranking and the confidence to cruise all the way to the title. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOhWVvsrq5k&feature=fvw
#12 Colorado vs. Michigan The Greatest Hail Mary- I know Doug Flutie's pass against Miami (FL) ten years earlier is much more beloved, and only because he was a midget by the way, but this pass by Kordell Stewart was better than people remember. It takes luck to complete a Hail Mary, so there's no argument that one player got luckier, but Stewart's play was longer and the pass much harder. Also, the comeback for the 'Buffs was great, as they had trailed 26-14 with under 5 minutes when Stewart got the ball back and led a 72-yard scoring drive and failed to recover an onside kick. After a quick pass, Stewart rolled around in the pocket thanks to great protection and launched a pass that traveled over 70 yards in the air and was miraculously caught by Michael Westbrook in the end zone over Ty Law. I guess the one thing Law can look back on is that Westbrook, Stewart and Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam from Colorado were all busts, while he went on to be one of the best cover corners over the next decade in the NFL.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3008148
P.S. I had to go to myspace to get this video, shame on you, youtube.
#11 Nebraska vs. Florida State 1994 Orange Bowl Next Year's Champions- It was only fitting that Bobby Bowden and Tom Osborne should square off for the 1993 national title in Miami's Orange Bowl, a place where both coaches had been tortured. In 1992, Bowden's Seminoles had lost for the second straight year on a kick that went wide right. Osborne was 1-5 playing in the Orange Bowl, with three losses coming to the Hurricanes and one the year before to the Seminoles. Led by QB Tommie Frazier, the 'Huskers came in undefeated, but were still slight underdogs. Charlie Ward and FSU had all the hype, including a devastating defense and the "Fast Break" No-huddle offense that tortured every opponent, except Notre Dame. The two teams would go on to play one of the great national title games of all time, but not without controversy. The first quarter was slow with no scoring. However, 'Huskers' SE Corey Dixon did return a punt 71 yards for a TD, but the play came back after a clipping call, despite the fact that every replay from multiple angles showed no such foul was committed. After a short FG by FSU K Scott Bentley, the highly-touted freshman, Frazier responded with a TD pass to WR Reggie Baul. Baul just happened to be in the right place at the right time as the ball was deflected into his welcome hands. The Seminoles got another FG before the half and at the start of the 2nd, Ward quickly drove his team for a TD by FB William Floyd. This was another play that had some controversy as TV replays showed that he may have lost the ball before he crossed the goalline. Nonetheless, a failed 2-point conversion made it 12-7. After another Bentley FG, Osborne had to go to little-known reserve IB Lawrence Phillips after starter Calvin Jones was hurt and backup Damon Benning was ineffective. Phillips scored on a 12-yd run to start the 4th, but another failed 2-pointer made it 15-13. Would Osborne be doomed again by a failed extra point? Frazier again showed his call by starting a drive from his own 20 with under 5 minutes to play and leading his team to a short FG after a 31-yard run of his own. Ward only had 1:16 to save the season. Thankfully for FSU, 'Huskers K Byron Bennett's KO went out of bounds and DB Barron Miles hit Warrick Dunn late to drive the 'Noles into FG range rather quickly. Bentley drilled the FG and it was time to celebrate. However, Frazier had one last chance and responded by drilling a pass to TE Trumane Bell who rumbled for big gain and gave them a chance for a winning FG with :01 left (the clock originally ran out, but officials corrected that Bell's knee was down before time expired). Bennett tried a long, 45-yard FG from a different angle and the kick sailed wide to the left and Bowden had his long-sought national championship. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD4azN7JUxo
#10 Ohio St. vs. USC 1975 Rose Bowl The Rhodes Scholar- Everyone thought this would be a showcase game for the two star RBs that finished 1-2 in the Heisman balloting, Buckeyes' winner Archie Griffin and USC's Anthony Davis. The Trojans were also fresh off a 55-24 pounding of top 5 Notre Dame while the Buckeyes had just dispatched fellow Big 10 unbeaten Michigan. After Trojans QB Pat Haden, the Rhodes Scholar, had thrown 2 INTs to Buckeyes' DB Neal Colzie he went firing back at him one last time. After some nifty running by the Trojans, Haden rolled out and threw a short TD pass to TE Jim Obradovich. Buckeyes' QB Cornelius Greene responded with a long run of his own and a quick pass to Griffin, which set up a 3-yard TD run for Greene. After another OSU field goal, the lead was 17-10 late in the 4th quarter. Haden, who's fumble had helped the Buckeyes score their last three points, came back with a beautiful touchdown pass to the coaches' son, J.K. McKay, from 38 yards out. Trojans' QB Jim McKay had decided to go for the win with a 2-point conversion and trusted his intelligent QB to make the right decision. Haden rolled right and threw a quick strike to Shelton Diggs for an 18-17 lead with little time remaining. Greene thought he could engineer one final drive, but after he was sacked for a huge gain, Buckeyes' K Tom Klaban missed a 62-yd game-winning FG. It was a thrilling moment for college football and one of the few times when a 2-point conversion try didn't backfire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i99nER5cexI
#9 Colorado 1989 Regular Season Winning for Sal- There have been some great inspirational stories in college football, including John Cappelletti's remarkable run to the 1973 Heisman trophy that was inspired by his brother Joey, who was dying of leukemia. Such events do happen to players off the field, but very rarely does an illness or death affect a team the way Buffs' QB Sal Aunese did Colorado in the fall of 1989. Colorado had a decent football tradition before Aunese arrived, but they hadn't finished in the AP top 20 since 1976 and was only in the top 10 twice since 1953. When Aunese took over in 1987 he guided them to a 7-4 record and led the team in rushing, passing and scoring. The following season, aided by talented TBs Eric Bieniemy and J.J. Flannigan, the Buffs had an outstanding season, but fell behind powerhouse Big 8 schools Oklahoma St., Nebraska and Oklahoma. In 1989 everything changed when Aunese complained of pains in his chest and it was soon revealed that he had stomach cancer. Adding to the drama of losing their star QB, Buffs' coach Bill McCartney had a rowdy team around him, with a Sports Illustrated article detailing how many arrests they had been involved in and how the Boulder Police Department had to keep players' photos on hand to see if they were suspects. With his job getting more stressful by the minute, McCartney didn't even acknowledge publicly until later that his daughter's baby was Aunese's. Most coaches would crumble knowing that their daughter had a baby with one of their own players, but not McCartney. This tragedy allowed the more mobile and talented sophomore, Darien Hagan, to step into the fold. Colorado beat Oklahoma for the first time in Norman since 1965 and were well on their way to a Big 8 crown. All that stood in CU's way was #3 Nebraska on Nov. 4th. The Buffaloes had a tough dispatching the 'Huskers but overcame thanks to some big plays by their stars. Flannigan scored on a 70-yd TD run after a late pitchout by Hagan on an option run and then, after an outstanding return by WR Jeff Campbell (who was great on PRs all night, 3 for 108 yards), Hagan scored a 1-yd TD run before a late FG gave Colorado a 17-14 halftime lead. Flannigan scored on another run in the 3rd quarter and the 'Buffs were able to hold on late for a 27-21 win. Colorado ended their regular season by thrashing Kansas St. 59-11 to earn an Orange Bowl berth and a date with #4 Notre Dame. This run is made even more remarkable when you consider that Aunese died on September 23rd, just before Colorado's 4th game of the season. Aunese's cousin, Junior Seau, also honored him by playing through a broken finger in one game, a constant reminder of how powerful one life can be to many people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKg7E0tLFU0 Colorado vs. Nebraska http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jboOs9HVBDA
#8 Miami (FL) vs. Ohio State 2002 BCS Title Game- Oh, how quickly we forget. Before USC faced off against Texas for the very-same BCS title, Miami was being touted as one of the all-time great college football teams. The 'Canes had it all; a superstar QB in Ken Dorsey, sure-fire top pick Willis McGahee at RB, a slew of talented WRs, TE Kellen Winslow Jr., a dominating OL, the deepest DL in years at the college level, All-America caliber LBs in DJ Williams and Jonathan Vilma and playmaking safety Sean Taylor. Not counting all of that talent, the team had lost 3 RBs who would start in the NFL (Najeh Davenport, Frank Gore and Clinton Portis), TE Jeremy Shockey, and DBs Phillip Buchanon and Ed Reed. Wow, how could any team that still went undefeated after losing all of that talent be overcome by one team? The win streaks varied from 34 for the 'Canes to 13 for the Buckeyes. OSU relied on a steady passing game featuring Michael Jenkins and DB/WR Chris Gamble, heady QB Craig Krenzel and super freshman Maurice Clarett. The real key though was a defense that was never really tested. The only team to score more than 20 points against them was Texas Tech, but they had merely scored 2 late TD passes to make the final score more respectable at 45-21. The game was a fantastic back-and-forth battle. OSU took a quick lead in the second quarter after Krenzel and Clarett scored on TD runs that made it 14-7. In the 3rd quarter, Clarett made one of the most memorable plays in bowl history; it all started after Krenzel threw an INT in the end zone to S Taylor, who decided to try and make a big play, running the ball out of his own end zone. The plan backfired when Clarett caught him from behind and stripped the ball. The Buckeyes got a FG out of the change of possession and lead 17-7 midway through the 3rd. McGahee responded with a 9-yard TD run and it was 17-14 in the 3rd, but unfortunately, a nasty knee injury forced him out of the game and FB Quadrine Hill into the starting role. Luckily, the 'Canes had a hero as speedy WR Roscoe Parrish had an amazing punt return that setup Todd Sievers' FG on the last play of regulation to force OT. Then, in OT, Dorsey hit Winslow for a 7-yard TD and the lead. The Buckeyes, who had been masters of late-game heroics, needed their QB to come through one last time. Krenzel converted a 4th-and-long and then 'Canes DB Glenn Sharpe was called for pass interference, which was very controversial. It was hard to tell if he really interfered with the receiver and, the flag from the official came in late. Krenzel responded with a short TD run to force a 2nd OT. In the 2nd OT, Clarett spun his way to a 5-yard TD run, but the 'Canes had one last gasp. Dorsey had all the opportunities, getting down to the 1-yard line, but on 4th-and-goal he was rushed and could not get a good pass attempt away. One of the biggest upsets by the most unlikely of champions was complete. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKofox05UVo
#7 Miami (FL) vs. Notre Dame 1988 "Catholics vs. Convicts"- This was a game that had all the hype. Miami was on a 36-game winning streak in the regular season and Notre Dame was on it's way back to national prominence thanks to HC Lou Holtz. After losing to the Irish every year from 1971 to 1980, the 'Canes had a nice streak going against the Irish, winning in 1985 58-7 and in 1987 24-0. 'Canes QB Steve Walsh had also done what his predecessor, Heisman Trophy winning QB Vinny Testaverde could not do, and that was go undefeated and win a national title. With a bevy of great receivers, some talented RBs and a solid defense, Miami was a slight favorite heading into South Bend. Led by versatile QB Tony Rice, speedy FL/RB Rocket Ismail, FL Ricky Watters and RBs Anthony Johnson and Mark Green, the Irish were blowing past opponents left and right even though they had lost Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown from the year before. Things got heated early on as both teams emotions boiled over when the 'Canes left their locker room and headed out to the field. The two teams met at the north end zone and a melee broke out with both coaches protesting that the other side had attacked the other. Whoever threw the first punch before the kickoff didn't matter as ND's Rice scored first on it with a TD run. After Walsh responded with a TD pass, Rice threw a score of his own and Irish DB Pat Terrell took a pass the other way 60 yards for a score and a 21-7 lead. Walsh responded with two quick TD passes before the half to TBs Leonard Conley and Cleveland Gary. Gary, who would have a great day catching 11 passes for 130 yards, would be involved in the most controversial play of the day. Gary caught a pass and dove for the Irish goalline, but was hit by DB George Streeter, fumbling the ball and allowing Michael Stonebreaker to recover for the Irish. While the 'Canes pleaded for the pass to be ruled incomplete, the ball should have been scored as a TD, as Gary reached the ball over the goalline before it came out. In fact, the ball came loose as it hit the ground. Nevertheless, the 'Canes got one last chance down 31-24 and with time running out. Walsh was forced to make a big play on 4th down, deep in Irish territory, and he did, finding Andre Brown for a TD. This is where Jimmy Johnson decided to go for it all and the win. Walsh had a ton of time on his 2-point attempt, but could find no one open. Then, out of the backfield came Conley who seemed to be wide open in the end zone. However, Walsh tried to float the ball to him and Terrell, who was the hero earlier with his INT return, spiked the ball to the ground to preserve the victory. After an onside kick failed, the Irish ran out the clock for a 31-30 win. Johnson was mad about the final outcome, as were his players, who believed Miami to be the stronger side, but in the end, the Irish won and marched all the way to the Fiesta Bowl where they polished off Major Harris and #2 West Virginia for the national championship. Miami would finish #2. The 'Canes would get some measure of revenge the next year, beating the Irish 27-10 and winning the title, with ND coming in 2nd. Highlights: http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/sports_college_football/watch/v162512535kMSRcHc
CBS intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI5VCbbXM6U&feature=related
#6 Texas vs. Arkansas 1969 and Notre Dame vs. Texas 1970 Cotton Bowl Beating the Odds- UT coach Darrell Royal was fond to say that on a pass play three things can happen, two of which are bad. Well, maybe that's why he warmed to the idea of the wishbone offense that was suggested to him by Emory Bellard. It was originally called the Y formation until a newspaper reporter suggested it be called the Wishbone-T. However the name got there, it was quite a coup for the Longhorns who ran it to near perfection behind QB James Street, FB Steve Worster and HB Jim Bertelsen. The 'Horns also possessed a fantastic defense and their 4-4-3 alignment was giving teams fits. The 'Horns didn't allow over 17 points until their early December showdown with #2 Arkansas, who was led by an outstanding defense and QB Bill Montgomery. The game was actually moved to later in the year by ABC man Roone Arledge, who had forecasted the game would be of significance. Even President Richard Nixon had to show up in Fayetteville to see the big game everyone was talking about. It was a dark day, chilly and gray, but that didn't dampen the home team's enthusiasm. 'Hogs RB Bill Burnett opened the scoring early with a short TD run and at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, after a costly UT fumble, Montgomery pitched a 29-yard TD pass to star wideout Chuck Dicus. Down 14-0, the 'Horns had to make a valiant comeback. Luckily, Street had a few big plays up his sleeve. On a designed pass play, Street dropped back but couldn't find anyone open so he improvised. Darting his way across the field and past 'Hogs defenders, Street found plenty of daylight on a magnificent 42-yard scoring run. Signaling to go for 2 immediately, Royal sent his offense back out and Street inched his way across the goalline. Down 14-8 the 'Horns got the ball back one last time and with just under 5 minutes left to play, Street was faced with a 4th-and-3 and talked things over with his legendary coach. Street thought a counter-option play would work, but Royal abruptly called out for "Right 53 Veer Pass." Street came back to the huddle and told his teammates they would be surprised at the call, but it would work. Dropping back to pass, Street looked and could only find TE Randy Peschel streaking down the sideline, but closely covered by 2 Razorback defenders. Still, Peschel made a near-perfect over-the-shoulder catch inside the 20. Two plays later, Bertelsen scored on a short TD run to make it 15-14 after the XP. The 'Hogs moved their way downfield, but with 1:13 on the clock Montgomery made his biggest mistake, not seeing DB Tom Campbell cut in front of Dicus to make the clinching INT. Nixon would proclaim afterwards that the 'Horns were the national champs which led to Penn St. (who was the only other undefeated team after the regular season) HC Joe Paterno later saying that, "I don't know how Richard Nixon could know so much about college football in 1969 and so little about Watergate in 1972." Nevertheless, Texas still had to go on and beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.
It was the first time in 45 years that the Irish were making a bowl appearance and behind QB Joe Theismann, they had every reason to believe they could win. Theismann led his team to a quick 10-0 lead after a bomb to E Tom Gatewood and the 'Horns had to respond quickly. Eating up clock on the ground, UT eventually scored thanks to Bertelsen and had another opportunity to take the lead just before the half. Royal gambled on 4th-and-inches at the Irish 7 but HB Billy Dale was stuffed as the Irish preserved a 10-7 lead. After trading TDs, the Longhorns would soon go on one of the greatest scoring drives in bowl history. Worster pounded up the middle for plenty of yards on the fateful drive but a 4th-and-2 from the 20 was tricky so Street gave it to HB Ted Koy who got just enough for the first. When it was 4th-and-2 from the 10, Royal again turned to a pass play to save his season and this time it was WR Cotton Speyrer who dove and made a shoe-string catch to save the drive. Replays clearly show he got his hands under the ball and the remarkable catch set up Dale's 1-yard plunge with just over a minute remaining that preserved the Longhorns' undefeated national championship season. Notre Dame would gain some measure of revenge the following season, beating #1 Texas 24-11 in the Cotton Bowl and costing them a 2nd straight national title. Arkansas vs. Texas, 2 clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ux4eqPr9k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FszLa0AhBxI&feature=related Cotton Bowl, 2 clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfT_528BWdU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJHw4ubVk8&NR=1
#5 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma 1971 "The Game of the Century"- This is the game that, as Chris Fowler once noted, most families around the country scheduled their Thanksgiving dinners around kickoff time. It was so big that 'Huskers coach Bob Devaney decided to fly in pregame meals from Lincoln to make sure his squad wouldn't get food poisoning from any of the local restaurants or cooks. The 'Huskers were loaded most notably along the DL where Rich Glover, the 1972 Lombardi and Outland award winner roamed along with Willie Harper and Larry Jacobson. Harper was a two-time All-American ('71 and '72) while Jacobson won the 1971 Outland trophy. On offense they had Jerry Tagge at QB who was extremely poised and confident throughout his career. That could have been because he had IB Jeff Kinney to hand it off to and 1972 Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers at FL (Rodgers finished 2 spots ahead of Glover in the '72 Heisman voting by the way). On Oklahoma's side they loved to run the football out of the wishbone, which was so nicely donated by Texas Longhorns' coach Darrell Royal to help the Sooners cause. While that sounds unthinkable today, Royal had no problems helping out a friend or colleague back in those days. Anyways, the Sooners were led by QB Jack Mildren, who ran for more yards in 1971 than he passed for. Mildren used his plethora of backfield mates to run wild over the Big 8. HB Greg Pruitt ran for over 1600 yards and scored 17 TDs on the season while FB Leon Crosswhite was also a formidable weapon. Pruitt would finish in the top 3 in Heisman balloting in both 1971 and 1972, finishing just behind Rodgers in '72. And, long before there was Keith Jackson for Jamelle Holieway to throw to, Mildren had SE Jon Harrison, who averaged nearly 30 yards per reception on 17 catches. On defense, Lucious Selmon and Derland Moore were dominant DL. Still, with all of the defensive talent on board, this was poised to be a high-powered shootout. Nebraska struck first on the day as Rodgers made possibly the most famous punt return in college football history. He took the ball at his own 28, was surrounded by Sooner defenders but Pruitt hit him hard and actually spun him around and out of danger. Rodgers took the opening and was off to the races on a 72-yard TD. That helped Nebraska build a 14-3 lead but Mildren rallied his squad with a TD run and a scoring strike to Harrison. Sensing things were slipping away, Tagge went to his bruising back, Kinney, who scored back-to-back TDs and the 'Huskers were up 28-17. That's when Mildren went to work yet again, scoring on a 3-yard run before going to the air to get the lead back. After a methodical 69-yard drive, Harrison caught his second TD of the day, this time from 16 yards out and OU led 31-28. The 'Huskers were stunned but knew what they had to do. Facing a third-and-short, Kinney broke free for a 17-yard gain. However, not long after they faced a third-and-eight, this time forcing Tagge to go to the air, where he found his favorite weapon, Rodgers. Sandwiched between two OU defenders, Rodgers slid to the ground and made a spectacular diving catch to preserve the drive. The 'Huskers continued to pound away until Kinney broke into the end zone from the 2 for a 35-31 lead. Mildren had produced 267 yards rushing and passing, scoring 4 times (2 each through the air and ground), but Kinney was the real star, rushing for 174 yards and 4 TDs on the day. It was easily one of the best offensive battles in history, maybe the best, that is until our number three moment happened. However, we will get there eventually. Rodgers' PR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLvv3KPNHfY Kinney TD run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvefB0q3f58&feature=related
Kinney's run gives Nebraska the lead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGRObEtGXY4&NR=1
#4 Alabama vs. Penn St. 1979 Sugar Bowl "The Stand"- There were not many instances where legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant wouldn't be the favored coach in a New Year's Day bowl game, but this was one of those times. The Nittany Lions featured a slew of All-Americans including Walter Camp and Maxwell Award winning QB Chuck Fusina. Fusina could turn to TB Matt Suhey or FB Booker Moore, who both found plenty of holes behind All-American OT Keith Dorney and if Fusina wanted to pass, he had standout WR Scott Fitzkee. On defense, the Nittany Lions had a strong back 7, but the frontline was where they were strongest with DL Matt Millen and Lombardi Award winner Bruce Clark. For Alabama, they relied on the steady wishbone offense and an outstanding defense. With HB Tony Nathan, FB Billy Jackson and folk hero Major Ogilvie in the backfield, the Crimson Tide were nearly unstoppable on the ground. QB Jeff Rutledge didn't have to throw it often, but when he did, WRs Keith Pugh and Bruce Bolton made the most of their opportunities. On defense, the 5-2 (Oklahoma defense) front alignment caused problems thanks to DL EJ Junior and Marty Lyons and do-it-all LB Barry Krause. In the secondary, DB Don McNeal made plenty of big plays as only Southern Cal could knock off the tide during the regular season. The game was expected to be a defensive battle, not quite the offensive explosion usually featured in famous #1 vs. #2 battles. The game was relatively quiet in the first half until just before halftime when the Nittany Lions assumed they would get the ball back and burned a few timeouts. However, a 30-yard burst by Nathan changed all that and Bryant saw his opportunity. Rutledge made a picture-perfect play-action fake and went to the end zone for a diving Bolton, which stunned the Nittany Lions and their fans. The 30-yard scoring strike opened up the game and gave 'Bama a crucial 7-0 lead. The Nittany Lions could do nothing offensively in the first half, so they used their defense to create a scoring opportunity in the 2nd. After an INT by DB Pete Harris, Fusina marched his troops 48 yards in 5 plays, finishing off the drive with a 17-yard TD pass to Fitzkee, who made a sensational catch, barely getting his tippy toes down in the back of the end zone. The Tide would respond thanks to a big play by HB Lou Ikner, who raced 62 yards with a punt to the PSU' 11. Just a few plays later, Ogilvie took a pitch and bulled over a defender on his way to the end zone. Up 14-7, the Tide just had to hold on to their slim lead. This would lead to one of the greatest goalline stands and perhaps the greatest tackle in bowl history. Fusina found Fitzkee open near the sideline right at the Tide 1-yard line, but McNeal made a diving tackle, forcing him out of bounds, inches from paydirt. The Nittany Lions went straight to Suhey on 3rd down after a timeout, but Tide LB Rich Wingo met him as he tried to dive over the pile. Then, giving the ball to HB Mike Guman, the Nittany Lions were stuffed again, this time by Krauss who made a miraculous stop. According to numerous reports, Paterno wanted to call a play-action fake, but his assistants persuaded him to run the ball up the middle. Ironically, Tide DL Lyons shouted at Fusina that he better pass the ball, truly an iconic moment as the Tide knew exactly what to expect. Krauss would be temporarily knocked unconscious according to some reports, although he did leave the field under his own power. The goalline stand has been forever immortalized in Tuscaloosa and after a late penalty by the Nittany Lions negated a horrendous Tide punt, the clock ran out on Joe Pa and his undefeated season. The Tide would claim a share of the national title, something Paterno acknowledged they rightly deserved after the game. Game highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjyPhrNp8tE
#3 USC vs. Texas 2006 Rose Bowl BCS National Title Game "Vince Young Does It Again"- The Longhorns had every reason to be mad going into this title game, but on the other hand, the Trojans had every reason to be cocky. The Trojans may not have been back-to-back BCS champions, but they had won their share of two straight national titles and in the 2005 Orange Bowl destroyed Oklahoma, 55-19 in a showdown of unbeatens. The Trojans had few scares during the 2005 season, although the game at South Bend will long be mired in controversy thanks to the "Bush Push," but that's all in the past. The only other notable encounter came when Reggie Bush amassed 513 all-purpose yards during a wild shootout with Fresno St. in late November. The Longhorns only had a scare when playing at Columbus, as QB Vince Young had to rally with a gorgeous TD pass to Limas Sweed in the back of the end zone for a 25-22 win. The other close game came at Stillwater when the Oklahoma St. Cowboys ran out to a 28-9 lead, but Young and co. kicked it into high gear and cruised for a 47-28 win (UT had outscored OSU 118-0 in the 2nd half of their last 3 meetings at this point, wow). On the final day of the regular season both teams cruised to easy victories in potential trap games; UT escaped the Big XII title game curse by demolishing Colorado 70-3 and USC whooped UCLA 66-19 behind Bush, RB LenDale White and QB Matt Leinart. This setup a great game, but also a wonderful chance for ESPN to hype USC as potentially the greatest college football team of all-time. They would routinely ask experts to pick who would in such all-time matchups between 2005 USC and past national champions. As I can recall, the only consensus as to who they wouldn't beat was 1995 Nebraska. So, with all this hype, what made USC so great? Well, they had the 2004 Heisman winner in Leinart (who came in 3rd in '05), the 2005 Heisman recipient in Bush (who came in 5th in '04) and of course White, the leading TD maker in USC history. When you consider all the great backs White had to pass on his way to setting those marks, it's quite impressive. Bush also won the Doak Walker and Walter Camp awards while Leinart took home the Unitas award for best senior QB. Dwayne Jarrett also received All-America honors at WR and OL Taitusi Lutui was an A-A as well. The defense featured Frostee Rucker and Sedrick Ellis on the DL, while the LBs and DBs were two-deep with loads of talent, present and future. For the Longhorns, Vince Young, the Heisman runner-up, Maxwell and Davey O'Brien award winner was where it all started. He had plenty of time to throw behind A-A Jonathan Scott and when he wasn't passing, he was rushing for over 1,000 yards or handing it off to talented TBs Ramonce Taylor and Jamaal Charles, who combined for 28 TDs. On defense, DL Rodrique Wright and S Michael Huff, also the Thorpe award winner, were both All-Americans. The LB core was solid, as was the DBs, but the real key would be the DL, where Texas knew it had to get great play to stop the Trojans' talented RBs. The game would live up to all the hype. USC started fast as White busted over the goalline for a quick TD, not even three minutes into the game. The Trojans had a chance to pull away early in the 2nd quarter as Leinart fired a deep ball to Bush, but as he was about to be tackled, Bush tried to make a big play by attempting a lateral to WR Brad Walker who didn't expect the pitch. The fumble was recovered by Huff at the 18 and Young led the 'Horns downfield for a FG. Another miscue by the Trojand led to more points for the 'Horns when Michael Griffin intercepted Leinart at the goalline. Young completed a few passes to get UT into the red zone and then lateraled to Selvin Young for a 10-yard TD run. The play was controversial as it appeared on replay that V. Young's knee was down before he pitched it at the 12, but the replay monitors in the booth were out of order, so no replay could be assessed. After a Trojans' punt, the 'Horns got the ball in great field position and Taylor scored on a big run from 30 yards out to make it 16-7 UT. After a Trojans' FG, it was 16-10 at the half, which seemed rather quiet, but there was still plenty to come. It didn't take long after the half for White to give USC the lead one more time as he scored on a short TD run. V. Young responded with an 80-yard scoring drive of his own, which he capped off himself with a 14-yard TD run. Another long, Trojans' drive ended with yet another White scoring burst, this time from 12 yards away and USC was back on top again, 24-23. With the lead and smelling blood, Heisman winner Bush took his chance to wow the NFL scouts with a sensational TD run from 26 yards out that he finished off by somersaulting into the end zone. The spectacular play gave USC new life, and after UT could only muster a FG, the Trojans tried to put the game away as Leinart threw a scoring strike to Jarrett. Up 38-26 with over six-and-a-half minutes remaining, the 'Horns needed a hero and V. Young came to the rescue. It only took about two-and-a-half minutes as Young was 5-for-6 on the key drive passing for 44 yards and rushing for 25 more, including the 17-yard TD run to cut the lead to 38-33. The Trojans got the ball back and scored a quick first down, then handed the keys to White, but after an incomplete pass, White was stopped two yards short on 3rd down. Facing a key 4th-and-2 with time winding down, USC coach Pete Carroll made the decision to go for the first down and the win. He knew he had to keep the ball away from V. Young and White, who had been punishing the 'Horns D all night, was the man to get the ball, but he came up just inches short. Young slowly marched his way downfield as USC committed a foolish turnover when a facemask was called after 'Horns WR Quan Cosby was stopped well short of a first down after a third down completion. Young ran for a few yards and completed two passes to little-known Brian Carter to get the ball down to the 13. After a short scramble and two incompletions, Young faced a 4th-and-8 for the national championship. USC decided to blitz Young but it was of no use as he scrambled for the right pylon, making the goalline easily. With a QB draw for another 2 points, UT led 41-38 with little time left and the Trojans could not come back to tie the game and even force OT. The 'Horns had escaped one of the great shootouts in all of college football. White ran for 124 yards and 3 TDs while Bush totaled 279 yards and a TD all-purpose. Leinart was also efficient, throwing 29-of-40 for 365 yards and one score, but a very costly INT as well. With 574 yards of total offense, USC actually outgained the 'Horns, but that didn't matter too much since they didn't have Vince Young. Young would have an outstanding day, going 30-for-40 for 267 yards through the air and rushing 19 times for 200 yards and three scores. It was a fantastic way to end a dramatic 2005 college football season, easily one of the greatest national title games of all-time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEUZQMQSgKY&feature=related
#2 Miami (FL) vs. Nebraska 1984 Orange Bowl An Unexpected Classic- This was to be one of those nights where the kings of college football, the dominant 'Huskers, would proudly accept their coronation as one of the great teams of all-time. They weren't necessarily the most well-rounded team, they had a fine defense and all, but how good do you have to be when you average 52 points a game? The 'Huskers looked fine and dandy on paper, but even their wins over mediocre competition were rather hollow. A 44-6 blowout of defending national champion Penn St. in the first-ever Kickoff Classic seems impressive, but all of the Nittany Lions' best players had left the year before. A tough 14-10 win over Oklahoma St. was a key victory, but the best Cowboys would finish was 8-4 as they struggled to make the Bluebonnet Bowl. Even the annual rivalry game with Oklahoma lost some of it's luster, although that doesn't diminish the 'Huskers first win at Owen Field under Tom Osborne's tenure. When they weren't sputtering against their rivals from down south, Nebraska was racking up point totals of 56 (Wyoming), 84 (Minnesota), 63 (Syracuse), 69 (Colorado), 51 (Kansas St.), 72 (Iowa State) and 67 (Kansas). Very impressive stuff. One of the main weapons for the 'Huskers was wingback Irving Fryar whose receiving yardage total doubled that of the best WRs on the team. QB Turner Gill, an All-American and Heisman finalist, lit up squads for 14 TD passes and 11 scoring runs. However, the real star of the show was RB Mike Rozier, who set numerous records, rushing for 2,148 yards, the most of any back besides Marcus Allen of USC. His 29 TDs were also an incredible number and he owed his success largely to hulking OL Dean Steinkuhler, who was A-A as well as the Outland and Lombardi award winner. Rozier's overall TD record broke Johnny Rodgers' long-standing mark and his amazing 7.8 yards per carry average for the season still has not been topped. The defense didn't produce any All-Americans, but as noted earlier, who really needed them anyways? On the other side of the ball, the Miami (FL) Hurricanes had a balanced offense led by QB Bernie Kosar, WR Eddie Brown, TE Glenn Dennison and the underrated Stanley Shakespeare. When it came to running the football, the 'Canes could rely on HBs Ray Bentley, Keith Griffin or super freshman Alonzo Highsmith. On the defensive side of the ball, DL Kevin Fagan and Julio Cortes and DBs Eddie Williams and Ken Calhoun were of the bend, but don't break mold. It didn't matter who was on defense in the opening week when rival Florida destroyed Miami 28-3, but in the next 10 weeks Miami never allowed more than 17 points. However, one problem stood in the way of Miami's national championship dreams. They came into the bowl season ranked #5, so it would take an inordinate amount of upsets to jump all the way to #1. Well, things fell into place for the 'Canes as #2 Texas fell to #7 Georgia 10-9 in the Cotton Bowl while #4 Illinois was decimated by unranked UCLA, 45-9, in the Rose Bowl. The #3 team in the country, the Auburn Tigers, could barely escape #8 Michigan in the Sugar Bowl, 9-7, so the door was flung wide open for a possible title. The 'Canes started off the game fast with Kosar firing TD passes to Dennison (2 and 22 yards respectively) and after a long FG, it was 17-0. The 'Huskers were stunned, as they had played very few close games throughout the season, and clearly, the option is not meant to be a hurry-up or come-from-behind offense. It took a bit of trickery for the 'Huskers to finally get on the board as coach Osborne called for the "fumblerooskie" a designed fumble that was picked up by Steinkuhler. The big man rambled 19 yards for a TD and just a few minutes before the half, Gill snuck the ball in from a yard out to make it 17-14. After a short FG tied the game just after halftime, the 'Canes answered with a powerful ground game. First, Highsmith went up over the pile for a 1-yd TD run and before the 3rd quarter was done, Bentley had sprinted his way in from 7 yards out. Now down 31-17, the 'Huskers had to pass a little bit more and save their season. Then, the 'Huskers suffered a huge loss before the 4th quarter began as Rozier was on the bench with an ankle injury. His contribution, 147 yards up to that point, would be sorely missed, but nevertheless, backup IB Jeff Smith scored on a 1-yd TD that capped a 76-yard drive. After a missed FG would have put the game out of reach, the 'Huskers had less than 2 minutes to save the game. One of the key plays on this classic drive was a bullet from Gill to the speedy Fryar, who nearly broke free and went all the way for a TD. Facing a first down with little time remaining, Osborne ran the ball and then went straight for the endzone but Fryar dropped a wide open TD pass. After another incompletion, facing 4th-and-8, Osborne kept it on the ground as Gill waited until the last second on an option play before pitching it to Smith, who went all the way for a TD. Osborne immediately decided to go for 2, but rather than waiting for a great opening, Gill forced a quick pass to Smith, that was behind him, and the 'Canes Calhoun knocked it away. After a failed onside kick the 'Canes ran out the clock and gave Howard Schnellenberger his first national title. Little could people expect that the 'Canes, who were huge underdogs coming in, would become the nation's bad boys under Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson, and that it would take Osborne 11 more years before he got his first title. 1st half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-EDPjwgRjo&feature=related 2nd half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13iVmvmyuy0&feature=related
#1 Nebraska vs. Florida 1996 Fiesta Bowl "The Greatest of All-Time"- It was a dream match-up; the Bowl Alliance, established a few years earlier by multiple conferences to produce a true #1 vs. #2 national championship game had worked in 1992 when Miami (FL) faced off against Alabama. The following year, things were a bit muddier when Florida St. got the nod to face undefeated Nebraska in the Orange Bowl despite West Virginia being undefeated. Still, the Florida Gators salvaged things by destroying the Mountaineers 41-7 and let a somewhat undisputed national champion reign. Then, in 1994, Penn St. remained undefeated, so despite the 'Huskers claims after the New Year of an undisputed national championship things were still a little unclear. However, in 1995, two teams, neither of which came from the Pac-10 or Big Ten since they were not apart of the alliance, remained undefeated and setup a showdown for the real national title. The newcomers were the Florida Gators, #2 in the country and proud possessors of a devastating offense. If they wanted to run the ball they would simply follow Ts Jason Odom, All-American, or Mo Collins or outstanding Gs Donnie Young or Reggie Green. Coach Steve Spurrier didn't often like to run the ball, but he would let his talented triplets, Elijah Williams, Fred Taylor or Terry Jackson, carry the ball from time to time, which they did effectively for over 1900 yards combined. However, as with all teams coached by Spurrier, the passing game was the showcase. QB Danny Wuerffel was in fine form all year, throwing for a career-high 64.6% and over 3200 yards. His main targets were Chris Doering and Ike Hilliard, both of whom would go over 1,000 yards receiving on the season. In Doering's final season he would eclipse the school and SEC career records with 31 TD receptions. Backing those two studs up were Jacquez Green and Reidel Anthony, who would become key weapons during the Gators race for the 1996 national title. Hilliard and Anthony would both be All-Americans in 1996. As a matter of fact, this little quartet makes up four of the top eight career receiving yardage holders in UF history, so not too shabby. On defense, the Gators were not quite as talented, but a strong DL that went two deep at every position was a fine start. Ben Hanks and Dexter Daniels were also outstanding LBs who had started for 3 straight years while DBs Anthone Lott, Fred Weary and Lawrence Wright could shut down almost any opposing offense. Wright would even win the Thorpe Award as the nation's best DB in 1996. As for the defending national champions, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, well this may have been the deepest squad in college football history. Starting at QB, they possessed Tommie Frazier, one of the ultimate weapons, and despite all the people who will defend Eric Crouch, Tagge or Gill, he was the greatest QB in Nebraska history, as evidenced by his taking 3 straight teams to bowl games with undefeated records. Frazier would tun for over 600 yards with 14 TDs while also passing for 17 TDs and 1300+ yards. His backup was the 'Husker legend, Brook Berringer, who subbed in for Frazier when he was injured during the 1994 season. At WR, Reggie Baul was a dependable weapon, as was WB Clester Johnson, the 'Huskers leading receiver, and TE Mark Gilman. At the IB slot, Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips were extra-special, combining for over 1600 yards and averaging over 7 yards per carry between them. Even the 3rd-stringer, Damon Benning, had been a solid contributor for a few years. The heart and soul however, was the offensive line. Led by future two-time All-American Aaron Taylor at G and Ts Eric Anderson and Chris Dishman and C Aaron Graham, the 'Huskers averaged an amazing 400 yards rushing per game with 51 TDs and over 7 yards per carry, no matter who ran the ball. While the offense was #1 in the country with an average of 52 points per game, the scoring defense was #4 allowing just 13.6 per game. The rushing defense was just as remarkable, allowing only 6 TDs on the ground, which was best in the nation, and only 78 yards per game. The defense was star-studded thanks to Grant Wistrom and Jared Tomich (12 sacks) on the outside and Christian Peter and Jason Peter on the inside of the defensive line. At LB, the 'Huskers could go as many as 3-deep, but the real stars were Terrell Farley and Jay Foreman. Farley did a fine job by leading the team in tackles and also scoring 2 TDs on INT returns. In the secondary, Tyrone Williams, Michael Booker and Mike Minter led a strong group that contained a few high-powered offenses during the season. Kansas, Kansas St. and Colorado would all win 10 games, so it's not like the 'Huskers faced cupcakes during their Big 8 run. Coming into the game, there was a ton of controversy regarding Phillips, who was arrested during the season for assaulting his girlfriend, but Osborne believed the kid who had a troubled upbringing, would be worse in the long run if the university took away the one thing that mattered to him. Also, the oddsmakers had UF as slight favorites, despite the 'Huskers being the defending champs. Onto the game...
The game started off quickly as the Gators rolled downfield for a FG, but the 'Huskers responded with a long drive and a beautiful TD pass from Frazier to Phillips. After a turnover by the 'Huskers, Wuerffel appeared to be leading the Gators to victory by sneaking the ball into the endzone from a yard out for a 10-6 lead. However, once the 2nd quarter began, things went downhill for the Gators and fast. First, Phillips broke numerous tackles on his way to a 42-yard TD and a lead Nebraska wouldn't relinquish. The 'Huskers then blitzed Wuerffel deep in his own end and LB Jamel Williams sacked him for a safety. After a long run by Frazier got the 'Huskers deep into UF territory, Green scored a TD to make it 22-10. It wasn't close to being over. Wuerffel made a costly mistake and DB Booker stepped in front for a 43-yd INT return for a TD. The Huskers' K Kris Brown kicked a FG to make it 35-10 before the half. Late in the 3rd quarter, Frazier would execute a perfect QB draw thanks to some fine blocking, scoring from 35 yards out. The most memorable play of the game, and I think of all-time, came late in the 3rd quarter when Frazier took an option and headed upfield, breaking 7 tackles on his way to a 75-yard TD. As a matter of fact, he had eluded so many defenders that he looked back after he had broken free to make sure the play had not been called dead. You could even see his grin peering out from behind his facemask, as even he couldn't believe he was capable of such a run. A Hilliard receiving TD had at least made things a little less harsh for the Gators as the score stood at 49-18 to end the 3rd. Phillips would another nice TD run in the 4th, followed by a 1-yard sneak from Berringer. The final would stand at 62-24 as the 'Huskers compiled an all-bowl record of 524 yards rushing and 29 points in the second quarter. Frazier would run 16 times for 199 yards and 2 TDs while Phillips had 25 carries for 165 yards and 2 scores, including a receiving TD. The Gators were embarrassed, rushing for -28 yards and being overmatched from the get-go. Only Army's 48-0 win over Notre Dame in 1948 was a large margin of victory in a #1 vs. #2 matchup all-time. The Cornhuskers didn't just finish off a perfect season, but they were a perfect storm of devastating defense, high-powered offense and an amazing coaching staff who was ready for anything Spurrier's "Fun 'n' Gun" offense had queued up. This was a dominant performance by arguably the greatest team in college football history. Frazier's run, and the total domination by everyone involved, help make it the greatest college football moment I've ever seen. Frazier "The Run" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LNIWaYNJZI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VojVTyYWGds&feature=related
Thanks for reading, I hoped all the youtube links worked and you enjoyed. Feel free to comment or add insight and any more stories you may have. Take care.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment