NFL Old School Game of the Week: Manning Gets The Best of Marino in Quarterback Duel

 

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning completed 23 of 29 passes for 260 yards in leading Indianapolis to a Week 14 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Every once in a while in sports, the past meets the future when a great athlete towards the end of his or her career goes up against an athlete who seems poised for greatness.

That was the case in Week 14 of the 1999 NFL season as Dan Marino, who was in his 17th NFL season faced with off second-year quarterback Peyton Manning as the Miami Dolphins hosted the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts came into the game with a 9-2 record which was a remarkable turnaround for Indianapolis as the Colts had had back-to-back 3-13 seasons in 1997 + 98.

In his second year since being selected with the #1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, Manning had thrown for 2,952 yards and 21 touchdown passes up to this point in the 1999 NFL season as the Colts traveled to Miami, hoping to extend their seven-game winning streak.

While Manning's career was on the upswing, Marino was clearly in the twilight of his career as the 38-year-old had missed five games of the '99 season because of a bone spur in his throwing shoulder.

Marino returned for the Dolphins' Thanksgiving showdown with the Dallas Cowboys where Marino was benched after throwing five interceptions in a 20-0 loss to the Cowboys to drop the Dolphins to 8-3 and one game behind the Colts in the AFC East.

Many in the media thought it was a possibility that Marino would not start and that Damon Huard, who had the Dolphins to a 4-1 record during his time as the Miami starting quarterback, would get the start in the Dolphins' showdown with the Colts.

But head coach Jimmy Johnson said that Marino would start as Miami fans hoped that Marino could do against the Colts what he had done eight weeks earlier as he lead Miami to a 34-31 win when he threw the game-winning touchdown pass with 27 seconds to go in the game.

However, that finish did come with controversy when an apparent Marino fumble with 1:22 left in the game was overturned to an incomplete pass which allowed the Dolphins to continue on their game-winning drive.

If Miami defeated Indianapolis, the two teams would be tied for the AFC East division with identical 9-3 records but the Dolphins would hold the tiebreaker as they had swept the season series with the Colts.

After the Dolphins went three-and-out to start the game, the Colts would get the ball at their 46-yard-line as Manning handed the ball off to rookie running back Edgerrian James three straight times as the rookie running back gained 22 yards on the three runs to put Indianapolis at the Miami 32-yard-line.

Manning would then throw his first pass of the game, a 15-yard pass to tight end Ken Dilger to give Indianapolis a 1st down at the Miami 17-yard-line when James get another carry as he ran for six yards, only to have it called back because of an illegal crack block on wide receiver E.G. Green.

The penalty pushed the Colts back 15 yards as Indianapolis wound up settling for a 44-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt to give Indy a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

The Dolphins would respond with a 11-play, 55-yard drive that took over five minutes to complete and did not end until Olindo Mare kicked a 31-yard field goal to tie the game at 3.

The Colts would start its ensuing possession at its 21-yard-line and appeared it was going to be a three-and-out as Manning threw an incomplete pass on 3rd & 3 only to have Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas get called for holding to give Indianapolis a fresh set of downs at its 33-yard-line.

On the very next play, Manning would find Dilger for 26 yards to put the Colts in Miami territory as James would then run it in for a 41-yard touchdown to give Indianapolis a 10-3 lead with 42 seconds left in the first quarter.

Colts running back Edgerrian James ran for 120 yards on 23 carries and scored two touchdowns.

It would not take long for the Colts to get back into the end zone as on the opening play of the Dolphins' ensuing possession, cornerback Jeff Burris stripped running back J.J. Johnson of the ball at the end of a seven-yard run, leading to a scoop and score by strong safety Chad Cota for a 25-yard touchdown to increase the Indianapolis lead to 17-3 with just 19 seconds to go in the opening quarter.

Things went from bad to worse for the Dolphins on their next drive when Marino was intercepted by the Colts' other starting cornerback in Tyrone Poole, whose 36-yard return put Manning and the Indy offense at the Miami 33-yard-line.

The Colts would drive to the Miami 19-yard-line until a snap from center Larry Moore went over the head of Manning as the second-year quarterback would fall on the ball after a 22-yard loss, forcing Indianapolis to punt the back to the Dolphins who would get the ball back at their 12-yard-line.

Miami picked up one 1st down before facing a 3rd & 17 at their 17-yard-line when Marino fired a deep pass for Tony Martin which fell incomplete but a drew 43-yard pass interference penalty on Colts defensive back Tony Blevins to give the Dolphins a 1st down at the Indianapolis 40-yard-line.

Three plays later, the Dolphins were in the end zone as Marino fired a 24-yard touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden to cut the Colts' lead in half to 17-10 with 5:16 left in the second quarter.

The Colts would respond with an eight-play, 68-yard drive which saw Manning complete all four of his passes for 53 yards which culminated with an one-yard touchdown run by James to push the Indianapolis lead back to two touchdowns at 24-10 with just 57 seconds left before halftime.

The Dolphins tried to muster a drive to get some points before the end of the first half but would go three-and-out as Manning would take a knee to run out the remaining nine seconds as the Colts went into the halftime break ahead 24-10 and set to get the ball to start the second half with a chance to extend their lead.

However on the second play from scrimmage, Manning threw a pass that bounced off the hands of wide receiver Marvin Harrison and into the arms of Dolphins cornerback Sam Madison who returned the interception back for a 21-yard touchdown to cut the Colts' led to 24-17 just 49 seconds into the second half.

Manning would shake off the pick-six on the first play of the Colts' ensuing possession as he hit Harrison on a 36-yard bomb to give Indianapolis a 1st down at the Miami 38-yard-line.

After a James run that lost two yards, Manning went back to Harrison on the next two plays as the two connected for a six-yard gain on 2nd & 12 then after a holding penalty pushed the Colts back three yards, connected again this time for 13 yards on 3rd & 9 to give Indianapolis a fresh set of downs at the Dolphins' 24-yard-line.

Manning would then complete a 17-yard pass to Dilger to give the Colts a 1st & goal where James ran for two yards to set up 2nd & goal when Peyton found Terence Wilkins for the five-yard touchdown to push the Colts' lead back to 14 points at 31-17 midway through the third quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Dolphins got the ball at their 43-yard-line when Marino completed a 24-yard pass to Martin which was followed by a 33-yard touchdown from Marino to Martin to cut the Colts' lead to 31-24 with 3:53 remaining in the third quarter.

The Colts would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line and seemed poised to increase their lead back to two touchdowns as Manning completed a 19-yard pass to Harrison which was followed by two runs by James that totaled 24 yards to put Indianapolis at the Miami 37-yard-line when Manning was picked off by the Dolphins' other starting cornerback, Patrick Surtain, whose 28-yard return gave Marino and the Miami offense the ball at their 49-yard-line.

After two incomplete passes, Marino would find Yatil Green for 26 yards to give the Dolphins a 1st down at the Colts' 25-yard-line as Marino would complete a one-yard pass to Stanely Pritchett, before hitting Gadsen on back-to-back passes for 23 yards to give Miami a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.

That is when Marino threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Pritchett that with the extra point tied the game at 31 with 13:07 to go in regulation.

Dan Marino bounced back from a five-interception game to throw for 313 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort to the Colts.

The Miami defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 35-yard-line as two runs by Johnson collected two yards to set up 3rd & 8 when Marino was sacked by Colts linebacker Cornelius Bennett, knocking the ball loose as Mike Peterson recovered the fumble to give Indianapolis the ball at the Miami 32-yard-line.

However, the Colts could not take advantage of the turnover as Manning was sacked by Dolphins defensive end Trace Armstrong for a nine-yard loss, knocking the Colts out of field goal range and forcing them to punt the ball back to the Dolphins, who would take over at their five-yard-line.

The Dolphins would pick up one first down before punting the ball back to the Colts, who would take over in Miami territory after Wilkins returned the ensuing punt 27 yards to the Miami 37-yard-line.

Two runs by James gained nine yards to set up 3rd & 1 when Manning handed the ball off one more time to James, only to dropped for a three-yard loss by Thomas, forcing the Colts to settle for a 48-yard field goal by Vanderjagt to give Indianapolis with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter.

Miami would get the ball back at its 20-yard-line as the Dolphins hoped that Marino would do what he did two months earlier against the Colts and lead Miami to the winning score.

Marino would come out firing as he would complete a 23-yard pass to Gadsden to start the drive which was followed by a 15-yard pass to Martin to put Miami in Indianapolis territory at the Colts' 42-yard-line.

JJ Johnson would get his hands on the next two plays as he caught a seven-yard pass on 1st down, then ran for two yards on 2nd down to set up 3rd & 1 when Marino completed a three-yard pass to Green to give Miami a fresh set of downs at the Colts' 30-yard-line.as the two-minute warning struck.

After a 10-yard pass to Martin, Marino would hand the ball off to Johnson who gained just one yard to set up 2nd & 9 when Marino threw a five-yard pass to make it 3rd & 4 when Marino throw an incomplete pass to bring up 4th down as Mare would come on to kick a 32-yard field goal to tie the game at 34 with 36 seconds left in regulation.

That was enough time for the Colts to try and get into field goal range especially with the fact that they had all three timeouts left in their pocket as Manning would get good field position as Wilkins returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to the Indianapolis 30-yard-line.

Manning would go to his most trusted receiver as Harrison as two connected for a 16-yard completion to start the drive that was followed by a 18-yard completion to put the Colts at the Dolphins' 34-yard-line with 17 seconds to go.

Manning would then hand the ball off to James in hopes of making the field goal attempt a little shorter but James would be dropped for an one-yard loss as head coach Jim Mora sent in Vanderjagt to attempt a 53-yard field goal with six seconds to go.

Vanderjagt's kick was straight but the distance was a question mark as it appeared it might fall short of the goal posts.

But the kick would barely pass the crossbar as time expired as Vanderjagt's 53-yard field goal gave the Colts a 37-34 win and a two-game lead in the AFC Eastern Division.

Marvin Harrison caught eight passes for 125 yards including two for 34 yards on the game-winning drive.

Marino and the Dolphins would win only one more game during the regular season as Miami finished with a 9-7 record but earned a Wild Card spot in the AFC playoffs thanks to winning a tiebreaker over the Kansas City Chiefs as the Dolphins had a better record against common opponents they had with the Chiefs.

In the playoffs, Marino would lead the Dolphins to a 20-17 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks only to be eliminated the following week by the Jacksonville Jaguars 62-7 in one of the most lopsided losses in NFL playoff history.

Two months later, Marino announced his retirement from the NFL after 17 seasons in which he threw for 61,361 yards and 420 touchdown passes in a Hall-of-Fame career which unfortunately featured zero Super Bowl rings.

As for Manning and the Colts, they would go on to win the AFC East division title, the first division title in 12 years, as Indianapolis finished the regular season with a 13-3 record and the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

But the Colts would be stunned by the Tennessee Titans 19-16 in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs, ending the greatest single season turnaround when it comes to wins and losses in NFL history.

Manning would go a spectacular 18-year NFL career in which he threw for 71, 940 yards and 539 touchdown passes as he led the Colts to a Super Bowl title in 2006 and then the Denver Broncos in 2015 which was Peyton's final season.

Six years later, Manning would join Marino in the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Clemson Comes Back From 28 Points Down to Beat Virginia

 

Clemson kicker Nelson Welch(2) and linebacker John McMakin(45) raise their arms in celebration of Welch's game-winning field goal.

On October 10, 1992, the Clemson Tigers traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia to take on the Virginia Cavaliers in a top-25 showdown between two old ACC foes.

The Tigers came into the game ranked #25 in the country despite having a 2-2 record as they had lost to the Florida State Seminoles 24-20 and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 20-16 earlier in the season.

The Tigers were led by head coach Ken Hatfield, who was in his third season as the Clemson head coach after stops at the Air Force Academy and the University of Arkansas.

The story going into the Virginia game is who would be the starting quarterback as junior quarterback Richard Moncrief had suffered a hip pointer in the Tigers' 54-3 win against Chattanooga the week before.

Moncrief would get the start as the Tigers traveled to Virginia to take on the #10 ranked Cavaliers, who came into the game with a 5-0 record under head coach George Welsh who had turned the Virginia football program from one of the worst in the ACC to the one of the best upon his arrival in 1982.

Under Welsh's leadership, the Cavaliers had complied eight winning seasons, played in five bowl games winning two of them, an ACC championship in 1989 and a #1 ranking during the 1990 season.

1992 was looking to be another banner year for the Cavaliers has won their first five games thanks in large part to an offense that had averaged 44.4 points per game under the guidance of quarterback Bobby Goodman and running back Terry Kirby, who was the leading rusher in the ACC up to this point.

The Cavs looked to ride their offense to a win over Clemson, something that Virginia had only accomplished once in school history in 32 meetings with the Tigers.

 The Cavaliers would get the ball to start the game as they were able to drive from their 30-yard-line to the Clemson 24-yard-line until Goodman was sacked by Tigers linebackers Kenzil Jackson and Ashley Sheppard for a eight-yard loss to force Virginia to punt the ball away.

The Tigers would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Cavaliers, who took over at their 34-yard-line as Goodman would complete a 10-yard pass to fullback Charles Way which was followed up by a 14-yard run by the junior quarterback.

Those two plays would help set up Goodman's 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyrone Davis to give Virginia a 7-0 lead with 6:26 left in the first quarter.

The two teams would trade punts as the game moved into the second quarter when the Cavaliers began a possession in plus territory at the Clemson 49-yard-line as two runs by Kirby netted just three yards to set up 3rd & 7 when Goodman completed a nine-yard pass to tight end Aaron Mundy for a 1st down.

On the very next play, Goodman went deep and found Davis again for a 36-yard touchdown that increased the Cavaliers' lead to 14-0 with 12:05 left in the second quarter.

When the Clemson offense came back on the field, they did so with a new quarterback as Louis Solomon took over for Moncrief as it was clear that the hip pointer was still bothering Moncrief.

Solomon's insertion did not improve things for the Tigers as they would go three-and-out to give the ball back to the Cavaliers, who took over at their 37-yard-line as a 29-yard pass from Goodman to Kirby would lead to a 20-yard touchdown pass from Goodman to Patrick Jeffers to make it a 21-0 lead for Virginia.

Down by three touchdowns, the Tigers would get desperate on their next possession when they would go for the 1st down on 4th & 1 from their 44-yard-line only to have Solomon fumble the snap from center as Virginia linebacker Randy Neal would recover the ball to give the Cavalier offense the football at the Clemson 45-yard-line.

For this drive, the Cavaliers would rely on Kirby's legs as he ran the ball four times for 36 yards to set up Goodman's four-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Tomlin to push the Virginia lead to 28-0 with 3:54 to go in the second quarter.

Virginia quarterback Bobby Goodman throw for four touchdown passes all in the first half.

Even though there was still over a half of football to play, it seemed like the game was over as the Virginia offense was rolling while the Clemson offense was going nowhere as it had complied just 53 yards of total offense up to this point.

But the Tigers would get a glimmer of hope on their next offensive possession as Solomon would keep the ball on a quarterback option to the left side and ran untouched for a 64-yard touchdown to put Clemson on the scoreboard and cut the Virginia lead to 28-7 with 1:53 remaining before halftime.

The touchdown seemed to give Clemson some momentum after the ensuing kickoff when Ed Hauggen recovered a fumble to give the Tigers the ball at the Virginia 45-yard-line.

However, two sacks of Solomon would force the Tigers to punt the ball back to the Cavaliers who took over at their 42-yard-line with 27 seconds left and a chance to extend their lead before the end of the first half.

The Cavs would move to the Clemson 47-yard-line giving Goodman a chance at a Hail Mary in the final seconds but it fell incomplete to end the first half with Virginia on top 28-7.

Clemson would get the ball to start the second half as the Tigers would drive from their 20-yard-line to the Virginia 18-yard-line, thanks in large part to three runs by running back Rodney Blunt for 33 yards and a 22-yard pass from Solomon to wide receiver Terry Smith.

But the drive would end with a turnover as Blunt lost the football at the end of a four-yard run as Cavaliers defensive back Keith Lyle recovered the fumble at the Virginia 18-yard-line.

Virginia would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to Clemson who would take over at its 37-yard-line as a 19-yard run by Blunt and a 34-yard run by Rudy Harris put the Tigers at the Cavaliers' one-yard-line where they faced a 4th & goal.

The Tigers would go for the touchdown which they got when Howard Hall punched it in for an one-yard touchdown to trim the Virginia lead to 28-14 with 6:52 left in the third quarter.

Following a Virginia three-and-out, the Tigers would get the ball back at their 45-yard-line as Solomon would run for 14 yards on two carries and complete a 13-yard pass to Smith to help set up a 37-yard field goal attempt by Nelson Welch.

However, Welch would miss on his attempt to cut into the Virginia lead as the Cavaliers would take over at their 20-yard-line still ahead by two touchdowns.

The Clemson defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball at their 39-yard-line as an one yard run by Solomon and a seven-yard pass to Larry Ryans set up 3rd & 2 when Solomon handed it off to Blunt on a sprint draw as the junior running back would run for a 53-yard touchdown to make it a 28-20 game as Welch's extra point attempt would bounce off the left upright.

The two teams would trade punts as the game moved into the fourth quarter when the Tigers got the ball at their 35-yard-line as Harris would run for 10 yards to start the drive and pick up a 1st down.

Three plays would pick up five yards to set up 4th & 5 at the 50-yard-line when the Tigers decided to go for the 1st down which they got when Solomon kept the ball himself on a quarterback option and ran for 10 yards to the Virginia 40-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass and a run for no gain, Solomon would run for 13 yards on a quarterback draw to put Clemson at the Virginia 27-yard-line when Solomon handed it off to Harris who would then run it in for a 27-yard touchdown to bring the Tigers to within two points of tying the game.

Clemson would go for two but an illegal procedure penalty followed by a Harris run that would go nowhere would keep the score at 28-26 in favor of Virginia with 5:31 to play in the game.

Clemson quarterback Louis Solomon would only throw for 88 yards on 5-of-14 passes, but would run for 116 yards on 16 carries.

With their four-touchdown lead nearly evaporated, the Cavaliers were hoping their offense could turn the momentum as they began their next possession at their 26-yard-line.

A 28-yard pass from Goodman to Davis would put Virginia in Clemson territory but the drive would end in disaster as Goodman would be intercepted by Clemson defensive back Darnell Stephens to give the Tigers the ball at their 35-yard-line with 3:53 left in the game.

Three straight running plays would pick up 11 yards to give Clemson a 1st down at its 46-yard-line when Solomon went deep and hit a diving Ryans for a 45-yard completion to give the Tigers a 1st & goal at the Virginia nine-yard-line.

A holding penalty on tight end Franklin Thomas would push the Tigers back to the Virginia 22-yard-line as three more running plays gained seven yards before Hatfield called on Welch and the field goal unit to take the lead.

After missing a field goal and an extra point, Welch would get redemption as he would make a 32-yard field goal to give Clemson its first lead of the game at 29-28 with 55 seconds to play.

The Cavs would get a chance to save themselves as they would begin their next possession at their 27-yard-line as Goodman completed three straight passes to pick up 18 yards before a pass interference penalty on the Tigers put Virginia at the Clemson 40-yard-line.

Following two incomplete passes, Goodman would throw a Hail Mary into the end zone only for it fall incomplete as time expired with the Tigers on top 29-28 to complete the greatest comeback in Clemson football history.

The collapse against the Tigers would send the Cavaliers' season into a downward spiral as they would lose three of their final five games to finish the season with a 7-4 record as the Cavs would not play in a bowl game for the first time since 1988.

As for the Tigers, their comeback win against Virginia was the highlight of their season as they would finish the season with a 5-6 record, the first losing season for the Clemson football program since 1976.

However, the win over the Cavaliers remains the greatest deficit Clemson has ever overcome to win a football game.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Manning Leads Broncos Back From 24-Point Halftime Deficit to Win over Chargers

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning would throw for 309 yards and three touchdown passes in the Broncos' comeback win over the Chargers.

 On March 20, 2012, the Denver Broncos signed quarterback Peyton Manning to a five-year contract with the hopes that he would the Broncos back to the Super Bowl.

However, his first season got off to a rough start as the Broncos went 2-3 over the first month of the 2012 season as they traveled to San Diego to take on their division rivals, the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football.

The Chargers came into the game with a 3-2 record under head coach Norv Turner, who was under pressure to get the Bolts back to the playoffs after a two-year absence as the two old AFL rivals prepared to face off for the 105th time.

The first break of the game would go to the Chargers when the Broncos' Trenton Holliday muffed a punt which was recovered by San Diego backup tight end Dante Rosario at the Denver 17-yard-line which would lead to a 32-yard field goal by Nick Novak to give the Chargers a 3-0 lead.

Though the Broncos dodged that bullet, disaster would strike on the ensuing kickoff when Omar Bolden lost the football when he was hit by Chargers defensive back Darrell Stuckey which was recovered by Corey Lynch to give San Diego the ball at the Denver 19-yard-line.

Ryan Matthews would run for four yards to set up 2nd & 6 when quarterback Philip Rivers found tight end Antonio Gates for a 15-yard touchdown to give the Chargers a 10-0 lead with 8:16 left in the first quarter.

The score was still 10-0 in favor of San Diego when Rivers was intercepted by Broncos defensive back Jim Leonhard on a deep pass intended for Gates to give Denver the ball back at its five-yard-line.

Two plays later, Manning hit a wide open Eric Decker who appeared on his way to an 85-yard touchdown only to trip over his feet at the San Diego 40-yard-line and get tackled 10 yards later as Denver would have a 1st down at the Chargers' 30-yard-line.

A four-yard run by Willis McGahee and an incomplete pass would set up 3rd & 6 at the Chargers' 26-yard-line when Manning was picked off by San Diego cornerback Quentin Jammer who return the interception 80 yards for a touchdown to increase the Chargers' lead to 17-0 with six minutes left in the second quarter.

After Denver would go three-and-out on its next possession, the Chargers would get the ball back at their 34-yard-line when they put together their best drive of the first half as they would drive 66 yards in 10 plays, culminating with a 11-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to gates to make it a 24-0 game in favor of San Diego with 24 seconds to in the first half.

Manning would take a knee to rule out the clock as the Broncos went into the locker room down 24 points but set to get the ball to start the second half.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers would throw for 241 yards and two touchdowns but also throw four interceptions.

Starting at his 15-yard-line, Manning would complete a 11-yard pass to Joel Dressen, then handed the ball off to McGahee who would only pick up two yards to set up 2nd & 8 when Manning found Dressen again this time for 19 yards to give the Broncos a 1st down at their 47-yard-line.

After a pass to McGahee gained zero yards, Manning completed passes of 14 yards to Decker and 10 yards to Dressen to put the Broncos at the Chargers' 29-yard-line when Manning found Demaryius Thomas for a 29-yard touchdown to put Denver on the board to cut the San Diego lead to 24-7 with just over 11 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Chargers appeared unfazed by the touchdown as they drove from their 15-yard-line to the Broncos' 33-yard-line with a chance to increase their lead as they were faced with a 3rd & 8 situation.

That is when Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil sacked Rivers to knock the ball loose which was recovered by defensive back Tony Carter who returned the fumble 65 yards for a touchdown to cut the Chargers' lead to 24-14 with 4:41 left in the third quarter.

The Chargers would go three-and-out on their ensuing possession to give the ball back to the Broncos who took over at their 45-yard-line as two runs by McGahee for 11 yards give Denver a 1st down at the San Diego 44-yard-line.

An nine-yard pass from Manning to Dressen would set up 2nd & 1 when McGahee was stopped for no gain to bring up 3rd & 1 when the Broncos went backwards on a false start penalty and a holding penalty to force 3rd & 16 as the third quarter came to an end.

The fourth quarter would begin with Manning completing a 25-yard pass to tight end Jacob Tamme to give the Broncos a 1st down at the San Diego 25-yard-line as two more runs by McGahee for 11 yards gave Denver another 1st down at the Chargers' 14-yard-line as Manning would complete a seven-yard pass to Decker, then hit Decker again for a seven-yard touchdown to make it a three-point game at 24-21 with 13:33 left in the fourth quarter.

Needing to turn the momentum back in their favor, the Chargers would drive from their 15-yard-line to their 31-yard-line when Rivers was picked off again, this time by Carter, who returned the interception 15 yards to give the Broncos the ball at the 50-yard-line.

From there, Manning would complete two passes to Brandon Stokley for 15 yards to go along with a nine-yard run by McGahee and a five-yard offsides penalty on the Chargers to put Denver at the San Diego 21-yard-line.

That is when Manning lofted a pass for Stokley in the right corner of the end zone who would outleap Chargers defensive back Marcus Gilchrist to make the catch for the 21-yard touchdown to give the Broncos their first lead of the game at 28-24 with 9:03 to go in the fourth quarter.

Having seen their lead disappeared, the Chargers would get the ball back at their 32-yard-line as Rivers would complete passes of 13 yards to Gates and six yards to Malcolm Floyd to put the Chargers in Denver territory at the Broncos' 49-yard-line.

However four plays later, Rivers would be intercepted again, this time by Broncos cornerback Chris Harris give Denver the ball back at its 34-yard-line.

The Broncos would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Chargers who would take over at their 14-yard-line with 3:52 left in the game, needing a touchdown to retake the lead.

Two passes to Floyd for 21 yards and two runs by Ronnie Brown for 10 yards would put San Diego at its 45-yard-line when Rivers would throw his fourth interception of the game as Harris would step in front of a pass intended for Eddie Royal and run it back for a 46-yard pick-six to increase the Broncos' lead to 35-24 with 2:05 left in the game.

Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley catches the go-ahead touchdown pass.

The Chargers would start their next drive at their 20-yard-line as Rivers would complete three passes for 27 yards to put San Diego at its 47-yard-line until Rivers was sacked by Broncos linebacker Von Miller for a six-yard loss on 1st down, which was followed by two straight incomplete passes to force a 4th 7 16 when Rivers was sacked again by Dumervil to give the ball back to Denver at the San Diego 33-yard-line with 52 seconds to go in the game.

Manning would come and take two knees to run out the clock as the Broncos would come away with the 35-24 victory, equaling the greatest comeback in Denver Broncos history as well as Monday Night Football history.

The loss to the Broncos would send the Chargers' season into a spiral as they would lose six of their next eight games as San Diego would finish the season with a 7-9 record marking the first losing season for the Chargers since 2003 which resulted in the dismissal of Turner as head coach after six seasons.

As for the Broncos, their comeback victory against the Chargers would be the first win of a 11-game winning streak as Denver finished the season with the league's best record at 13-3 to earn home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

But the Broncos would go out in the Divisional Round as they were stunned by the Baltimore Ravens, thanks to the "Mile High Miracle" a game-tying 70-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Flacco to Jacoby Jones with 31 seconds left in regulation as the Ravens would go on to win the game 38-35 in double overtime.

Manning would come back with a vengeance the following season as he would throw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdown passes to lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl where they would be destroyed by the Seattle Seahawks 43-8 to hand Denver its fifth loss in the Super Bowl.

However two years later, Manning, with help from the Broncos' defense, would lead Denver to its third Super Bowl title as the Broncos would knock off the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50 in what would be the final game in Manning's 18-year NFL career.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Notre Dame Remains Unbeaten Thanks to Overtime Goalline Stand

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o meets Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor at the goal line at the end of the 2012 matchup between the Irish and the Cardinal.

 There are moments during a football season when fans realize that this could be a special season.

For the fans of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, that moment came during the end of their game against the Stanford Cardinal where the Notre Dame defense put together a goal line stand for the ages.

The Irish came into the game ranked #7 in the country with a 5-0 record thanks in large part to their defense which led by middle linebacker Manti Te'o had given up just 39 points up to this point in the season and had not given up a touchdown in their previous three games.

On offense, the Irish were led by quarterback Everett Golson who been named the starting quarterback by head coach Brian Kelly before the season as Tommy Rees, the team's starting quarterback from the previous season, had been suspended for the first game of the season after an offseason arrest at an off campus party.

Golson and the Irish looked to remain unbeaten as they hosted the #17 ranked Stanford Cardinal from the Pac-12 who came into the game with a 4-1 record having just come off a 54-48 overtime win over Arizona the previous week.

Stanford was led by second-year head coach David Shaw, who had taken over as head coach of the Cardinal after Jim Harbaugh left to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers before the 2011 season.

Shaw's first year was successful as the Cardinal went 11-2 to finish the season #7 ranked in the country as Stanford played in its second straight BCS Bowl game.

But for 2012, the Cardinal would have to rely on a new quarterback as Andrew Luck, the team's starting quarterback for the previous three seasons had also left for the NFL as he was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the #1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

Josh Nunes had been given the difficult task of taking over for Luck as he helped Stanford knock off #2 USC three weeks earlier as the Cardinal hoped he could lead Stanford to an upset of Notre Dame on a rainy Saturday in South Bend.

 After the Cardinal went three-and-out to start the game, the Irish got the ball at their 25-yard-line and proceeded to drive to the Stanford 49-yard-line until quarterback Everett Golson fumbled the snap from center as Stanford defensive back Usua Amanam recovered the ball at the Notre Dame 47-yard-line.

A 14-yard pass from Nunes to tight end Zach Ertz and three running plays that totaled 13 yards put Stanford at the Irish 20-yard-line when Nunes lofted a pass intended for wide receiver Kodi Whitfield only to have it intercepted by Irish cornerback Bennett Jackson to give the ball back to Notre Dame at their one-yard-line.

The two teams would trade punts until late in the first quarter when Irish defensive back Matthias Farley picked off a Nunes pass and returned it 49 yards to the Stanford 16-yard-line to help set up a 29-yard field goal by Kyle Brindza to give Notre Dame a 3-0 lead with 36 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Cardinal would begin their next possession at their 25-yard-line as it appeared to go three-and-out as Nunes threw an incomplete pass on 3rd & 10 only for Irish defensive tackle Stephen Tuitt get called for roughing the passer to give Stanford a 1st down at its 40-yard-line.

A 22-yard pass from Nunes to Ertz would help the Cardinal drive down to the Notre Dame eight-yard-line to set up a 25-yard field goal attempt by Jordan Williamson when Tuitt made up for his mistake earlier in the drive as he would block the kick to keep the score at 3-0 in favor of the Irish with 9:46 left in the second quarter.

Manti Te'o would finish the game with a game high 11 tackles.

After another exchange of punts, the Irish got the ball back at their 10-yard-line as a quarterback sack and an incomplete pass would bring up 3rd & 16 when disaster struck as Golson was hit in the end zone by Stanford defensive end Ben Gardner to cause a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Chase Thomas for a touchdown to give the Cardinal a 7-3 lead with 6:06 to go in the second quarter.

The Irish would get the ball back at their 13-yard-line as they quickly drove into Stanford territory as running back Theo Riddick would run for 12 yards to start the drive which was followed by a 20-yard pass from Golson to wide receiver T.J. Jones and then a 23-yard run by Golson to put Notre Dame at the Cardinal 32-yard-line.

Six plays later, the Irish would bring on Brindza to attempt a 27-yard field goal but a bad snap would force the Irish to abandon the field goal attempt and give Stanford the ball back at its 26-yard-line with 1:34 left before halftime.

The Cardinal would go into their hurry-up offense as Nunes would complete four of five passes for 41 yards on a drive which would end with a 48-yard field goal by Williamson as time expired in the first half with Stanford ahead 10-3.

The defenses would dominate the early part of the third quarter as both teams would go three-and-out on their first two possessions of the second half until the Irish used their running game to drive from their 13-yard-line to the Stanford 37-yard-line when Golson took off and run for 20 yards until he was hit by Cardinal cornerback Alex Carter to jar the ball loose as Gardner would make the recovery to give Stanford the ball at its 17-yard-line.

The Irish defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball at their 48-yard-line as a 23-yard pass from Golson to Riddick would help Notre Dame drive to the Stanford 16-yard-line until a pair of false start penalties on right guard Mike Golic Jr pushed them back 10 yards.

A pair of runs which gained only two yards would set up 3rd & 18 when Golson connected with tight end Tyler Eifert for a 24-yard touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter that with the extra point tied the game at 10.

The Cardinal would begin its next possession at their 25-yard-line as they would drive down the field on the right arm of Nunes who would complete four of six passes for 52 yards on a 16-play, 68-yard drive that took over eight minutes off the clock and culminated with a 27-yard field goal by Williamson to give Stanford a 13-10 lead with 6:12 remaining in regulation.

The Irish would get the ball back at their 16-yard-line as running back Cierre Wood would carry the ball three straight times, picking up 23 yards to set up 3rd & 4 when Golson found Jones for 14 yards to give Notre Dame a 1st down at the Stanford 47-yard-line.

An illegal block penalty would push the Irish back to their 47-yard-line when Golson was struck with a helmet-to-helmet hit by Amanam at the end of a four-yard run to draw a 15-yard penalty and give Notre Dame a 1st down at the Stanford 34-yard-line.

However, Golson would have to leave the game with a concussion as Rees would come on to replace Golson with 3:24 left in regulation and the Irish needing at least a field goal.

A run for no gain and a false start penalty would push the Irish back five yards to set up 2nd & 15 when Rees connected with Eifert to bring up 3rd & 4 when Rees try to hit the tight end again only for Cardinal cornerback Terrence Brown get called for pass interference to give Notre Dame a 1st down at the Stanford 13-yard-line.

From there, the Irish kept the ball on the ground as Wood would run for three yards followed by a five-yard run by Riddick on 2nd down to set up 3rd & 2 when Riddick was stopped for no gain to bring up 4th & 2 as Kelly would send in the field goal unit to try and tie the game.

Brindza would come to kick a 22-yard field goal to tie the game at 13 with 20 seconds left in regulation as Stanford would take a knee to run out the clock and send the game into overtime as the Cardinal would win the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense to start the extra period.

Tommy Rees would complete all four of his passes for 43 yards in relief of Everett Golson.

Things got off to an auspicious start for the Irish as Rees would be sacked by Stanford linebacker Trent Murphy for a seven-yard loss to force a 2nd & 17 from the Cardinal 32-yard-line.

However, Rees would recover as he would complete a nine-yard pass to wide receiver DaVaris Daniels to set up 3rd & 8 when Rees hit Reddick for 16 yards and a 1st down at the Stanford seven-yard-line.

That is when Rees found Jones for a seven-yard touchdown that with the extra point gave Notre Dame a 20-13 lead as its defense would come onto the field hoping to keep the Cardinal out of the end zone and ending the game.

Much like Notre Dame, the Stanford offense would go backwards on its first play of their overtime possession as running back Stepfan Taylor would be dropped for a five-yard loss to set up 2nd & 15 when Nunes would scramble for 13 yards which was followed by a 13-yard run by Taylor to give the Cardinal a 1st & goal at the Irish four-yard-line.

Two more runs by Taylor for three yards would bring up 3rd & goal from the one-yard-line when Taylor was stopped for no gain to bring up a do-or-die 4th & goal when the Cardinal went back to Taylor one more time to get into the end zone and extend the game.

But Taylor would be stopped once again as Jackson and linebacker Carlo Calabarese would stop his progress as Notre Dame came away with the 20-13 victory, though Stanford believed that Taylor had gotten into the end zone after his initial progress had been stopped but to no avail.

While the loss would drop them from #17 to #22 in the polls, the Cardinal would recover as they would not lose another game for the rest of the season as they would go on an eight-game winning streak which included a 17-14 overtime win over 10-0 Oregon, a 27-24 win over UCLA in the Pac 12 Championship Game and a 20-14 win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl as Stanford would finish the season with a 12-2 record.

As for the Irish, they would ride their defense to an undefeated regular season which included in another memorable goal line stand in their regular season finale against USC which resulted in a 22-13 win to clinch a spot in the BCS National Championship Game as Te'o would finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

However, the Irish would get steamrolled by Alabama as the Crimson Tide won 42-14 to give the Tide its second straight national championship and third in four years.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Blocked Punt Paves Way for Rams to Score Last-Minute TD Against Packers

The Packers' Donny Anderson has his punt blocked in the final minute of Green Bay's 1967 Week 13 game against the LA Rams.

 Christmas season is seen by many as the time of miracles and that it is what the Los Angeles Rams got on December 9, 1967 towards the end of their game with the Green Bay Packers.

The Rams came into the game with a 9-1-2 good enough to make the four-team NFL postseason if the four teams with the best records got in but the Rams were in the same division as the Baltimore Colts who held a 10-0-2 record to lead the NFL Coastal Division.

The Rams were led by head coach George Allen who was in his second season as the Los Angeles head coach as he help direct the Rams to an 8-6 record in 1966 for the team's first winning season since 1958.

On the field, Allen had quarterback Roman Gabriel running the offense and the defense which featured the "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line of Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Roger Brown who had taken over the right defensive tackle position from Rosey Grier who had retired following the 1966 season.

Despite their excellent record, the Rams needed a win over the Packers to set a winner-take-all game for the Coastal Division in the final week of the season as a Rams victory would vault them over the Colts and clinch LA its first playoff appearance in nine years.

While the Rams' playoff hopes hung in the balance, the Packers were all set to return to the postseason as they had already clinched the NFL Central Division title two weeks earlier in a 17-13 win over the Chicago Bears.

Despite their early clinching of a division title, the 1967 season was anything but smooth sailing for the Packers had been decimated in the backfield as the legendary duo of Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor had departed to the play for the New Orleans Saints prior to the season while their replacements, Jim Grabowski and Elijah Pitts, had gone down to injuries.

But under the steady leadership of head coach Vince Lombardi, quarterback Bart Starr, and one of the NFL's stingiest defenses, the Packers came into the Rams game with 9-2-1 as Green Bay was seeking its third straight NFL championship and fifth in the last seven years.

The Packers got the ball to start the game as a 29-yard pass from Starr to wide receiver Boyd Dowler and a 13-yard run by Donny Anderson put Green Bay in field goal range as Don Chandler would attempt a 41-yard field goal only for the kick to fall short of the uprights to keep the game scoreless.

The Rams would drive to around midfield before punting it back to the Packers who would go three-and-out on their ensuing possession to give the ball back to Los Angeles who begin its next possession at the Green Bay 45-yard-line.

The Rams would only travel six yards on three plays as Bruce Gossett would come on to attempt a 46-yard field goal(The goalposts were located at the top of the end zone in 1967).

But linebacker Lee Roy Caffey would come in to block the kick as cornerback Herb Addderly would recover the loose football at the Rams' 43-yard-line to give Green Bay the ball inside LA territory for its next possession.

After three running plays picked up 13 yards and a fresh set of downs, Starr put the ball in the air as he fired a pass for Carroll Dale, who made the catch at the two-yard-line and then strolled in to complete the 30-yard touchdown to give the Packers a 7-0 lead with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter.

The Rams would start their next possession at their 27-yard-line as two running plays picked up 12 yards to set up 1st & 10 at the 39-yard-line when Gabriel went deep and hit tight end Bernie Casey for a 40-yard completion to put Los Angeles at the Packers' 21-yard-line as the first quarter came to an end.

From there, the Rams would overcome a holding penalty to score their first touchdown of the game as Gabriel found wide receiver Jack Snow in the left corner of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at seven with 12:48 left in the second quarter.

Packers quarterback Bart Starr would only complete 10 of 20 passes for 138 yards as he threw one touchdown and two interceptions.

Following a Green Bay three-and-out, the Rams got the ball at their 17-yard-line when Gabriel tried to hit Snow on a bomb only to have Adderly make the interception to give the Packers the ball at their 40-yard-line.

Green Bay would drive to the Los Angeles 29-yard-line until a pair of holding penalties pushed them back and forced the Packers to punt the ball away as the Rams would take over at their 10-yard-line.

The Rams would move 29 yards to their 39-yard-line until Gabriel was picked off again, this time by Green Bay free safety Willie Wood to give the Packers the ball at their 47-yard-line with 2:50 left before halftime.

Two runs by Travis Williams gained 11 yards and a 1st down as the two-minute warning hit as Starr would complete a 20-yard pass to Dowler to put Green Bay at the Rams' 22-yard-line as the next three plays would go nowhere and force the Packers to settle for a 32-yard field goal by Chandler to give them a 10-7 lead with 46 seconds left before halftime.

The Rams tried to muster up a drive before the end of the first half but could go no further than their 35-yard-line as the Packers went into the locker room with a 10-7 halftime lead.

The Rams would get the ball to start the first half as rookie running back Willie Ellison returned the opening kickoff of the second half 43 yards to the Los Angeles 43-yard-line.

The drive would begin with two runs by running back Les Josephsen that totaled 14 yards to give LA a 1st down at the Green Bay 43-yard-line as Gabriel would keep the ball himself and run for two yards to set up 2nd & 8 when he completed a 15-yard pass to Casey which was followed by a seven-yard pass to tight end Billy Truax.

Then after three straight running plays gained eight yards, Gabriel would find Snow for an 11-yard touchdown to give the Rams their first lead of the game at 14-10 with 10:41 remaining in the third quarter.

The Rams defense would then force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 37-yard-line as Josephsen would get his hands on the next two plays, running for four yards and then catching a 10-yard pass from Gabriel to put Los Angeles at the Green Bay 49-yard-line.

Los Angeles would overcome an intentional grounding penalty as Gabriel completed a 19-yard pass to Josephsen and 2nd & 25, then hit Casey for six yards and a 1st down, before connecting with Casey again for 17 yards on 3rd & 4 to put the Rams at the Green Bay 14-yard-line.

However, the drive would stall as the Rams would go no further as Gossett would come on to kick a 23-yard field goal to end the 12-play, 48-yard drive as LA's lead increased to 17-10 with 1:27 left in the third quarter.

The seven-point lead would only last for 19 seconds as Williams would return the ensuing kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown, for his then NFL record fourth kickoff return for a touchdown as Chandler would come on to kick the extra point to tie the game at 17.

The Rams would go three-and-out on their ensuing possession as the game moved into the fourth quarter when Starr was intercepted by Rams cornerback Clancy Williams, whose 19-yard return gave Los Angeles possession at the Green Bay 25-yard-line.

A seven-yard pass to Truax followed by two runs for two yards set up a 4th & inches when Allen negated the field goal and would go for the 1st down which he got when Josephsen picked up the one yard needed for the 1st down.

Josephsen would then carry the ball on the next two plays, gaining six yards to set up 3rd & 4 at the eight-yard-line when Gabriel threw a pass for a wide open Dick Bass in the end zone only for the fullback to drop the ball and force LA to settle for a 16-yard field goal by Gossett to give the Rams a 20-17 lead with 10:16 remaining in the fourth quarter.

After a Packers three-and-out, the Rams began their next possession at their 47-yard-line things went from bad to worse for Bass as he coughed up the football after a hit by Green Bay defensive end Bob Brown as defensive tackle Jim Weatherwax would recover the fumble to give the Packers the ball at the Los Angeles 43-yard-line with 7:40 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Packers would methodically drive down the field as Starr completed passes of six yards to Mercein, 14 yards to Williams, and nine yards to Dowler on an eight-play, 43-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown run by Mercein to give Green Bay a 24-20 lead with 2:19 to go in the game.

Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel would complete 20 of 36 passes for 227 yards and throw three touchdown passes.

Following a 24-yard return by Kelton Winston on the ensuing kickoff, the Rams would begin their next possession at their 33-yard-line with two minutes to go and needing a touchdown to win.

After an incomplete pass to start the drive, Gabriel would hit Bucky Pope for 12 yards, then Casey for 11 yards to put the Rams at the Packers' 44-yard-line as Gabriel would throw three straight incomplete passes to bring up 4th & 10.

That is when Gabriel tried to find Casey only for Packers linebacker Dave Robinson almost pick off the pass as it fell incomplete to give Green Bay the ball at their 44-yard-line with over a minute left and a chance to run out the clock.

The Packers would run the ball three straight times but would go backwards as they lost three yards as the Rams called all three of their timeouts to set up a 4th & 13 situation at the Green Bay 41-yard-line with 54 seconds left.

It seemed all the Packers needed to do was punt the ball away and have their defense clamp down on Gabriel and the Rams' offense who would have very little time to drive down the field and get the touchdown that they needed to win the game.

But that is when the miracle occurred for the Rams as linebacker Tony Guillory broke the Packers' wall and blocked Anderson's punt as defensive back Claude Crabb would scoop up the loose football and 20 yards to the Green Bay five-yard-line to give Gabriel a second chance at winning the game.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Gabriel would find Casey in the left corner of the end zone for the five-yard touchdown that with Gossett's extra point gave the Rams a shocking 27-24 lead with 34 seconds to play.

The Packers would get one last chance as they began their last drive at their 34-yard-line but Starr could only get Green Bay past the Los Angeles 40-yard-line as his last pass of the game would be intercepted by linebacker Maxie Baughan as time expired with the Rams on top 27-24 to keep their division hopes alive.

The win over the Packers would set up a winner-take-all game for the Coastal Division the following week as the Rams hosted the Colts as the "Fearsome Foursome" would lead a seven-sack effort by the defense as Gabriel would throw three touchdown passes in a 34-10 win to send Los Angeles to the playoffs for the first time since 1958.

However, the Rams would face the Packers in a rematch for the Western Conference Championship which Green Bay won 28-7 on their way to a third straight NFL title and second straight win in the Super Bowl.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Ohio State Stuns Iowa with Buzzer Beater Touchdown

Ohio State players celebrate after their shocking win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in 1990.

When Ohio State traveled to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on November 10, 1990, the Buckeyes were cast in the unfamiliar role of underdog when facing the Hawkeyes as Ohio State came into the game unranked while Iowa was ranked #6 in the country.

Ohio State was led by head coach John Cooper, who was in his third season as the Buckeyes' head coach having gone just 15-13-1 sinch his arrival, as the Buckeyes were trying to bounce back from a three-game winless streak earlier in the season while they lost to USC and Illinois while tying Indiana.

But the Buckeyes came into the Iowa game on a three-game winning streak as they had scored a combined 142 points over the past three games with senior quarterback Greg Frey throwing seven touchdown passes during the winning streak.

With Frey and the offense clicking, the Buckeyes looked to continue their dominance over Iowa, a team Ohio State had defeated in 20 of their previous 23 meetings since 1962.

Iowa fans thought that 1990 would be different when it came to Ohio State as the Hawkeyes came into the game on a five-game winning streak and a 6-1 overall record as the Hawks stood atop the Big 10 standings.

Led by head coach Hayden Fry, who was in his 12th season as the head coach of the Hawkeyes and junior quarterback Matt Rodgers, son of then Boston Celtics head coach Jimmy Rodgers, Iowa seemed poised to return to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1985 and third time in 10 years.

 The Hawkeyes got the ball to start the game as Fry surprised the Buckeyes with an end around reverse pass from wide receiver Danan Hughes to tight end Michael Titley that went for 30 yards on the second play of the game to put Iowa at the Ohio State 37-yard-line.

Six plays later, the Hawkeyes were in the end zone as Rodgers kept the ball and ran it in for a three-yard touchdown to give Iowa a 7-0 lead with 11:12 remaining in the first quarter.

Iowa quarterback Matt Rodgers 13 of 21 passes for 137 yards while running for one touchdown.

After an Ohio State punt, the Hawkeyes got the ball at the Buckeyes' 46-yard-line as Nick Bell ran for four yards to set up 2nd & 6 when Paul Kujawa fumbled the football on a hit by linebacker Tom Lease which was recovered by cornerback Foster Paulk to give Ohio State the ball at its 36-yard-line.

The fumble would not amount to anything as the Buckeyes would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Hawkeyes who would also go three-and-out on their ensuing possession to give the ball back to Ohio State who would take over at their 41-yard-line.

The Buckeyes would drive down the field as Frey completed passes of 24 yards to Jeff Graham and 17 yards to Bobby Olive to put Ohio State at the Iowa one-yard-line as time expired in the first quarter with the Buckeyes facing a 4th & goal situation.

Cooper decided to go for the touchdown as the second quarter began which he got when Frey ran it in on a quarterback option to help tie the game at 7 just two seconds into the second quarter.

The Hawkeyes would respond with a 12-play, 50-yard drive where Rodgers completed all five of his passes on the drive for 45 yards only for Iowa to settle for a field goal after the junior quarterback was sacked by Buckeyes linebacker Jason Simmons for a 13-yard loss on 3rd & goal at the Ohio State four-yard-line as Jeff Skillet would come on to kick a 34-yard field goal to give Iowa a 10-7 lead with 9:04 left in the second quarter.

Following an Ohio State punt, the Hawkeyes got the ball at the Ohio State 46-yard-line as Iowa would ride the legs of Lew Montgomery as he carried five times for 29 yards on a nine-play, 46-yard drive that ended with Montgomery punching it in from a yard out to increase Iowa's lead to 17-7 with 2:17 left before halftime.

Iowa seemed poised to increase their lead before the end of the first half as they would get the ball once again in Buckeyes territory as their next possession would begin at the Ohio State 44-yard-line with 1:56 left in the first half.

A clipping penalty would push the Hawkeyes back 15 yards to their 41-yard-line as two runs by Bell for 24 yards put Iowa at the Ohio State 35-yard-line when Fry opted to go for the 1st down.

However, an illegal motion penalty would push the Hawkeyes back five yards to make it 4th & 6 as Fry kept his offense on the field to try and get the 1st down which they failed to get as Rodgers threw an incomplete pass intended for Bell.

Taking over at their 25-yard-line after a dead ball penalty following the 4th down stop, the Buckeyes would drive into Iowa territory as Frey completed an 11-yard pass to Graham which was followed by a 16-yard run by running back Robert Smith to put Ohio State at the Hawkeyes' 48-yard-line with 10 seconds left in the half.

That is when Frey fired a Hail Mary pass that bounced off the chest of Hawkeyes cornerback Merton Hanks and into the arms of Graham, who would then run it in to complete the shocking 48-yard touchdown as time expired in the first half to help cut the Iowa lead to 17-14.

The third quarter would be a defensive stalemate as both teams traded punts until 3:15 remaining in the quarter when Rodgers completed a 29-yard pass to Titley, then a 21-yard pass to tight end Alan Cross to help lead the Hawkeyes to the Buckeyes' 15-yard-line.

After a two-yard run by Montgomery, Rodgers would be dropped for a seven-yard loss by Simmons to set up 3rd & 15 when Rodgers fired a pass for Bell, who dropped the ball in the end zone for what would have been a touchdown.

Instead, the Hawkeyes settled for a 37-yard field goal by Skillet which increased Iowa's lead to 20-14 with 18 seconds to go in the third quarter.

Following an Ohio State three-and-out, the Hawkeyes got the ball at their 20-yard-line as they would use Tony Stewart's legs to drive down the field as the senior running back would carry the ball eight times for 52 yards on a 11-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Montgomery to increase Iowa's lead to 26-14.

The Hawkeyes would attempt a two-point conversion but were unsuccessful as Hughes tried to take it in on an end around to keep the score at 26-14 in favor of Iowa with exactly 11 minutes to play.

It seemed like the Hawkeyes would on their way to sixth straight victory as they held the Buckeyes to another three-and-out on their next possession to get the ball back at the Iowa 23-yard-line.

However, the Buckeyes would catch a break when Paluk blocked Jim Hujsak's punt to give the ball to the Ohio State offense at the Hawkeyes' 24-yard-line.

A three-yard run by Smith and an incomplete pass would set up 3rd & 7 when Frey fired a 21-yard touchdown pass to Olive that cut the Iowa lead to 26-21 with 6:34 to go in the game.

Iowa would start its next possession at their 23-yard-line as it took them three plays to move to their 39-yard line when Rodgers was intercepted by cornerback Lance Price, whose nine-yard return put Ohio State at the Hawkeyes' 44-yard-line with 4:37 to go and a chance to take the lead.

The drive would begin with a 15-yard pass from Frey to Olive which was followed by a three-yard run by Smith and then a quarterback sack by Iowa linebacker John Derby for an eight-yard loss to make it 3rd & 15 where Frey threw an incomplete pass to set up 4th & 15.

That is when Frey threw a pass toward the end zone intended for wide receiver Bernard Edwards only to have Iowa defensive back Jason Olejniczak intercept it to give the Hawkeyes the ball back at their 20-yard-line with 2:31 left on the clock and a chance to run out the clock.

The Hawkeyes would run the ball three straight times only picking up a yard before punting the ball back to the Buckeyes as Hujsak's kick traveled only 27 yards as Ohio State would get the ball at the Iowa 48-yard-line with 59 seconds left in the game.

The drive would start with Frey completing a 23-yard pass to Olive, then finding Graham for seven yards, then throwing an incomplete pass intended for Scottie Graham to set up 3rd & 3 at the Iowa 18-yard-line with 20 seconds left.

Frey would then complete a 15-yard pass to Jeff Graham to put Ohio State at the Iowa three-yard-line as Frey would throw an incomplete pass set up 2nd & goal with seven seconds to play.

That is when Frey found Olive in the back of the end zone for a three-yard touchdown with one second to go as the Buckeyes took their first lead of the game at 27-26 as Ohio State would fail to convert on the ensuing two-point conversion.

The Hawkeyes would have one attempt to pull off a miracle as they tried their version of the 1982 California game-winning kickoff return for a touchdown, but it failed as the Buckeyes would come away with the 27-26 win.

The loss would not derail Iowa's dreams of going to the Rose Bowl as they wound up finishing the regular season with a 8-3 record and 6-2 in the Big 10 as they finished in a four-way tie with Illinois, Michigan, and Michigan State as the Hawkeyes advanced to the Rose Bowl based on their head-to-head record against the four teams.

But the Hawkeyes would fall to the Washington Huskies 46-34 in the "Grandaddy of Them All" as Iowa would finish the season with 8-4 record and #16 ranking in the final coaches poll while finishing #18 in the final AP poll.

As for the Buckeyes, they would finish the season with a 7-4-1 record as they would drop their regular season finale 16-13 to Michigan and then lose to Air Force 23-11 in the Liberty Bowl.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Redskins Break in New Stadium with OT Win over Cardinals

 

78,270 fans witnessed the first game in Jack Kent Cooke Stadium between the Washington Redskins and the Arizona Cardinals.

On September 14, 1997, a new era began in Washington Redskins football as the Redskins hosted the Arizona Cardinals in their first game at their new stadium, Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Landover, Maryland.

The stadium was named after the Redskins' late owner who had passed away five months prior to seeing the new 80,116 stadium opened.

The Redskins came into their 1997 home opener with a 1-1 record under head coach Norv Turner, who was in his fourth season as the Washington head coach, having led the Redskins to a 9-7 record the year before, their first winning season since Joe Gibbs' retirement in 1992.

With Gus Frerotte at quarterback and running back Terry Allen, who was coming off a season where he had scored 21 touchdowns, the Redskins were hoping to use their new stadium as a springboard to return to the postseason for the first time since 1992.

The Redskins' opponent for this game were the Arizona Cardinals, who were coming off an emotional victory the week before as they had defeated the Dallas Cowboys for the first time in seven years with a 25-22 overtime victory(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-goalposts.html).

Arizona was led by head coach Vince Tobin who was in his second season as the Cardinals' head coach as he was tasked with trying to lead the Cards to a winning season for the first time since 1984 when they were St. Louis(The Cardinals moved to Arizona in 1988).

With Kent Graham at quarterback, the Cardinals hoped to spoil the Redskins' grand opening of their new stadium as the two teams faced off in Week 3 of the 1997 NFL season.

After the Redskins went three-and-out to start the game, the Cardinals had the ball at their 29-yard-line when Graham completed a six-yard pass to Frank Sanders, only for the wide receiver to lose the football following a hit by Washington cornerback Cris Dishman, leading to a recovery by Daryl Pounds to give the Redskins the ball at the Arizona 35-yard-line.

The Redskins would drive to the Cardinals' two-yard-line until Allen was stopped twice for no gain, forcing them to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Scott Blanton to give Washington a 3-0 lead with 8:27 left in the first quarter.

The Cardinals would then drive from their 32-yard-line to the Washington 34-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Redskins who would go three-and-out as they prepared to punt the ball back to Arizona.

However, Cardinals defensive back J.J. McCleskey would block the punt as Tommy Bennett would pick up the ball at the two-yard-line and then punch it for the touchdown to give Arizona a 7-3 lead with 57 seconds left in the first quarter on the first blocked punt return for a touchdown in 25 years for the Arizona Cardinals.

The Redskins would get the ball at their 40-yard-line to start their next drive after Butler kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds as Frerotte would complete a 14-yard pass to fullback Larry Bowie, then hand it off to Allen, who ran for four yards to put Washington at the Arizona 42-yard-line as the first quarter came to an end.

The second quarter would begin with a bang as Frerotte completed a 36-yard pass to wide receiver Leslie Sheppard to give the Redskins a 1st & goal at the Cardinals' six-yard-line as Allen would run for one yard to set up 2nd & goal where Frerotte found Westbrook for the five-yard touchdown to give Washington a 10-7 lead.

Redskins quarterback Gus Frerotte completed 19 of 36 passes for 265 yards and threw two TDs.

Following an Arizona punt, the Redskins got the ball at their 23-yard-line when Frerotte was intercepted by Cardinals linebacker Ronald McKinnon on a pass intended for Westbrook, to give the Cardinals the ball at the Washington 35-yard-line.

The Cardinals would drive to the Redskins' five-yard-line until Graham was sacked by Redskins defensive tackle Chris Mims for a 12-yard-loss, forcing Arizona to settle for a 34-yard field goal attempt by Butler, which ended up sailing wide left and no good to keep the score at 10-7 in favor of Washington.

From there, the two teams would trade punts for the rest of the second quarter as the Redskins went into the halftime break still ahead 10-7.

The third quarter would pick up where the second quarter left off with the two teams exchanging punts until the Redskins got great field position to start their second possession of the second half after 16-yard punt return by Brian Mitchell put Washington at the Cardinals' 41-yard-line.

Three plays would pick up eight yards to set up a 4th & 2 when Turner sent in the field goal unit as Blanton would attempt a 51-yard field goal in hopes of extending the Redskins' lead.

But Blanton's kick would miss to the left of the uprights to give the ball back to the Cardinals at their 41-yard-line still trailing 10-7 midway through the third quarter.

The Cardinals would then put together their best drive of the game as they moved 44 yards in 13 plays, primarily on the ground as they ran the ball on nine of the 13 plays for 28 yards to help set up a 32-yard field goal by Butler that tied the game at 10 with 52 seconds left in the third quarter.

After another exchange of punts, the Redskins would get the ball back at their 28-yard-line as Frerotte completed passes of 16 yards to tight end Jamie Asher and 21 yards to Westbrook to help lead Washington into Arizona territory as Blanton would attempt another 51-yard field goal, which failed short of the uprights to keep the game tied at 10 with 11:31 left in the fourth quarter.

The two teams would again trade punts until the 5:05 mark in the fourth quarter when the Redskins put together a drive for the go-ahead score.

Starting at his 24-yard-line, Frerotte would complete a 11-yard pass to Bowie for a 1st down which was followed by a two-yard pass to Asher and an incomplete pass to bring up 3rd & 8 when Frerotte found Mitchell for 11 yards and a fresh set of downs at the Washington 48-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Frerotte hit Henry Ellard for nine yards, then ran for four yards on 3rd & 1 to give Washington a 1st down at the Cardinals' 39-yard-line.

Following a four-yard run by Allen, Frerotte completed a 15-yard pass to Shepherd to give the Redskins a 1st down at the Cardinals' 20-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

Two plays later facing a 3rd & 10, Frerotte tried to hit Westbrook for the go-ahead touchdown as Cardinals defensive back Tim Howard got called for pass interference to give Washington a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.

It seemed like the Redskins were going to make it a 17-10 game but they were unable to punch it into the end zone on three straight running attempts by Allen as Washington ended settling for a 19-yard field goal by Blanton to give them a 13-10 lead with 1:13 left in regulation.

Michael Westbrook makes what would be the game-winning touchdown catch.

The Cardinals would start their next drive at their 33-yard-line with 68 seconds left on the clock and no timeouts as Graham completed a 16-yard pass to Kevin Williams for a 1st down at the Arizona 49-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass, Graham would complete three straight passes for 21 yards before spiking the ball at the Washington 30-yard-line with 14 seconds left.

Graham tried to complete one more pass but it fell incomplete intended for Sanders, leading the Cardinals to call on Butler to attempt a 47-yard field goal, which he made with two seconds left to tie the game at 13 and send it to overtime.

The Cardinals would win the overtime coin toss to get the ball to start the overtime period at their 34-yard-line with a six-yard run by running back Leeland McElroy when disaster would strike on 2nd down as McElroy would fumble the football after a hit by Redskins linebacker Marvcus Patton, leading to a recovery by fellow linebacker Derrick Smith at the Arizona 35-yard-line.

After a run by Allen lost five yards to set up 2nd & 15, Frerotte was able to uncork a deep pass despite pressure from the Cardinals' defense and hit Westbrook, who made the catch as he was falling backwards, for the game-winning 40-yard touchdown to give the Redskins a 19-13 overtime win.

The loss to the Redskins would be the beginning of a six-game losing streak as they would finish the season with a 4-12 record as rookie Jake Plummer would take over the starting quarterback job midway through the season while the Redskins would go on to finish the season with a 8-7-1 record, a half game out of a playoff spot.

As for Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, which would become known as FedEx Field in 1999, it sadly did not gain the reputation as its predecessor as it became regarded as one of the worst stadiums in the NFL as the Redskins have complied a 100-117-1 record in the stadium since its inception and have won only one playoff game, a 27-13 win over the Detroit Lions in the 1999 NFC Wild Card Game.