The Badger Herald

SPORTS

Last-minute plays reasons for hope

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Also by Tyler Mason:

• Miami could ruin Pats' perfect mark (December 13, 2007)
• Wisconsin hockey continues road woes in Mankato (December 10, 2007)
• Hot stove season best time of year (December 6, 2007)
• Engel finds niche at new position (December 6, 2007)

Related Stories:

• Connecticut, Okafor eyeing title run (March 24, 2003)
• Rocky trip Outback for UW (January 1, 2008)
• Unbelievable (November 19, 2001)
• USC loss keeps upset train rolling (October 11, 2007)
• Stanford ends UW's NCAA tournament run in regionals (December 13, 2004)

by Tyler Mason

Thursday, November 29, 2007

It is simply known as "The Play." If that name doesn't ring a bell, maybe this will.

The year was 1982. Cal versus Stanford. Trailing 19-17 late in the game, Stanford quarterback John Elway captained a drive that set up a Cardinal field goal with eight seconds left. With just four ticks remaining on the clock, Stanford took a 20-19 lead and thought they had won the game.

That's where The Play comes in.

Almost every sports fan knows it. The kickoff was squibbed to Cal's 45-yard line with just a few seconds left. All seemed lost for the Golden Bears. But five laterals later, Cal's Kevin Moen darted toward the end zone with the Stanford band and fans already on the field. As he charged into a trombone player following his touchdown, The Play cemented itself as one of the greatest moments in college football history.

This Saturday, the two rivals will face each other in the annual "Big Game." The timing of this year’s meeting is perfect, as last week — Nov. 20, to be exact — marked the 25th anniversary of The Play.

I don't think I'm alone in calling that famous touchdown the greatest finish in college football. But since that day in 1982, there have been a few others that have given The Play a run for its money.

1984 — Hail Flutie

Boston College had the ball at midfield, trailing by four to Miami, with six seconds showing on the clock. Doug Flutie, standing at what might as well have been 3-foot-6, was in at quarterback for the Eagles. After dropping back to pass, Flutie was flushed out of the pocket and forced to scramble backward 15 yards. He found room to throw and bombed the ball more than 60 yards into the end zone, where BC wide receiver Gerald Phalen was waiting for the pass.

What makes this game — and the Hail Mary in particular — so great was its scope. Boston College carried the No. 10 ranking into the game, while Miami was ranked No. 12. It was also shown on national television, strengthening Flutie’s case for the Heisman he would eventually go on to win. More importantly, however, was that the BC quarterback was able to get his own breakfast cereal — Flutie Flakes — out of the deal.

2002 —Bluegrass Miracle

Kentucky was so certain they had upset No. 14 LSU that they dumped Gatorade on head coach Guy Morriss. I’m not sure what Morriss was more upset about after the game: Getting drenched with the sports drink or seeing his team lose on a 74-yard touchdown pass in the closing seconds of the contest after overcoming a 14-point deficit. Just like Elway did in the Cal-Stanford game, a Kentucky player called a timeout with too much time remaining. The clock stopped with 11 seconds to play before Kentucky’s field goal attempt, meaning the Tigers would receive another desperation shot.

LSU moved the ball from their own 9-yard line to the 26 in its first play, leaving two seconds on the clock — just enough time for one more play. Tigers quarterback Marcus Randall dropped back and heaved with all of his might. The ball came nowhere close to finding the end zone, but was tipped by LSU receiver Michael Clayton and landed in the waiting arms of fellow receiver Devery Henderson. Henderson was able to make it 15 yards to paydirt, completing the Bluegrass Miracle.

2007 — Cinderella Story

This fantastic game had not one, but two incredible plays. Boise State used a hook-and-ladder pass to score with seven seconds left in regulation to force overtime with Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. The Broncos kept digging deep in their bag of tricks in the extra session, channeling playground gridirons across the nation by pulling off the Statue of Liberty. After Ian Johnson took the behind-the-back handoff from quarterback Jared Zabransky and ran in the two-point conversion for the win, he proposed to his girlfriend and Boise State cheerleader, Chrissy Popadics.

How cute.

2007 — Lateralpalooza

Nobody outside Texas would have heard of the Division III Trinity Tigers if not for their miraculous last-second play that secured a 28-24 victory over the Millsaps Majors. (Never heard of Millsaps? Neither have I.) With just seconds remaining and 61 yards to go, the Tigers needed a miracle. After 15 laterals and a lot of praying, they got one.

Trinity lined up five wide receivers but only advanced the ball up to midfield on the pass, leaving the rest of the work to be done on the ground. Players from both teams were running around the field like chickens with their heads cut off. The Tigers were hoping to find an opening. The Majors were just hoping for someone to trip.

I've got to give credit to the play-by-play announcer for the game. The ball changed hands 15 times on the play, but the guys in the booth were able to stick with it all the way until Riley Curry streaked in for the game winner.

It's too bad the game was played in what looks like a high school stadium in front of just a smattering of fans. I have this one right up there with The Play, simply for the sheer amount of time (62 seconds) and number of laterals it took for Trinity to finally find the end zone.

If these plays tell you anything about college football, it’s that it ain’t over till it’s over. As a sports fan, it can be tough at times to stay optimistic that your team can pull out that last-second victory. But with a little bit of praying to the sports gods, and maybe a little luck, you never know what might happen.

And to the college bands of America, stay off the field until the gun sounds. For your sake and your trombone’s.

Tyler is a junior majoring in journalism. If you think John Stocco’s touchdown run in Wisconsin’s 2005 game against Michigan is the best college football finish of all time, let him know at [email protected]