NFL Old School Game of the Week: Titans' "Giant" 4th Quarter Comeback Over New York

 

Titans quarterback Vince Young accounted for 318 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in Tennessee's win over the Giants in 2006.

The game between the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans during week 12 of the 2006 NFL season would be a microcosm for both teams' seasons with the Giants starting out fast and fading at the end while the Titans got off to a slow start but came on strong to finish the season.

The Titans came into the game with a 3-7 record after starting the season 0-5 as their plan to have their rookie quarterback Vince Young, who had been selected with the #3 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, to sit behind starter Kerry Collins nullified as head coach Jeff Fisher inserted Young as the starting quarterback in the fourth game of the season.

Young had looked like a rookie as he had completed 90 of 197 passes for 1,074 yards and six touchdown passes to go against his eight interceptions while running for 225 yards and three touchdowns as the Titans had gone 3-4 since Young became the starting quarterback.

Tennessee was just looking to see progress from their rookie quarterback while New York was looking to back on track as far they entered the game on a two-game losing streak which had dropped the Giants' record to 6-4 after a five-game winning streak in the middle of the season.

The Giants were led by head coach Tom Coughlin, who was in his third season as the New York head coach after a seven-year run with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as the Giants looked to return to the postseason for the second year in a row as they had gone 11-5 and won the NFC East the year before.

However, the Giants' locker room was in a bit of turmoil as running back Tiki Barber had announced in October that he would be retiring at the end of the 2006 season even though Barber was the peak of his career as he had run for 1,830 yards in 2005.

Despite his pending retirement, Barber was still producing as he had run for 998 yards up to this point in the season while quarterback Eli Manning had thrown for 2,202 yards and 18 touchdown passes.

Manning, Barber, and the Giants would travel to Nashville where they would take on the Titans where the first three quarters of the game were dominated by "Big Blue".

 After both teams punted on their first possessions of the game, the Titans had the ball around midfield when running back Travis Henry lost the football after a hit by Giants linebacker Reggie Torbor as strong safety Gabil Wilson would make the recovery to give New York the ball at their own 48-yard-line.

From there, it would take nine plays for the Giants to get into the end zone as Manning hit Burress for a three-yard touchdown to put New York on top 7-0 with 4:26 left in the first quarter.

Following a Tennessee three-and-out, the Giants got the ball back at their 24-yard-line as they would embark on a 10-play, 76-yard drive where Manning completed four of five passes for 40 yards on the drive which ended with a 10-yard touchdown run by running back Brandon Jacobs to extend the New York lead to 14-0 with 12:28 to go in the second quarter.

It would take the Giants' defense just one play to give their offense the ball back as defensive tackle Fred Robbins recovered a fumble after a botched handoff between Young and Henry at the Titans' 29-yard-line to put New York on the doorstep of any other touchdown.

The Giants would advance all the way to the Tennessee four-yard-line when on 4th & 1, Coughlin decided to go for the 1st down instead of taking a chip shot field goal as Jacobs would not only pick up the 1st down, but punch into the end zone for the touchdown to increase New York's lead to 21-0 midway through the second quarter.

Titans quarterback Adam "Pac-Man" Jones would intercept two Eli Manning passes in the fourth quarter and return a punt 23 yards to set up 17 points for Tennessee.

The Titans' offense, which had complied just one 1st down and 34 total yards up to this point, would show signs of life on their ensuing possession as they would hold the ball for nearly seven minutes as they drove from their 31-yard-line to the Giants' two-yard-line when they were faced with a 4th & goal situation.

Fisher decided to go for the touchdown which they could not get as Young would be tackled one yard short of the end zone by Giants linebackers Antonio Pierce and Carlos Emmons to give New York the ball back at their one-yard-line with 1:06 left before halftime.

The Giants would be able to pick up a 1st down as the Titans spent all three of their timeouts to force a New York punt to give Tennessee one last chance at getting on the scoreboard before the end of the first half as their offense would take possession at their 46-yard-line with 38 seconds to go in the half.

A thirteen-yard run by Young and an 11-yard pass to tight end Bo Scaife moved the Titans to the Giants' 30-yard-line, giving Rob Bironas a chance at a 48-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, only for the kick to sail wide right as time expired with New York maintaining its 21-0 lead.

After an exchange of punts to start the third quarter, the Giants took over at their 11-yard-line as they would hold the ball for the rest of the third quarter as Manning would complete five of his six passes for 41 yards to move New York to the Tennessee 31-yard-line.

The Giants decided to gamble on the first play of the fourth quarter when they decided against a field goal and go for the 1st down on 4th & 3 as Manning's pass for wide receiver Tim Carter fell incomplete to give the Titans the ball back at their 31-yard-line.

Despite the failure on 4th down, it did not seem the Giants were in danger of losing the game, especially after their defense held the Titans' offense to three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 29-yard-line.

Barber started the drive with a six-yard run to bring up 2nd & 4 when Manning threw a deep pass intended for Burress that was overthrown and picked off by Titans cornerback Adam "Pac-Man" Jones, whose 28-yard return gave the Titans the ball at the Giants' 46-yard-line.

A 25-yard pass from Young to wide receiver Bobby Wade gave Tennessee a 1st down at the New York 21-yard-line when a dead ball personal foul penalty on running back Lendale White after a two-yard run by Young pushed the Titans back to the New York 34-yard-line where the Titans were faced with a 2nd & 23.

Two passes for 14 yards would bring up 4th & 8 as the Titans would go for the 1st down which if they failed to convert would likely end any chances of a miracle comeback for Tennessee.

Young would scramble to try and pick up the 1st down but he was going to fall a few yards short when Giants cornerback Frank Walker hit the Titans quarterback in the helmet with a forearm as Young was falling out of bounds, resulting in a 15-yard personal foul penalty to be added on to the seven-yard run to give Tennessee a 1st & goal at the New York six-yard-line.

Three plays later, the Titans had their first touchdown of the game as Young hit Scaife for a four-yard touchdown to cut the Tennessee deficit to 14 points at 21-7 with 9:38 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Titans' defense would then force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back in Giants territory as Jones returned the ensuing punt 23 yards to the New York 36-yard-line.

Young would connect with Wade on back-to-back passes for 20 yards to start the drive before handing the ball off to Henry who would run for nine yards to the New York seven-yard-line as Young would hit Scaife for five yards to give the Titans a 1st & goal at the two-yard-line.

After Henry ran for one yard on 1st down, Young would keep it himself and run it in for the one-yard touchdown to trim the Giants' lead to 21-14 with 5:24 left in the fourth quarter.

The Giants would pick up one 1st down on their ensuing possession before they had to punt the ball away to the Titans who would take over at their 24-yard-line with 3:07 left in regulation with a chance to drive and score the game-tying touchdown.

Young would throw three straight incomplete passes to force a do or die 4th & 10 when the Giants had appeared to have the game won when defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka had Young wrapped up for a quarterback sack, only for him to let the rookie quarterback out of his grasp as Young would run for 19 yards to give Tennessee a fresh set of downs at their 43-yard-line.

Young would then complete a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Roydell Williams, which was followed by a 16-yard run by Young and then a 14-yard pass to wide receiver Drew Bennett to set up 2nd & 3 from the Giants' 14-yard-line when Young found Brandon Jones in the back of the end zone for the touchdown that with Bironas' extra point tied the game at 21 with 44 seconds remaining in regulation.

The Titans celebrate after Rob Bironas(2) kicked the game-winning field goal.

Having seen their 21-point lead evaporate, the Giants had a chance to save themselves if they could drive down the field and set up a potential game-winning field goal as they got the ball at their 19-yard-line with 40 seconds left and all three timeouts.

But after a nine-yard pass on 1st down, Manning threw a pass that was badly underthrown for Tyree and was intercepted by the Pac-Man to give the Titans the ball at the Giants' 49-yard-line with 23 seconds to go and one timeout in Tennessee's pocket.

Young would hit Scaife for 11 yards who would step out of bounds with 18 seconds left which was followed by a seven-yard pass from Young to Brandon Jones as the Titans would spend their last timeout with 11 seconds left.

It was here where Fisher decided to send in the field goal unit as Bironas would come to attempt a 49-yard field goal that would give the Titans the lead for the first time in the game.

Despite an attempt by the Giants to freeze him with a timeout, Bironas' kick was true as it sailed through the uprights to give Tennessee a 24-21 win as the Giants could not pull off a miracle touchdown on the ensuning kickoff.

In the final 12:55 alone, Young completed 13 of 17 passes for 133 yards and threw two touchdown passes while running for 46 yards on five carries and scoring another touchdown to lead the Titans the largest comeback from a 4th quarter deficit in team history.

The collapse against the Titans would be a microcosm of the Giants' season as they started out strong only to fade at the end as they would lose three of their next four games to fall to 7-8 only to save themselves with a 34-28 victory over the Washington Redskins in the final game of the regular season, thanks to a 234-yard performance by Barber, to finish the season with a 8-8 record, good enough to earn the final playoff spot in the NFC.

However, the Giants' season would end the following week in the Wild Card round as they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 23-20 on David Akers' walk-off 38-yard field goal.

As for the Titans, they would ride the momentum of their comeback win against the Giants to a six-game winning streak to improve their record to 8-7 as win over the New England Patriots in their regular season finale would clinch a playoff spot for Tennessee.

But the Titans would fall to the Patriots 40-23 to end their season with a 8-8 record as Young would go on to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award as he finished the season with 2,199 passing yards and 12 touchdown passes to go along with his 552 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

Injuries and tension with front office management would derail Young's NFL career as he would be cut by the Titans after the 2010 season as Young would play the 2011 season for the Eagles as Michael Vick's backup before bouncing around the league as he signed with three successive teams over the next three seasons only to be released during the preseason in all three seasons.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Dawgs Knock off Sooners in Rose Bowl Classic

 

Georgia running back Sony Michel scores the game-winning touchdown in the Bulldogs' double overtime win over Oklahoma in the 2018 Rose Bowl.

In the early years of the College Football Playoff, close games were very rare as most of the games were blowouts.

That was not the case on New Year's Day 2018 when the Georgia Bulldogs and Oklahoma Sooners faced off in the "Grandaddy of Them All" the Rose Bowl where the winner would face the winner of the Sugar Bowl later that night between the Clemson Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Oklahoma came into the Rose Bowl as the favorite behind first-year head coach Lincoln Riley, who had been promoted to head coach on June 7, 2017 after Bob Stoops stepped down as the Sooners' head coach after a 18-year tenure in which he led Oklahoma to 191 wins, 10 Big 12 conference championships and the 2000 national title.

Riley, who had been the Sooners' offensive coordinator for the previous two seasons, directed a Sooners team that went 12-1 as Oklahoma won the Big 12 conference title for third straight season and a second appearance in the CFP since its inception in 2014, thanks in large part to their high-powered offense which averaged almost 45 points per game.

At the controls of the offense was quarterback Baker Mayfield, who threw for 4,347 yards and 41 touchdown passes which propelled the former walk-on to be named as recipient of the Heisman Trophy award for 2017.

Mayfield's supporting cast featured running back Rodney Anderson, freshman wide receiver Cee Dee Lamb and all-American tight end Mark Andrews as the Sooners traveled to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl game for the second time in school history with their previous trip coming at the end of the 2002 season as they defeated the Washington State Cougars 34-14.

The Sooners' opponent  were the Georgia Bulldogs, who were making their first appearance in the CFP as the Dawgs hoping to win their first national title since 1980 when freshman running back Herschel Walker led the way.

Georgia was led by head coach Kirby Smart, a former Bulldogs defensive back, who was in his second season as the Dawgs' head coach after serving as defensive coordinator for Alabama for eight seasons under Nick Saban to help the Tide win four national titles.

While the Sooners featured one of the most explosive offenses in the country, the Bulldogs had one of the stingiest defenses as the Dawgs gave up an average of 13.2 points per game led by Butkus Award winner Roquan Smith as the nation's best linebacker.

On offense, the Dawgs were led by the best backfield in the country in running backs Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and Deandre Swift who combined to run for 2,720 yards and scored 29 touchdowns as Georgia also went 12-1 during the season as the Bulldogs won the SEC title for the first time since 2005 and a trip to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 75 years when the Dawgs defeated UCLA 9-0 behind 1942 Heisman Trophy Winner Frank Sinkwich and running back Charley Trippi.

The biggest wild card for the game would be Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, a true freshman who had taken for starter Jacob Eason who was injured in the Dawgs' first game of the 2017 season, who had thrown for 2,173 yards and 21 touchdown passes up to this point in the season.

 After the Dawgs punted on their opening possession of the game, the Sooners would quickly drive down the field as Mayfield completed two straight passes to fullback Dimirtri Flowers that totaled 42 yards which was followed by an eight-yard pass to tight end Mark Andrews that got 15 yards added to the play as Georgia defensive tackle Tyler Clark was called for a late hit.

The six-play, 80-yard drive would end with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to wide receiver Marquise Brown to give Oklahoma a 7-0 lead just 3:29 into the game.

Georgia would respond with a six-play, 75-yard drive that began with a 25-yard run by Chubb and later a 23-yard run by Michel would move the Dawgs to the Sooners' 27-yard-line where Fromm completed a 14-yard pass to wide receiver Javon Wims, then hit Michel for a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven.

It would take the Sooners only 91 seconds to get back into the end zone as a 48-yard run by running back Rodney Anderson would set up his nine-yard touchdown run to put Oklahoma back on top 14-7 with 6:56 to go in the first quarter.

The track meet seemed to be on as Georgia would drive from its 25-yard-line to the Sooners' 31-yard-line until they brought on Rodrigo Blankenship to attempt a 48-yard field goal, which sailed wide left as the score remained at 14-7 in favor of Oklahoma.

The Sooners would make three touchdowns in three possessions as Anderson would burst loose for a 41-yard touchdown on the second play of the second quarter to extend Oklahoma's lead to 21-7.

Oklahoma Baker Mayfield completed 23 of 35 passes for 287 yards and threw two touchdown passes while catching another TD.

But the Sooners' two-touchdown lead lasted just 12 seconds as Michel would run untouched for a 75-yard touchdown, the longest scoring play of the year for the Dawgs, to trim the Georgia deficit to 21-14.

Oklahoma would come back down the field as a 29-yard pass from Mayfield to Andrews and a 14-yard pass to Lamb would help the Sooners move to the Georgia 12-yard-line when Clark would sack Mayfield for a nine-yard loss on a 3rd & 7 to force Oklahoma to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Austin Seibert to push the Sooners' advantage back to double digits at 24-14 with 9:12 to go in the second quarter.

The two teams would exchange punts until 3:28 was left in the second quarter when a 31-yard run by running back Troy Sermon plus a 45-yard pass from Mayfield to Brown help the Sooners advance all the way to the Georgia two-yard-line with 13 seconds to go before halftime.

That is when the Sooners pulled out their version of the "Philly Special" as Mayfield handed the ball off to Flowers who tossed the ball to Lamb on a reverse, who then stopped and fired a pass for a wide open Mayfield, who made the catch for the two-yard touchdown that with the extra point gave Oklahoma a 31-14 lead with just six seconds left in the first half.

Oklahoma seemed poised to go the locker room ahead by 17 points with a chance to put the game out of range as they would get the ball to start the second half when a squib kick went awry on the ensuing kickoff as Seibert's kick bounced off Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder, who then landed on the ball to give the Dawgs possession at the Oklahoma 47-yard-line with five seconds to go.

That was enough time for Fromm to complete a nine-yard pass to wide receiver Terry Godwin then call timeout with one second left as Smart would send in Blankenship to attempt a 55-yard field goal who would make the longest field goal in Rose Bowl history as time expired in the first half with Georgia trailing 31-17.

The sequence of events at the end of the first half changed the momentum of the game as the Georgia defense would hold the Sooners to a three-and-out on their first possession of the second half as the Dawgs would get the ball at the 50-yard-line following a 21-yard punt return by Mecole Hardeman.

It would take the Dawgs just one snap to get into the end zone as Chubb would run it in for the 50-yard touchdown to cut the Sooners' lead to 31-24 early in the third quarter where the Oklahoma offense would be held to 29 yards after a first half where they complied 360 yards.

Late in the third quarter, Georgia would drive 71 yards in six plays as Fromm completed passes of 11 yards to Godwin and 20 yards to Wims to set up Michel's 38-yard touchdown run that with the extra point tied the game at 31 with 41 seconds to go in the third quarter.

Then on the first play of the fourth quarter, Mayfield would be picked off by Georgia strong safety Dominick Sanders, whose 39-yard return set the Dawgs up with a 1st & goal at the Oklahoma four-yard-line.

After a Chubb run went for no gain on 1st down, Fromm would hit Wims for the four-yard touchdown to give Georgia their first lead of the game at 38-31 with 13:57 left in the fourth quarter.

Georgia running back Nick Chubb ran for 145 yards and scored two touchdowns on just 14 carries.

Following an exchange of punts, the Sooners got the ball at their 12-yard-line when they rediscover the magic of the first half as Anderson would run for 15 yards to start the drive which was followed by a 36-yard pass from Mayfield to Lamb and then a 22-yard run by Mayfield to put Oklahoma at the Georgia 15-yard-line.

After Anderson would run for four yards on 1st down, Mayfield would find Flowers in the back of the end zone for the 11-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 38 with 8:47 to go in regulation.

The Dawgs would begin their ensuing possession at their 25-yard-line as they moved to their 46-yard-line when Michel was met by Oklahoma linebacker Caleb Kelly who was able to force a fumble that was scooped up by strong safety Stephen Parker and returned for a 46-yard touchdown to give Oklahoma a 45-38 lead with 6:52 to go in the fourth quarter.

After both teams went three-and-out on their next possessions, the Dawgs got the ball at their 41-yard-line with 3:22 left in regulation for them to drive down the field and score the game-tying touchdown.

The drive began with a four-yard run by Michel followed by a 15-yard pass from Fromm to Godwin to give Georgia a 1st down at the Sooners' 40-yard-line when Fromm was barely avoided a sack from Oklahoma defensive end D.J. Ward to complete a 17-yard pass to Michel to give the Dawgs a fresh set of downs at the Oklahoma 23-yard-line.

Two incomplete passes would force a 3rd & 10 when Fromm found Godwin again, this time for 16 yards, to give Georgia a 1st & goal at the Oklahoma seven-yard-line when Fromm threw a pass intended for Wims in the end zone, who drew a pass interference penalty on Sooners cornerback Tre Norwood to move five yards closer to the end zone at the Sooners' two-yard-line.

That is when Chubb lined up as the quarterback in the "Wild Dawg" formation as he took the direct snap from center and punched in in for the two-yard touchdown that with Blankenship's extra point tied the game at 45 with 55 seconds left in regulation.

Oklahoma would get a chance to drive down for a potential game-winning field goal but could go no further than their own 45-yard-line before punting the ball back to Georgia who took one knee to run out the clock and send the game to overtime, the first time in Rose Bowl history that the game had gone into overtime, tied at 45.

Georgia would get the ball to start the overtime period as two runs combined for four yards to set up 3rd & 6 when Fromm fired a pass intended for tight end Isaac Nauta that fell incomplete to bring up 4th down where Blankenship would come on to kick a 38-yard field goal to give the Dawgs a 48-45 lead but the Sooners the chance to win the game if they could put into the end zone.

Two plays gained eight yards to set up a 3rd & 2 when Riley called for an end around reverse to wide receiver Jordan Smallwood, who ended up tackled one yard short of the first down by Smith and fellow linebacker Reggie Carter to force a 4th & 1 at the 16-yard-line.

Riley ended up sending in the field goal unit as Seibert would make a 34-yard field goal that tied the game at 48 and send the game to a second overtime period where the Sooners would start on offense.

The Dawgs appeared to have force a turnover when cornerback Deandre Baker intercepted a Mayfield pass in the end zone only for it to be nullified by an offsides penalty on defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter gave Oklahoma a 1st down at the 15-yard-line.

The Georgia defense would hold as the Sooners picked up five yards on the next three plays to bring up a 4th & 5 when Seibert would come on to attempt a 27-yard field goal that would give Oklahoma the lead once again.

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm completed 20 of 29 passes for 210 yards and threw two touchdown passes.

However, Seibert's kick was blocked by Georgia linebacker Lorenzo Carter to keep the game tied at 48 but more importantly gave the Dawgs a chance to win the game with any score on their ensuing possession.

On 1st down, Fromm tossed the ball to Swift who would be dropped for a two-yard-loss to bring up 2nd & 12 from the 27-yard-line when it was Michel's time to line up in the "Wild Dawg" formation.

Michel took the direct snap and ran around the left side untouched for the game-winning 27-yard touchdown to give Georgia the 54-48 double overtime victory and clinch a spot in the National Championship game.

The heartbreaking loss to the Dawgs would be the first of three straight CFP semifinal losses for Riley and the Sooners as Oklahoma would win the Big 12 the next two seasons only to be defeated by Alabama 45-34 in the 2019 Orange Bowl followed by a humiliating 63-28 loss to LSU in the Peach Bowl the following season.

As for Georgia, their dreams of winning a national championship in their backyard would come to a heartbreaking end as they fell to Alabama 26-23 in overtime as Tua Tagovailoa, who had replaced starter Jalen Hurts to begin the second half, hit Devonta Smith for a 41-yard touchdown pass on 2nd & 26 to give the Crimson Tide its fifth national title in nine yards.

Georgia fans would have to four more years before ending their national championship drought when they defeated Alabama 33-18 in the 2022 National Championship Game the first of their back-to-back national titles.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Raiders Hold off Chargers in Shootout

Raiders running back Marcus Allen ran the ball 19 times for 107 yards and caught five passes for 40 yards and one touchdown.

The division rivarly between the Los Angeles Raiders and San Diego Chargers produced a number of high scoring affairs in the early 1980s and their meeting in Week 8 of the 1984 NFL season was no exception as the two teams combined for 81 points and 962 yards of total offense.

The Raiders were the defending Super Bowl champions having demolished the Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII nine months earlier, thanks in large part to running back Marcus Allen's MVP performance where he carried the 20 times for 191 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Allen helped lead the Raiders to a 6-1 start in the '84 season during which the Raiders lost starting quarterback Jim Plunkett to a torn muscle in his abdomen during the sixth game of the season.

Plunkett's replacement would be Marc Wilson, who had been with the Raiders since he had been chosen with the #15 pick in the first round of the 1980 NFL draft and had made 12 starts prior to the '84 season.

Wilson was effective in his first start of the season as he completed 21 of 37 passes for 268 yards and threw a touchdown in the Raiders' 23-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings, one week before Los Angeles' game with the Chargers.

For the Raiders to beat the Chargers, they would need a big game from Wilson as the Raiders prepared to take on of the most explosive offenses in the NFL in the "Air Coryell" offense.

Since his arrival in 1978, Chargers head coach Don Coryell's offenses lead the league every year in passing yards and total yards as the Chargers made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons from 1979 through 1982 with San Diego appearing in two AFC Championship games during that span.

The man pulling the trigger at quarterback was Dan Fouts, who threw for at least 4,000 yards in three straight seasons from 1979 to 1981 with a plethron of receivers that included Charlie Joiner and Wes Chandler plus All-Pro tight end Kellen Winslow.

Despite their high scoring offense, the Chargers' defense often ranked at the bottom of the league in total points allowed which resulted in San Diego often playing in high-scoring affairs included a 33-30 loss to the Raiders in week 4 of the '84 season as the Chargers came into the rematch with the Raiders with a 4-3 record as San Diego hoped to end a five-game losing streak to the Silver & Black.

 The Chargers got the ball to start the game as a Fouts fumble recovered by running back Earnest Jackson would lead to a 3rd & 23 at the San Diego 16-yard-line when Fouts found wide receiver Jesse Bendross for a 29-yard completion and a Charger 1st down at the San Diego 45-yard-line.

Fouts would then connect with Winslow on two passes for 29 yards to help set up Jackson's five-yard touchdown run to end the nine-play, 71-yard drive to give San Diego a 7-0 lead.

The Raiders would drive to the San Diego 40-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Chargers, who would take over at their one-yard-line when Fouts would be picked off by Raiders strong safety Mike Davis to give Los Angeles the ball at the Chargers' 14-yard-line.

Allen would carry the ball for four yards on 1st down to make it 2nd & 6 when he caught a screen pass from Wilson that he turned into a 10-yard touchdown to help tie the game at 7 with 6:11 left in the first quarter.

Following a Chargers punt, the Raiders got the ball at their 33-yard-line as a 23-yard pass from Wilson to wide receiver Cliff Branch helped Los Angeles advance to the San Diego 32-yard-line until Wilson was intercepted by Chargers linebacker Billy Ray Smith to stop the Raiders drive and give San Diego the ball at their 22-yard-line.

The Raiders defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back who would turn it over again when Allen fumbled the football at the end of a four-yard run as Smith would recover the fumble to give the Chargers the ball at the Los Angeles 49-yard-line.

But the Chargers would go three-and-out again as they would punt the ball back to the Raiders who took over at their 14-yard-line as Wilson would complete four of seven passes for 53 yards to move Los Angeles to the San Diego 20-yard-line to set up a 38-yard field goal attempt by Chris Bahr.

However, Bahr's kick would sail wide left of the uprights as the Chargers would begin their ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line midway through the second quarter with the game still tied 7-7.

From there, Fouts would complete passes of 24 yards to tight end Eric Sievers and 25 yards to fellow tight end Pete Holohan on a drive that ended with Fouts throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Chandler to give the Chargers a 13-7 lead with 5:01 to go in the second quarter as kicker Benny Ricardo would miss the extra point.

The Raiders would start their ensuing drive at their 38-yard-line with Wilson completing two passes to Allen for 16 yards to move Los Angeles to the San Diego 46-yard-line when Allen lost his second fumble of the game, this time with Chargers free safety Tim Fox making the recovery to give the San Diego offense the ball at their 41-yard-line.

A 23-yard pass from Fouts to Holohan would lead to a 32-yard touchdown run by Jackson to extend the San Diego lead to 20-7 with 1:53 left before halftime.

Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts would complete 24 of 45 passes for 410 yards and throw three touchdown passes but also three interceptions.

The Raiders would get the ball back at their 22-yard-line for their next drive as Wilson would complete three straight running plays to running back Kenny King for 29 yards, then connect with running back Frank Hawkins for four yards to put Los Angeles at the San Diego 45-yard-line.

That is when Wilson threw a deep pass down the right sideline that was caught by wide receiver Malcolm Barnwell for the 45-yard touchdown to cut the Chargers' lead in half to 21-14 with 28 seconds left in the first half as Fouts would take a knee to run out the clock on the first half.

The Raiders would get the ball to start the second half as a 34-yard run by Allen would be the biggest play of the nine-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a 42-yard field goal by Bahr to trim the San Diego lead to 20-17.

The Raiders defense would force a turnover on the Chargers' ensuing possession as defensive end Lyle Alzado would sack Fouts to cause a fumble that Alzado would recover to give Los Angeles the ball at the San Diego 17-yard-line.

Four plays later, the Raiders had the lead as Wilson connected with tight end Derrick Jensen for an one-yard touchdown to give Los Angeles a 24-20 lead with 6:25 to go in the third quarter.

Chargers running back Lionel James would run the ensuing kickoff out of the end zone to the San Diego 15-yard-line when he was hit by Raiders linebacker Jeff Barnes, causing a fumble that was recovered by Jimmy Smith to give Los Angeles the ball at the San Diego 16-yard-line.

However, the Raiders would pick up only one yard on three plays as they would settle for a 33-yard field goal by Bahr to increase Los Angeles' lead to 27-20.

Things would go from bad to worse on the Chargers on the opening play of their next possession as Fouts would be picked off by Raiders linebacker Brad Van Pelt, whose nine-yard return would put the Raiders at the San Diego 20-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Wilson would find wide receiver Dokie Williams for a 20-yard touchdown to extend Los Angeles' lead to 34-20 with 4:15 remaining in the third quarter.

The Chargers would begin their next possession at their 20-yard-line as they would hold the ball for the rest of the third quarter as Fouts would complete two passes to Winslow for 32 yards and two passes to Holohan for 21 yards to move San Diego to the Los Angeles 11-yard-line where Riccardo would make a 29-yard field goal to make cut the LA lead to 34-23 with 13:20 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders would get great field position for their next possession as Cleo Montgomery returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the Los Angeles 41-yard-line as a five-yard run by King and a three-yard pass to Allen would set up 3rd & 2 at the LA 49-yard-line.

That is when Wilson connected with Barnwell for another long touchdown, this one for 51 yards, to seemingly put the game out of reach as the Raiders' lead increased to 41-23 with 12:13 left in the fourth quarter.

Needing a quick touchdown, the Chargers would drive 67 yards in five plays, aided by two Raider penalties for 40 yards, the first being a roughing-the-passer penalty on defensive end Greg Townsend, followed by a 25-yard pass interference penalty on defensive back Odis McKinney, to help set up Fouts' five-yard touchdown pass to Winslow to cut the Los Angeles lead to 41-30 with 10:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders would then bleed out the clock on their ensuing possession as they ran the ball on nine straight plays, gaining 50 yards, before Wilson completed a 10-yard pass to tight end Todd Christensen to help set up a 32-yard field goal by Bahr to push the LA lead back to two touchdowns at 44-30 with 3:54 left in regulation.

Raiders quarterback Marc Wilson threw five touchdown passes and 332 yards on 24-of-37 passing.

Needing a quick touchdown, the Chargers would begin their next drive at their 32-yard-line with a 12-yard pass from Fouts to Winslow which would be the final catch of the '84 season for Winslow as he would be carted off the field after tearing the MCL and PCL in his right knee.

Three plays later, Fouts would connect with wide receiver Bobby Duckworth for a 50-yard touchdown to make it an one touchdown game at 44-37 with 2:36 to go in the game.

The Chargers attempted an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff that was recovered by Raiders defensive back Vann McElroy at the San Diego 44-yard-line, giving the Raiders a chance to run out the clock if they picked up a 1st down.

However, the Chargers' defense would hold the Raiders to six yards on the next three plays, to force a punt by Ray Guy that would go out of bounds at the San Diego 16-yard-line with 2:06 left in regulation for Fouts and the Air Coryell offense to drive for the game-tying touchdown.

The drive would begin with Fouts completing two passes to Holohan for 17 yards to move San Diego to their 33-yard-line when James turned a short screen pass to a 31-yard completion that got 15 yards added to it because of a personal foul penalty on McElroy to put the Chargers at the Los Angeles 21-yard-line with 1:34 left to play.

Two incomplete passes would set up a 3rd & 10 when Fouts hit a wide open Bendross who appeared on his way to the end zone when his knee knocked the ball out of his hands and rolled out of bounds at the three-yard-line when San Diego would have a 1st & goal.

It looked like the Chargers were poised to tie the game as Jackson would punched it in for an apparent three-yard touchdown, only to have it nullified because of a holding penalty on Sievers that would push the Chargers back 10 yards to the LA 13-yard-line with 50 seconds to go and four chances to get into the end zone.

But disaster would strike for the Chargers on the next play from scrimmage as Fouts' pass that was intended for Joiner was intercepted by Raiders defensive back Ted Watts in the back of the end zone which allowed the Raiders to run out the clock and come away with the 44-37 victory to improve Los Angeles' record to 7-1 while dropping San Diego's record to 4-4.

The Chargers would end up finishing the season with a 7-9 record with the highlight before a 34-28 overtime win over the 11-0 Miami Dolphins in week 12(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-chargers.html)as Coryell's tenure would come to an end midway through the 1986 season after he was fired after a 1-7 start.

As for the Raiders, they would go on a three-game losing streak following their win against the Chargers as Los Angeles would finish the regular season with a 12-4 record to earn a spot in the AFC Wild Card Game where their quest for back-to-back Super Bowl titles would end with a 13-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Irish Beat Spartans with "The Immaculate Deflection"

Raghib "Rocket" Ismail accounted for 139 all-purpose yards on 11 touches in the Irish's comeback win over Michigan State in 1990.

On September 22, 1990, the #1 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish traveled up north to take on the #24 ranked Michigan State Spartans in the 56th meeting between the two programs and 36th consecutive season in which the two played for the Megaphone Trophy.

The Irish were the favorites to win the game as they were the #1 team in the country led by head coach Lou Holtz, who had helped led Notre Dame to the national championship in 1988 which was followed by a 12-1 season in 1989.

For 1990, the Irish had a new starting quarterback in sophomore Rick Mirer, who took over for Tony Rice after Rice graduated in the spring of 1990 as Mirer would join an offense that featured a trio of running backs in Ricky Watters, Tony Culver, and Tony Brooks plus wide receiver and kick returner Raghib "Rocket" Ismail.

In his first career start, Mirer led the Irish back from a 10-point 4th quarter deficit to defeat the Michigan Wolverines 28-24 in a top 5 primetime showdown as Mirer threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Adrian Jarrell with 1:45 left in the game.

Mirer and the Irish hoped for an easier time in East Lansing as they prepared to take on the Spartans, who come into the game with a 0-0-1 record as they tied the Syracuse Orangemen 23-23 in their 1990 season opener.

The Spartans were led by head coach George Perles, who was in his eighth season as the Michigan State head coach, having led Sparty to five bowl games, including a trip to the Rose Bowl following the 1987 season, which the Spartans won 20-17 against USC.

Michigan State's offense was led by senior quarterback Dan Enos and the running back tandem of Tico Duckett and Hyland Hickson, who would both end up rushing for 1,000 yards each during the 1990 season as the Spartans looked to knock off the Irish for the first time since 1986.

The Spartans would get the ball to start the game as they would drive from their 15-yard-line to the Notre Dame 41-yard-line until they were forced to punt the ball away to the Irish, who would take over at their 15-yard-line for their opening possession of the game, as they drove to the Michigan State 38-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Spartans.

The Irish defense would hold the Spartans' offense to a three-and-out as Michigan State would punt the ball back to Notre Dame as a 21-yard return by Ismail would give the Irish the ball at the Spartans' 41-yard-line.

The "Rocket" would play a huge part on the Irish's ensuing possession as he ran for 19 yards on an end-around reverse, then caught a 10-yard pass on a 3rd & 9 situation, to help set up a five-yard touchdown run by Watters to give Notre Dame a 7-0 lead with 2:43 left in the first quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Spartans took over at the 50-yard-line as two plays netted two yards to set up 3rd & 8 when Enos threw a pass that was intercepted by Notre Dame cornerback Tom Carter that was nullified by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Irish linebacker Devon McDonald, giving Michigan State a fresh set of downs at the Irish 33-yard-line.

Three straight running plays gained seven yards to set up a 42-yard field goal by John Langeloh to put Michigan State on the scoreboard and cut Notre Dame's lead to 7-3 with 10:26 left in the second quarter.

The Irish would begin their ensuing possession at their 32-yard-line but a holding penalty followed by a quarterback sack would force Notre Dame to punt on 4th & 22 when Michigan State cornerback Todd Murray broke through the Notre Dame line to block Craig Hentrich's punt.

The ball would roll into the back of the end zone for a safety to cut Notre Dame's lead to 7-5 as the Spartans would get the ball at their 44-yard-line with a chance to take the lead with a touchdown.

Quarterback Rick Mirer completed 10 of 12 passes for 135 yards in the second half .

A 32-yard by Hickson would set be the biggest play of the seven-play, 56-yard drive that ended with an one-yard touchdown run by Hickson to give the Spartans a 12-7 lead with 5:06 remaining in the second quarter.

After a Notre Dame three-and-out, the Spartans took over at their 29-yard-line as six straight running plays totaled 31 yards to move Michigan State to the Notre Dame 40-yard-line until a pair of incomplete passes help kill the drive and force a Spartans punt back to the Irish with 18 seconds to go before halftime.

Watters would run the ball three times for nine yards to bring an end to the first half with the Irish trailing 12-7 but set to get the ball to start the second half.

It would not take long for the Irish to advance into Michigan State territory as Mirer connected with Ismail for a 35-yard completion on the second play of the second half to put the Irish at the Spartans' 32-yard-line.

From there, the Irish would run the ball six straight times to drive to the Michigan State 13-yard-line where on 4th & 2, Holtz decided to go for the 1st down instead of kicking a field goal as Spartans defensive tackle Bobby Wilson would spot Culver one yard short of the marker to give the Spartans the ball at their 12-yard-line.

The Spartans would then use the passing game to help them drive down the field as Enos would passes of 33 yards to wide receiver Courtney Hawkins, 15 yards to wide receiver James Bradley and 20 yards to Hickson on a 12-play, 88-yard drive that culminated with an one-yard touchdown run by Duckett to increase Michigan State's lead to 19-7 with exactly six minutes left in the third quarter.

The Irish would begin their next possession at their 34-yard-line with a nine-yard pass from Mirer to Ismail, followed by eight straight running plays to move Notre Dame to the Michigan State 35-yard-line where on 3rd & 16 Mirer connected with Ismail again, this time for eight yards to set up a 4th & 8 situation.

Once again, the Irish would go for the 1st down which this time they got as Mirer hit Culver for nine yards to move the chains and give Notre Dame a fresh set of downs at the Michigan State 18-yard-line.

Five plays later, the Irish were in the end zone as Watters punched it in from the one-yard-line to cap off the 16-play, 66-yard drive and trim Michigan State's lead to 19-14 with 13:13 left in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans would get the ball back at their 33-yard-line as Enos would complete a 11-yard pass to Bradley and then a 19-yard pass to Hawkins to help Michigan State drive to the Notre Dame 39-yard-line until Enos was picked off by Irish linebacker Michael Stonebreaker, whose 23-yard return gave Mirer and the Irish offense the ball at their 49-yard-line.

But the Spartan defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 25-yard-line as they drove to midfield until a quarterback sack by Notre Dame defensive tackle Eric Jones on a 3rd & 11 forced Michigan State to punt the ball back to the Irish who would take over at their 19-yard-line with 5:15 to go in the game.

The drive would begin with a 19-yard pass from Mirer to right end Derek Brown which was followed by Mirer connecting with wide receiver Tony Smith for 13 yards on a 3rd & 4 to give Notre Dame a 1st down at the Michigan State 43-yard-line.

Mirer would then hit Brooks for 11 yards on 3rd & 9 for another Irish 1st down at the Michigan State 31-yard-line as Watters would run for five yards on 1st down to set up a 2nd & 5 at the Spartans' 26-yard-line.

That is when Mirer fired a pass toward the right sideline that looked like was going to be a sure interception for Murray, only to have the ball bounce off his chest and into the hands of Jarrell for a remarkable 24-yard completion and a Notre Dame 1st down at the Michigan State two-yard-line.

After Brooks was stopped one yard short of the end zone and Watters for no gain, Culver would punch it for the one-yard touchdown to give Notre Dame a 20-19 lead with 34 seconds left in the game as the Irish would go for two following the touchdown which was unsuccessful as Mirer was tackled short of the end zone.

Michigan State would have one last chance to pull out a miracle but Enos' Hail Mary pass from the Spartans' 29-yard-line would fall incomplete as time expired with the Irish on top 20-19 for Notre Dame's fourth straight victory in the series with the Spartans.

The Spartans would rebound from the loss to finish the season with a 8-3-1 record, which included a historic upset over #1 Michigan 28-27 in the middle of the season, as Michigan State would be ranked #14 in the final AP poll and #16 in the final coaches poll after defeating USC 17-16 in the Sun Bowl.

As for the Irish, their luck would run out two weeks later as they would be stunned by the Stanford Cardinal 36-31 in South Bend, which dropped Notre Dame from #1 to #8 in the polls.

The Irish would regain the #1 ranking one month later only to lose it again when they were upset by Penn State 24-21 in the penultimate game of the regular season as they would finish the regular season with a 9-2 record which earned Notre Dame an invitation to the Orange Bowl where they would play #1 Colorado.

In the final minutes of the Orange Bowl, Ismail returned a Colorado punt 91 yards for a touchdown, only to have it wiped out because of a controversial clipping penalty as the Irish would go on to lose the game 10-9 to finish the 1990 season with a 9-3 record and #6 ranking in both polls.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Chiefs Prevail in Mahomes' NFL Debut

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 22 of 35 passes for 284 yards and one interception in his first career NFL start.

 In the spring of 2017, the Kansas City Chiefs made a bold move in the first round of that year's NFL draft as they traded up 17 spots to move from the #27 pick to the #10 pick to select quarterback Patrick Mahomes out of Texas Tech.

Even though they had a starting quarterback in Alex Smith who had helped lead Kansas City to three playoff appearances in four years, the Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid felt they needed a upgrade at quarterback if they were going to end the nearly 50-year drought of appearing in a Super Bowl has the Chiefs had not returned to the big game since they won it in Super Bowl IV to end the 1969 season.

Mahomes would spend the 2017 season on the bench as the backup to Smith, who would start 15 games to lead the Chiefs to the AFC West title for the second year in a row and a fourth trip to the NFL playoffs in five years for Kansas City.

With their position in the 2017 NFL playoffs secured, the Chiefs and Reid decided that Mahomes would get the start in the Chiefs' regular season finale against the Denver Broncos as Kansas City would rest several starters before their AFC Wild Card game against an opponent to be determined.

Even though he would by playing with a bunch of backups, this was Mahomes' opportunity to see the Chiefs what they had in Mahomes and see if he really was their quarterback of the future.

For Week 17, the Chiefs traveled to the Mile High City to take on their division rivals, the Denver Broncos, who hoping to end the season on a positive note as they came into the game with a 5-10 record, with eight of those losses by a double digits margin.

The Broncos were led by head coach Vance Joseph, who was in his first season as the Denver head coach after taking over for Gary Kubiak, who stepped down after the 2016 season to health issues.

The biggest issue for the Broncos in 2017 was their quarterback situation as injuries and poor performances had led to a carousel between Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, and Trevor Siemian as all three players at one point in the season were the team's starting quarterback.

Lynch, who had been inactive for the first ten weeks of the season, because of a injury to his throwing shoulder, would get  the start in hopes of ending the Broncos' seven-game losing streak on a 18 degree day in Denver.

The Chiefs would start the game on offense at their 14-yard-line as Mahomes would throw two straight incomplete passes to set up 3rd & 10 when he found tight end Demetrius Harris for a 51-yard completion to give Kansas City a 1st down at the Denver 35-yard-line.

Following another incomplete pass, Mahomes handed the ball off to running back Kareem Hunt for his only carry of the game, a 35-yard touchdown to give Hunt the season rushing title and Kansas City a 7-0 lead just 53 seconds into the game.

After a Denver three-and-out, the Chiefs got the ball back at their 48-yard-line as Mahomes completed a three-yard pass to fullback Anthony Sherman that got 15 yards added to the play because of a face mask penalty on Broncos linebacker Todd Davis to Kansas City a 1st down at the Denver 34-yard-line when Mahomes threw his first career interception as Denver free safety Darian Stewart picked off the pass intended for De' Anthony Thomas to give the Broncos the ball at their 10-yard-line.

From there, the Broncos would drive 72 yards in 11 plays to set up a 36-yard field goal by Brandon McManus to get Denver on the scoreboard and cut the Chiefs' lead to 7-3 with 5:22 left in the first quarter.

The two teams would trade punts as the game moved into the second quarter when the Broncos would drive down the field behind the right arm of Lynch who completed all five of his passes to five different receivers for a total of 65 yards on the 10-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Lynch to running back De' Angelo Henderson to give Denver a 10-7 lead with 4:56 left in the second quarter.

The Chiefs would begin their ensuing possession at their 27-yard-line as Mahomes would connect with wide receiver Albert Wilson three times for 52 yards to help set up a one-yard touchdown run by Sherman to put Kansas City back on top 14-10 with 1:07 left in the first half.

Denver would get the ball back at their 29-yard-line as Lynch completed passes of 11 yards to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and 30 yards to wide receiver Jordan Taylor to put the Broncos at the Kansas City 30-yard-line with a chance to get some points before the end of the first half.

However, the drive would end with a turnover as Lynch tried to connect with Taylor again, only to be intercepted by Chiefs linebacker Terrance Smith which allowed Kansas City to run out the clock on the first half and go into the halftime break with a 14-10 lead.

Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch completed 21 of 31 passes for 254 yards and threw two touchdown passses while being intercepted two times.

After the Broncos punted on their opening possession of the second half, the Chiefs got the ball at their eight-yard-line as Mahomes would eight of his next 11 passes for 73 yards to help Kansas City advance to the half-yard-line where they had a 2nd & goal situation.

But the Chiefs could not punch into the end zone as Sherman would be dropped for a loss on 2nd down which was followed by an incomplete pass on 3rd down, which forced Kansas City to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Harrison Butker to cap off the 18-play, 90-yard drive that took off eight minutes and forty six seconds off the clock and extended the Chiefs' lead to 17-10.

The Broncos would start their next drive at their 25-yard-line with a four-yard run by Anderson to set up 2nd & 6 when Lynch was sacked by Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones which caused a fumble that was picked up by linebacker Ramik Wilson, who took it into the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown to increase Kansas City's lead to 24-10 with 3:04 to play in the third quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Broncos got the ball back at their 20-yard-line early in the 4th quarter as they needed two touchdowns to tie the game.

The Broncos were able to drive down to the Chiefs' 11-yard-line until a quarterback sack of Lynch by Kansas City linebacker Tanoh Kpassagnon help push Denver into a 4th & 15 situation where the Broncos had to go for it as Lynch tried to hit wide receiver Isiah McKenzie, only to be intercepted by Chiefs cornerback Terrance Mitchell whose 40-yard return gave Kansas City the ball at their 42-yard-line with 7:02 left in the game and still ahead by two touchdowns.

Figuring they had the game in hand, Reid took out Mahomes and replaced him with quarterback Tyler Bray, whose first snap of the game was supposed to be a handoff to Sherman, only to result in a fumble that was scooped up by Denver linebacker Zaire Anderson, who return it 38 yards for a Broncos touchdown to cut the Chiefs' lead to 24-17.

Bray remained in the game for the Chiefs' ensuing possession which went nowhere as Kansas City would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Broncos, who now had a chance to drive for the game-tying touchdown with 5:16 left in regulation and the ball at their 38-yard-line.

The drive began with a 22-yard pass from Lynch to tight end Bennie Fowler for a Denver 1st down at the Chiefs' 40-yard-line which was followed by two straight running plays that only gained three yards to set up 3rd & 7 when Lynch found running back Devontae Booker for a 25-yard gain and a fresh set of downs at the Kansas City 12-yard-line.

A six-yard run by Booker put Denver at the six-yard-line as incomplete pass followed by a run by Henderson that went for no gain set up a do-or-die 4th & 4 from the Broncos' six-yard-line.

That is when Lynch found Thomas in the left corner of the end zone for the six-yard touchdown that with McManus' extra point tied the game at 24 with 2:53 left in regulation.

When the Chiefs' offense came back onto the field to begin their ensuing drive at their 21-yard-line, they did so with Mahomes back at quarterback as Reid hoped the rookie could lead the Kansas City offense down the field to set up a potential game-winning field goal by Butker.

The drive got off to an auspicious start as Mahomes was sacked by Denver linebacker DeMarcus Walker for a seven-yard loss to set up a 2nd & 17 where Mahomes found Wilson for 13 yards to set up 3rd & 4 where Mahomes was able to draw an offsides penalty on the Broncos to give the Chiefs a fresh set of downs at their 32-yard-line.

Mahomes would then complete a 12-yard pass to wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson which was followed by a 13-yard completion to Wilson to put Kansas City in Denver territory at the Broncos' 43-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Mahomes would go back to Wilson as the two connected for a 14-yard completion to move the Chiefs to the Broncos' 29-yard-line with 1:14 left in regulation and in Butker's range for a field goal.

From there, the Chiefs kept it on the ground as they ran the ball four straight times, gaining 17 yards to move to the Denver 12-yard-line where Kansas City was able to bleed the clock down to four seconds before calling their last timeout and sending in Butker to win the game on the final play of regulation.

Butker would easily make the 30-yard field goal as time expired to give the Chiefs the 27-24 victory to end the Chiefs' regular season with a 10-6 record while dropping the Broncos to a 5-11 record as they ended the season on an eight-game losing streak.

Harrison Butker would hit a walk-off field goal in the Chiefs' 2017 regular season finale against the Broncos.

Joseph would return as the Broncos' head coach for the 2018 season as Denver signed Case Keenum away from the Minnesota Vikings in hopes of turning the Broncos' fortunes around.

However, the Broncos' offensive woes continued as they scored more than 30 points in a game only once in a 6-10 season, which would lead to Joseph's dismissal as the Denver head coach after back-to-back seasons of at least 10 losses, the first time the Broncos had done that since the early 1970s.

As for the Chiefs, their 2017 season would end the following week in the AFC Wild Card round as they coughed a 21-3 lead to the Tennessee Titans, who scored 19 unanswered points to pull out the 22-21 victory as Kansas City lost its sixth straight playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Almost one month after the loss to the Titans, the Chiefs would trade Smith to the Washington Redskins for cornerback Kendall Fuller and a third round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, effectively handing the keys to Mahomes to become the new starting Kansas City starting quarterback.

All Mahomes has done since he became the Chiefs' starting quarterback has thrown for nearly 36,000 yards and 267 touchdown passes while winning two NFL MVP awards(2018, 2022) but more importantly ending the Chiefs' 50-year drought as world champions as Mahomes has led the Chiefs to five Super Bowls, winning three of them with Mahomes being selected as the game's MVP in all three of the Chiefs' victories.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Mizzou Wins Border War Shootout over Kansas

 

Missouri kicker Grant Ressel(95)kicks the game-winning field goal in the 2009 edition of the "Border War".

One of the longest and most-played rivalries in all of college football is the one between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers also known as the "Border War".

Every year from 1907 through 2011, the two neighboring schools would play each other, most if not all the time, at the end of the regular season, often unbeknownst to the rest of the country as the two schools were not national powers.

The peak of the rivalry came in a three year span starting in 2007 when the two teams both ranked in the top 5, met at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City with a spot in the Big 12 conference championship game on the line as well as potential national championship implications.

Missouri would win that game 36-28 behind a 40-of-49 for 361 yards and three touchdown pass performance by Tigers quarterback Chase Daniel as Missouri would move to the #1 ranking in the AP poll for the first time since 1960 as the Tigers needed to beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game to earn a spot in the BCS national championship game(Missouri would lose 38-17 to Oklahoma).

One year later, the Jayhawks and Tigers would met once again at Arrowhead, thought this time there were no Big 12 or national title implications, as Kansas would prevail with a 40-37 win thanks to quarterback Todd Reesing's 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kerry Maier on a 4th & 7 with 27 seconds remaining.

The two teams would play each other for the third straight season at Arrowhead in the final game of the 2009 regular season as the 7-4 Tigers would face the 5-6 Jayhawks in the 103rd consecutive meeting between the two schools.

Missouri was led by head coach Gary Pinkel, who was in his ninth season as the Tigers' head coach, having led Mizzou to the school's only second and third 10-win seasons in the previous two seasons prior to 2009.

The 2009 season started out well with Missouri winning their first four games before losing four of their next five to drop to a 5-4 record until they defeated Kansas State and Iowa State to secure the Tigers' fifth straight winning season and sixth in the last seven years.

On the field, the Tigers were led by quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who had taken over for Daniel who left Missouri as its all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes, and wide receiver Danario Alexander, who up to this point in the 2009 season had caught 92 passes for 1,311 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

On the other side were the Jayhawks, who came into the Missouri game under a cloud of controversy as head coach Mark Mangino was being investigated by the school for allegations of verbal and physical abuse against some of his players during his tenure as the Kansas head coach which began in 2002.

The allegations overshadowed what had been the most successful run in Kansas football history as Mangino had complied a record of 50-47 while leading Kansas to four bowl games including a trip to the Orange Bowl following the 2007 regular season where the Jayhawks defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 24-21 to finish the season with a 12-1 record and #7 ranking, the most wins and highest ranking ever in a Kansas football season.

But with the investigation into his conduct as well as a six-game losing streak after starting the 2009 season with a 5-0 record, Mangino was on the hot seat as he prepared the Jayhawks to face the Tigers in another edition of the "Border War".

The Jayhawks got the ball to start the game as they would drive 18 yards in five plays before punting the ball to Missouri, who took over at their 20-yard-line as they would advance to the Kansas 34-yard-line until they punted the ball back to Kansas, who would begin its ensuing possession at their one-yard-line.

It looked like the Tigers were going to get the ball back in Kansas territory as Reesing threw two incomplete passes to force a 3rd & 10 situation when he completed a 17-yard pass to running back Jake Sharp to give the Jayhawks a 1st down at their 18-yard-line.

From there, Reesing would complete five straight passes, with three of those completions going to wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe for a total of 29 yards, including one for a seven-yard touchdown to give Kansas a 7-0 lead with 6:40 left in the first quarter.

Kansas wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe caught 14 passes for 242 yards and scored two touchdowns but also had two costly fumbles.

Missouri would respond with a seven-play, 51-yard drive with the big play being a 30-yard scramble by Gabbert, to help set up a 43-yard field goal by Grant Ressel to cut the Kansas lead to 7-3 with 3:52 to go in the first quarter.

Kansas would start their next drive at their 30-yard-line as back-to-back passes to Sharp totaled 39 yards to move Kansas to the Missouri 31-yard-line when a chop black penalty pushed the Jayhawks back 15 yards with a 1st & 25 situation at the Tigers' 46-yard-line.

Two plays later on 3rd & 18, Reesing would hit tight end Tim Biere for a 33-yard completion to give Kansas a 1st & goal at the Missouri one-yard-line when Reesing snuck it in for the touchdown to increase the Jayhawks' lead to 14-3 with 64 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

The Tigers seemed poised to cut into the Kansas lead on their ensuing possession as they drove 64 yards in 11 plays to the Jayhawks' 26-yard-line until Gabbert fumbled the football after he was tackled by Kansas defensive end Maxwell Onyegbule with linebacker Drew Dudley recovering the fumble to give the Jayhawks the ball at their 26-yard-line.

Following an exchange of punts, the Jayhawks had the ball at their 17-yard-line when Reesing completed an eight-yard pass to Briscoe, who would fumble the football which was recovered by Missouri defensive back Carl Gettis, whose 20-yard return gave the Tigers a 1st & goal at the Kansas five-yard-line.

It would take the Tigers three plays to get into the end zone as running back Derrick Washington punched it in for the one-yard touchdown to trim the Jayhawks' lead to 14-10 with 5:49 left in the second quarter.

The Jayhawks would move down the field on their ensuing possession on the right arm of Reesing who would complete six of seven passes for 68 yards on a drive that culminated with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Reesing to Maier to push the Kansas lead back to 11 points at 21-10 with 3:03 to go before halftime.

A 40-yard run by Gabbert on the Tigers' following drive would lead to a 28-yard field goal by Ressel to trim the Jayhawks' lead to 21-13 with 61 seconds to go in the first half as Missouri would get a chance to put more points on the board before halftime as Tigers cornerback Kip Edwards intercepted a Reesing pass to give the Missouri offense the ball at their 48-yard-line.

However, the Tigers would go three-and-out as the Jayhawks would take a knee to run out the clock on the first half with Kansas ahead 21-13.

Missouri would get the ball at their 35-yard-line to start the second half as Gabbert completed two passes to Alexander for 39 yards which was followed by two runs by Washington for 26 yards with the second run being a 14-yard touchdown to cut the Jayhawks' lead to 21-19 when the Tigers decided to go for two following the touchdown which was unsuccessful as Gabbert was tackled behind the line of scrimmage by Kansas safety Darnell Stuckey.

The Jayhawks would respond with a 13-play, 78-yard drive that was capped off with a two-yard touchdown pass from Reesing to Maier to increase the Kansas lead to 28-19 with 5:45 left in the third quarter.

Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing threw for a school record 498 yards and four touchdown passes on 37-of-55 passing.

It would only take the Tigers one minute and 45 seconds to get back into the end zone as wide receiver Jerrel Jackson would take an end around for a 37-yard touchdown to bring Missouri to within a field goal of taking the lead at 28-26.

On the Jayhawks' ensuing possession, Reesing would complete a 22-yard pass to Briscoe, who would end up fumbling the football for the second time in the game as Gettis, who recovered Briscoe's earlier fumble in the game, would make the recovery to give Missouri the ball back at their 27-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass and a five-yard run by Washington set up a 3rd & 5 situation, Gabbert would connect with Alexander for a 67-yard touchdown to give the Tigers their first lead of the game at 33-28 with 4:03 to go in the third quarter.

The Missouri defense would force the Jayhawks to punt on their next possession to give their offense the ball back at the Tigers' 13-yard-line where after a false start penalty pushed them back five yards to the eight-yard-line, Gabbert found Alexander again, this time for 59 yards to put the Tigers at the Kansas 33-yard-line.

From there, the Tigers would advance to the Jayhawks' 10-yard-line until  Onyegbule sacked Gabbert for a nine-yard loss to kill the Missouri drive and force the Tigers to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Ressel which increased Missouri's lead to 36-28 with 13:29 to go in the fourth quarter.

Kansas would get the ball back at their 28-yard-line as a holding penalty would lead to a 3rd & 12 situation when Reesing hit Briscoe for a 74-yard touchdown which was followed by Reesing hitting Maier on the ensuing two-point conversion to tie the game at 36 with 12:01 remaining in regulation.

The Kansas defense would force the Tigers to go three-and-out on their next drive but the offense would get the ball back at their one-yard-line after another coffin-corner punt by Missouri's Jake Harry IV.

However, the Jayhawks would drive down to the Tigers' five-yard-line thanks to completions of 26 yards to Briscoe and 42 yards to running back Reli Lewis until an intentional grounding penalty on Reesing on 3rd & goal would force Kansas to settle for a 39-yard field goal by Jacob Bransetter to give the Jayhawks a 39-36 lead with 5:10 left in regulation.

The Jayhawks would force another three-and-out but another excellent punt by Harry would pin the Kansas offense back at their three-yard-line with 2:59 left in the game and Missouri with only one timeout remaining.

But Reesing would throw two straight incomplete passes to help stop the clock and set up a 3rd & 10 situation when Missouri defensive ends Aldon Smith and Brian Coulter combined to sack Reesing in the end zone for a safety to cut the Jayhawks' lead to 39-38 with 2:45 to go as Missouri was set to get the ball back with a chance to drive for the game-winning field goal.

An 18-yard return by Gettis on the ensuing kickoff would give the Tigers' offense the ball at their 48-yard-line as a three-yard run by Gabbert followed by a nine-yard run by Washington gave Missouri a 1st down at the Kansas 40-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Gabbert would complete an eight-yard pass to Alexander to set up a 3rd & 2 situation when Washington broke loose for a 27-yard run to put Missouri at the Kansas five-yard-line with a 1st & goal with 51 seconds to go.

Missouri wide receiver Danario Alexander caught 15 passes for 233 yards in the game with 10 catches for 202 yards coming in the second half.

Gabbert would then take two knees to drain the remaining time on the clock to four seconds before Pinkel would send Ressel and the field goal unit in to win the game with a 27-yard field goal.

Ressel would easily make the kick as time expired to give Missouri the 41-39 victory to improve the Tigers' record to 8-4 while handing the Jayhawks their seventh straight loss to end the season with a 5-7 record.

The loss to Missouri would be the final game for Mangino as the Kansas head coach as he and the university agreed to a contract buyout which resulted in Mangino resigning from his position.

The Jayhawks would return to being a football doormat as they would win only 22 games through the 2010s and would not appear in a bowl game until 2022.

Missouri would go to play Navy in the Texas Bowl which the Tigers would lose 35-13 to finish the season with a 8-5 record and unranked in either the final AP or coaches poll.

As for the Missouri-Kansas rivalry, the two teams would play each other the following two seasons before the Tigers left the Big 12 conference for the SEC, which resulted in bringing an end to the rivalry after 105 straight years after playing each other.

The two programs agreed to a home-and-home in 2025 + 26 and then again in 2031 + 32 but there are currently no plays to resume the rivalry on an annual basis.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: USC Holds off Fresno State Thanks to Bush's Spectacular Performance

USC running back Reggie Bush would put together a performance for the ages in the Trojans' win over the Fresno State Bulldogs in 2005.

The USC Trojans of the early 2000s were the top program in all of college football as they won back-to-back national championships in 2003 + 2004 and produce three Heisman Trophy winners in span of four years starting with quarterback Carson Palmer in 2002 followed by quarterback Matt Leinart in 2004 and then running back Reggie Bush in 2005.

When it comes to the 2005 Heisman race, the college football world believed that Bush sewed up the award with his performance in the Trojans' penultimate game of the regular season where they would take on the Fresno State Bulldogs.

USC was ranked #1 with a 10-0 record having won their previous 32 games under head coach Pete Carroll who had the Trojans in the hunt for an unprecedented third straight national championship.

The 2005 season had some bumps in the road including a 38-28 win over Arizona State where the Trojans overcame a 21-3 halftime deficit to defeat the Sun Devils(To read about that game click on the link which is highlighted here:https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2022/09/college-football-old-school-game-of_28.html) and a 34-31 win over Notre Dame in one of the greatest games ever played.

In both victories, Bush would come up large as he ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns in the vicotry over Arizona State, then ran for 160 yards and three touchdowns to go along with pushing Leinart into the end zone on the Trojans' game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of the Notre Dame game.

Up to this point in the season, Bush had run for 1,104 yards and scored 13 touchdowns while catching 28 passes for 315 yards and returning kickoffs and occasionally punts.

The Trojans hoped for a big night from Bush as they prepared to host the #16 ranked Fresno State Bulldogs from the Western Athletic Conference who had upset on their minds.

The Bulldogs came into the USC game with a 8-1 record with their only loss being a 37-34 nailbiter to Oregon in the second game of the season.

The Bulldogs were led by head coach Pat Hill, who was in his ninth season at Fresno having led the Bulldogs to six bowl appearances as he had complied a 72-39 record during his time in the Valley.

If the 23-point underdog Bulldogs were going to pull off the giant upset in front of a crowd of nearly 90,000 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, they somehow would have to contain Bush.

 Bush would get his hands on the football as the game began as he returned the opening kickoff 28 yards to the USC 28-yard-line.

However, Bush would not touch the ball on the Trojans' first drive of the game as USC would travel 26 yards in seven plays before punting the ball to the Bulldogs who would take over at their 19-yard-line.

After an one-yard run by Wendell Mathis to start the drive, quarterback Paul Pinegar would complete four of six passes for 63 yards to help drive the Bulldogs to the USC 13-yard-line when Pinegar completed a 12-yard pass to tight end Devyn McDonald who had the football popped out of his hands after a hit by USC defensive back Josh Pinkard, only for wide receiver Jermaine Jamison catch the fumble in midair and dive into the end zone for the touchdown to give Fresno State a 7-0 lead.

Bush would make his presence felt on the Trojans' ensuing possession when he broke loose for a 65-yard run to give USC a 1st & goal at the Fresno State five-yard-line when Bush's partner in crime, running back Lendale White, ran it for the game-tying touchdown midway through the first quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Bulldogs took over at their 35-yard-line as three plays gained nine yards to set up a 4th & 1 where it appeared Fresno State would punt the ball back to the Trojans, only to run a fake as the ball was snapped to strong safety Josh Sherley, who would run for two yards to give Fresno State a fresh set of downs at their 46-yard line as the first quarter came to an end.

Eight plays later, the Bulldogs were back in the end zone as running back Roshon Vercher would punch it in for an one-yard touchdown to give Fresno State a 14-7 lead with 12:07 left in the second quarter.

Bush would return the ensuing kickoff 30 yards to the USC 34-yard-line as Reggie would catch a 12-yard pass from Leinart then ran for 12 yards that with a face mask penalty on Fresno State gave the Trojans a 1st & goal at the Bulldogs' nine-yard-line

But the Trojans could not get it into the end zone as they would settle for a 25-yard field goal by Mario Danelo to cut the Fresno State lead to 14-10 lead midway through the second quarter.

The Bulldogs would start their next possession at their 45-yard-line after a 42-yard return by Adam Jennings on the kickoff as Pinegar would complete all five of his passes for 52 yards on the eight-play, 55-yard drive that culminated with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Pinegar to wide receiver Joe Fernandez to extend the Fresno State lead to 21-10 with 4:08 left before halftime.

Fresno State quarterback Paul Pinegar would complete 27 of 45 passes for 317 yards and throw four touchdown passes but would also throw four interceptions.

Facing their largest deficit since their comeback win over Arizona State, the Trojans would begin their ensuing drive at their 11-yard-line with a 21-yard run by Bush, which was followed by Leinart completing five of his next six passes for 39 yards to help set up a 31-yard field goal by Danielo to trim the deficit to eight points at 21-13 as the first half came to a close.

The Bulldogs would get the ball to start the second half but would end up punting the ball back to the Trojans who would take over at the Fresno State 43-yard-line after a 16-yard return by Bush on the punt.

Following a seven-yard pass from Leinart to fullback Brandon Hancock, Bush would reel off a 35-yard run to put USC at the Fresno State one-yard-line where Leinart would sneak into the end zone to make it an one-point game at 21-20.

The Bulldogs would begin their next drive at their 14-yard-line as a holding penalty would push them back to their six-yard-line where on 3rd & 18, Pinegar would throw it deep only to have Trojans free safety Brandon Ting intercept the pass to give USC the ball at the Fresno State 45-yard-line.

On the very next snap, Bush would run untouched for a 45-yard touchdown to give USC a 27-21 lead with 10:03 to go in the third quarter.

Things would go from bad to worse for the Bulldogs on the first play of their ensuing possession as Pinegar would be picked off by USC strong safety Darnell Bing to give the Trojans the ball at the Fresno State 32-yard-line.

Five plays later, the Trojans were back in the end zone as Leinart completed a six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Smith to extend USC's lead to 34-21 following the Trojans' third touchdown in a span of three minutes and eight seconds.

After the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, the Bulldogs took over at their 35-yard-line as four straight runs by Mathis gained 34 yards to move Fresno State to the USC 31-yard-line as Pinegar would complete an 11-yard pass to running back Matt Rivera, which was followed by a 20-yard touchdown pass from Pinegar to wide receiver Paul Williams to cut the Trojans' lead to 34-28 with 5:39 left in the third quarter.

The Fresno State defense would then hold the Trojans to a three-and-out as the Bulldogs would get the ball back at the USC 30-yard-line after a 57-yard punt return by Jennings.

Three runs by Mathis for a total of 22 yards would put Fresno State at the USC eight-yard-line with a chance to regain the lead when Pinegar would throw his third interception of the quarter as free safety Scott Ware would pick off the pass at the goal line and run it back 30 yards to the Fresno State 30-yard-line where Leinart and the USC offense would take over.

A 13-yard pass to Bush followed by a pass interference penalty on Fresno State put the Trojans at the Bulldogs' 42-yard-line when Leinart was sacked for an eight-yard loss by Bulldogs defensive end Garrett McIntyre to set up 2nd & 18 from the 50-yard-line.

That is when Bush produced his Heisman moment as he took a handoff from Leinart and run to the left side untouched for 25 yards until he made a juke move at the 25-yard-line and cut back across the field as he would run it in for an amazing 50-yard touchdown which increased the Trojans' lead to 41-28 with 75 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs would drive to inside USC territory on their next possession before punting the ball back to the Trojans who would go three-and-out as a 15-yard return by Jennings on the ensuing punt plus a 15-yard personal foul put Fresno State at the USC 15-yard-line.

It would take the Bulldogs six plays to get into the end zone as Pinegar completed a six-yard touchdown pass to Fernandez to bring Fresno State back to within a touchdown at 41-35 with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter.

Bush would get his hands on the football again on the ensuing kickoff only to fumble the football when he was hit by Bulldogs cornerback Marcus McCauley as defensive back Jason Huss would recover the fumble to give Fresno State the ball at the USC 18-yard-line.

That is when Pinegar handed the ball off to Mathis, who ran untouched into the end zone for the 18-yard touchdown that with the extra point gave Fresno State a 42-41 lead with 9:47 left in the fourth quarter.

Bush would atone for his fumble on the Trojans' ensuing possession which began at their 11-yard-line as Bush would start the drive with two runs totaling 25 yards which was followed by a 43-yard reception to give USC a 1st down at the Fresno State 21-yard-line.

Four plays later, White would punch it in for a two-yard touchdown to give USC a 47-42 lead as the Trojans would go for two after the touchdown, which was unsuccessful as Leinart would throw an incomplete pass to keep the score where at 47-42 with 6:22 left in regulation.

Fresno State would begin its next drive at their 21-yard-line as two plays gained only one yard to set up 3rd & 9 when Pinegar lost the football after a sack by USC defensive end Lawrence Jackson as linebacker Brian Cushing would recover the fumble at the Bulldogs' 15-yard-line to give the Trojans an opportunity to put the game away with a touchdown.

After a seven-yard run by Bush on 1st down, the Fresno State defense would clamper down as they held to Bush to zero yards on his next two carries to force a 26-yard field goal by Danielo which extended the Trojans' lead to 50-42 with 3:06 left in regulation as the Bulldogs would have a chance to drive for a touchdown and convert on a two-point conversion that would tie the game.

Starting at their 28-yard-line, the Bulldogs came out throwing as Pinegar completed a  four-yard pass to Fernandez which was followed by two straight incompletions to set up a do-or-die 4th & 6 when Pinegar threw a screen pass to Rivera that would go for eight yards to give Fresno State a 1st down at their 40-yard-line.

Pinegar would then complete a five-yard pass to Fernandez which was followed by a 30-yard pass to Rivera to put Fresno State at the USC 25-yard-line when Pinegar throw a pass intended for Williams that would be intercepted by Bing at the goal line as the senior defensive back would run the interception back 40 yards to the Fresno State 40-yard-line with 1:20 left in the game.

As Fresno State had no timeouts, Leinart could take two knees to run out the clock as the Trojans would come away with the 50-42 victory, the 33rd straight win for USC as they improved their 2005 record to 11-0 on a night where Bush accounted for 513 yards as he carried the ball 23 times for 294 yards while catching three passes for 68 yards, returning a punt for 16 yards and seven kickoffs for 136 yards.

While the Bulldogs maintained their #16 ranking despite the loss, they never recovered from the heartbreaking loss as they would lose three final games of the season including a 34-21 loss to Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl to finish the season with a 8-5 record and unranked.

As for Bush and the Trojans, they would destroy crosstown rival UCLA 66-19 to clinch a spot in the BCS National Championship Game while Bush would go on to win the Heisman Trophy one week later.

The Trojans would face the Texas Longhorns in the Rose Bowl where their dreams of a third straight national title would be crushed by Heisman runner-up Vince Young's performance as he threw for 267 yards and ran for 200 yards and scored four touchdowns including the game-winner with 19 seconds left in the game to give Texas a 41-38 win for the Longhorns' first national title since 1970(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/09/college-football-old-school-game-of_13.html).

Four years later, the Trojans would be forced to vacate all their wins from the 2005 season after a NCAA investigation found that Bush received improper benefits, including a limousine ride to the 2005 Heisman Trophy ceremony as Bush would also vacate the Heisman Trophy.

However, the NCAA's decision to allow players to make money on their name, image, and likeness or NIL, would lead to Bush being reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner in 2024.