NFL Old School Game of the Week: Colts Beat Titans in Battle for First Place in AFC South

Peyton Manning completed 22 of 34 passes for 228 yards in the Colts' win over the Titans.

Throughout the 2003 NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans were not only locked up in a tight race for the AFC South Division title, but their quarterbacks, Indianapolis' Peyton Manning and Tennessee's Steve McNair were in a neck-and-neck race for the NFL MVP race.
It seemed that both races would come to a head as the two teams meet in Nashville in week 14 of the season.
Both teams entered with identical 9-3 records, but the Colts had defeated the Titans 33-7 back in Week 2, which meant if the Colts won in Nashville, they would essentially hold a two-game lead over the Titans as they held the head-to-head tiebreaker.
So whoever won the game would not only have the upper hand in the race for the division title, but the NFL MVP race as well as Manning and McNair were seen by the media as the two frontrunners for the award.
Through the first 12 games of the season, Manning entered the game leading the league in passing yards(3,383), touchdowns(23), and completion percentage(66.7)while McNair had the highest quarterback rating in the league at 103.5
The Titans got the ball to start the game as they drove 44 yards in eight plays with the biggest play being a 26-yard run by Eddie George to set up a 40-yard field goal by Gary Anderson to give Tennessee a 3-0 lead with 10:29 to go in the first quarter.
The Colts would be given a short field thanks to a 29-yard return by Dominic Rhodes on the ensuing kickoff to give Indy the ball at their 45-yard-line.
Manning would complete three of four passes for 35 yards on a nine-play, 52-yard drive that would end with a 21-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt to tie the game at 3 with 6:50 left in the first quarter.
The Titans would respond with a nine-play, 80-yard drive which saw McNair complete all three of his passes for 45 yards on the drive which ended with a two-yard touchdown run by the quarterback to give Tennessee a 10-3 lead with 1:49 remaining in the first quarter.
The score was still 10-3 early in the second quarter when the Colts defense forced the first turnover of the game when cornerback David Macklin stripped Titans tight end Shad Meier at the end of a 16-yard catch, leading to a fumble that was recovered by Macklin at the Tennessee 43-yard-line.
The Colts would drive to the Titans 17-yard-line primarily on the running game as Manning only completed one pass during the drive which ended with a 35-yard field goal by Vanderjagt to cut the Titans' lead to 10-6 with just over nine minutes left in the second quarter.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Colts would get the ball back at their 15-yard-line as Indianapolis would drive 67 yards in 12 plays only to end up with another Vanderjagt field goal, this one from 36 yards out to make it a 10-9 game with just 1:53 left before halftime.

Edgerrian James ran the ball 25 times for 97 yards and scored two touchdowns.

However, the Colts would get the ball right back on the ensuing kickoff as strong safety Mike Doss knocked the ball loose from Titans kick returner Eddie Berlin, leading to a fumble that was recovered by Robert Mathis to give Indianapolis the ball at the Tennessee 29-yard-line with 1:39 left in the half.
Manning would hit three passes in a row, gaining 20 yards before handing the ball off to Edgerrian James three straight times including on a 4th & 1 at the six-yard-line which James converted to give Indianapolis a 1st & goal with just 13 seconds left.
That was enough time for Manning to take a few shots at the end zone but both of his passes fell incomplete, forcing the Colts to settle for another field goal, which Vanderjagt made from 23 yards out to give Indianapolis a 12-10 lead as the first half came to a close.
The Colts would get the ball to start the second half and just like their first drive of the game would be given a short field as Rhodes returned the kick 44 yards to the Colts' 46-yard-line.
From there, it would take the Colts nine plays to drive 56 yards and finally get in the end zone as James punched it in for a two-yard touchdown to extend Indianapolis' lead to 19-10 with 9:39 left in the third quarter.
Lightning would strike twice on the ensuing kickoff as the Colts forced Berlin to fumble the football again, this time with Mathis providing the hit that knocked the ball loose and Ricky Williams(not that Ricky Williams)recovering the fumble at the Titans' 15-yard-line.
But once again, the Colts could only convert the fumble into three points as the Titans defense did not permit a 1st down and forced Indianapolis to settle for its fifth field goal of the game, a 26-yarder by Vanderjagt which increased the Colts' lead to 22-10.
The Titans would respond with a 10-play, 54-yard drive which ended with a 40-yard field goal by Anderson to cut the Colts' lead to 22-13 with 2:44 left in the third quarter.
The Colts got the ball back at their 32-yard-line and after Manning hit Marvin Harrison for 16 yards to start the drive, Harrison would make one of the most brilliant catches of his career as Manning threw a deep pass that seemed that went over Harrison's head, only to have Marvin dive and catch it with his right arm for a 42-yard gain and a 1st down at the Titans' 10-yard-line.

From there, Manning handed the ball off to James on two straight plays, with the latter being a five-yard touchdown to increase the Colts' lead to 29-13 with 40 seconds left in the third quarter.
Things looked bleak for the Titans as they needed two touchdowns and two two-point conversions to tie the game with just over a quarter left to play.
But the Titans would not quit as they put together a 12-play, 69-yard drive which saw McNair account for all but six of the yards on the drive as he ran the ball twice for 18 yards and completed seven of nine passes for 45 yards with the last completion being a one-yard touchdown to running back Robert Holcombe to make it 29-19.
The Titans would attempt a two-point conversion to try and make it a one-score game, which they were able to do as McNair ran it in for the two points to make it 29-21 with 9:29 left in regulation.
The Titans defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball at thier 23-yard-line, but were unable to go past the Tennessee 42-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Colts who took over at their 10-yard-line.
The Colts were able to pick up two 1st downs before having to punt the ball back to the Titans only to have Hunter Smith shank the punt which went only 18 yards to give the Titans the ball at the Colts' 48-yard-line with 2:40 left and a chance to tie the game.
On the first play of the drive, McNair would connect with Justin McCariens for 29 yards to Indianapolis 19-yard-line, then after two straight incomplete passes, McNair would hit McCariens again, this time for 18 yards to give Tennessee a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.
Holcombe was dropped for an one-yard loss on 1st down, which was followed by an incomplete pass, setting up 3rd & goal when McNair found Derrick Mason for the two-yard touchdown to make it a two-point game at 29-27.
Now come the all important two-point conversion which the Titans needed to tie the game.
Lined up in the shotgun, McNair fired a pass intended for Mason, only to have defensive end Dwight Freeney tip the pass and making it fall incomplete to keep it 29-27 in favor of the Colts with 1:52 left in the game.
With two timeouts in his pocket, Fisher decided against the onside kick and instead kicked it deep as the Colts would take over at their 19-yard-line.
The Tennessee defense would do its job by forcing a three-and-out as the Titans were set to get the ball back as the Colts would punt it away with 50 seconds left.

Steve McNair accounted for 255 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.

This time, Smith didn't shank it as his punt went 52 yards before it was caught by McCariens, who caught it at his own 29-yard-line and ran it back to the Titans' 40-yard-line, only to have the Colts' Clifton Crosby poke the ball loose which was recovered by teammate Anthony Floyd, the third special teams fumble recovery by the Colts of the game.
Manning would come on and take a knee to run out the clock as Indianapolis won the game 29-27, but more importantly were now in 1st place by themselves with a 10-3 record while the Titans fell to 9-4.
The Colts' season sweep of the Titans would ultimately decide the AFC South as both teams finished with 12-4 records with the division going to the Colts because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Titans would have to go on the road to play the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round where Anderson made the game-winning field goal from 46 yards out with 29 seconds left to give Tennessee a 20-17 win.
As for the Colts, they would make it all the way to the AFC Championship Game as Manning completed 44 of 56 passes for 681 yards and eight touchdowns in Indianapolis' two playoff wins over the Denver Broncos(49-24 in the Wild Card Round) and the Kansas City Chiefs(38-31 in the Divisional Round).
But both teams' seasons would end at the hands of the New England Patriots, who eliminated the Titans 17-14 in the Divisional Round, then picked off Manning four times in a 24-14 win in the AFC Championship Game as the Patriots would go on to win their second Super Bowl title.
And for the MVP race, it would end up in a tie as Manning and McNair were named co-MVPs for the 2003 season.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Bear Bryant Gets Record 315th Win in Iron Bowl

Alabama head coach Bear Bryant got his 315th career win in the 1981 Iron Bowl.

Whenever the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers play in the annual "Iron Bowl", it is most often than not one of the most anticipated games of the college football season.
But in 1981, there was an historic significance to the game as Alabama head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant had a chance to break to Amos Alonzo Stagg's record over most wins as a head coach at the FBS level if his 8-1-1 Crimson Tide could knock off the 5-5 Tigers.
Bryant's head coaching career began in 1945 at the University of Maryland where he complied a 6-2-1 record in his first and only season as the Terrapins head coach before moving on to the Bluegrass state where he became the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.
In his eight years at Lexington, Bryant went 60-23-6 and lead the Wildcats to the SEC Championship in 1950, which earned them an invitation to the Sugar Bowl where they knocked off the #1 Oklahoma Sooners 13-7.
Following his stint with the Wildcats, Bryant went down to Texas to become the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies where he went 25-14-2 over four seasons before coming home to his alma mater at Alabama where he lead the Tide to six national championships before his date with destiny on November 29, 1981 at Legion Field in Birmingham.
Standing in his way were the Auburn Tigers, who had not defeated the Tide since the famous "Punt, Bama, Punt" game in 1972 as they were led by first-year head coach Pat Dye, who was hoping to put an end to the Tigers' eight-game losing streak in the series.
The Tide got the ball to start the game but were forced to punt back to Auburn who would take over at the Alabama 13-yard-line following Chuck Clanton's 55-yard punt return.
Three plays picked up only five yards forcing the Tigers to call on Al Del Greco to kick a 25-yard field goal, only to have the kick sail wide right and no good to keep the game scoreless.
After the ball was moved up to the Alabama 20-yard-line because Del Greco missed a field goal from inside the 20-yard-line, Tide quarterback Alan Gray would keep the ball and run 63 yards to the Auburn 17-yard-line.
Six plays later, Gray punched it in for an one-yard touchdown to give Alabama a 7-0 lead with 8:02 left in the first quarter.
Following an exchange of punts, the Tigers drove from their 30-yard-line to the Alabama eight-yard-line thanks in large part to a pair of receptions by tight end Ed West which totaled 43 yards.
But on 1st & goal from the eight-yard-line, Auburn quarterback Ken Hobby threw an interception as he was picked off in the end zone by Alabama defensive back Tommy Wilcox to give the Tide the ball back at their 20-yard-line with 22 seconds left in the opening period.
As the game went into the second quarter, the Tigers would force another punt to get the ball back at their 49-yard-line and drive to the Crimson Tide 26-yard-line before calling on Del Greco to attempt a 43-yard field goal.
But once again, Del Greco's kick sailed wide right and no good keeping it 7-0 in favor of the Tide.
From there the game would turn into an exchange of punts until Auburn running back George Peoples run off tackle and outrun the Alabama defense for a 63-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7 with 3:47 left in the first half.

Auburn running back George Peoples carried the ball 26 times for 155 yards and scored a touchdown.

It didn't take long for the Tigers to get the ball back as Gray fumbled the football on the Tide's next play from scrimmage, leading to a recovery by Auburn defensive end  Zac Hardy at the Alabama 10-yard-line.
Three straight runs picked up five yards, setting up another field goal opportunity for Del Greco as he would attempt a 22-yard field goal.
But for the third time in the first half, the Tigers failed to pick up points off a field goal as holder Joe Sullivan bobbled the snap leading to mad scramble which ended with Sullivan intentionally grounded the ball to give Alabama possession at their 25-yard-line.
As the Tide offense came back onto the field, they would have a new signal caller as sophomore Walter Lewis came in to replace Gray at quarterback.
Lewis got the Alabama offense going until he was picked off by Auburn free safety Mark Dorminey to give the Tigers the ball back at their own 23-yard-line.
Three straight incomplete passes by the Tigers brought the first half to an end with the game tied at 7 and Auburn getting the ball to start the second half.
However, the Tigers would be forced to punt it away to Alabama who took over at their 45-yard-line when Bryant sent in his third quarterback of the game in junior Ken Coley.
Coley would help lead the Tide on a nine-play, 55-yard drive which was capped off with a touchdown as Coley threw a shovel pass to wide receiver Jesse Bendross, who took it 26 yards to the house to give Alabama a 14-7 lead with 9:58 left in the third quarter.
The Tide were poised to get the ball back as their defense forced the Tigers to punt the ball, only to have returner Joey Jones fumble the ball at his own 40-yard-line, leading to the ball being bounced back to the Alabama two-yard-line until it was recovered by Clanton to give Auburn a 1st & goal.
The Tigers would punch it in on 2nd & goal as Lionel James raced around the left side for the two-yard touchdown to tie the game 14-14 midway through the third quarter.
After an Alabama punt on its ensuing possession, the two teams would trade turnovers as Hobby would throw his second interception of the game as Alabama defensive back Benny Perrin came up with the pick at the Crimson Tide 35-yard-line, only to have the Tide turn it over themselves as running back Mickey Guinyard fumbled the football which was recovered by Auburn cornerback Tim Drinkard at the Tigers' 33-yard-line.
The Tide defense forced an Auburn punt, only to fumble the ball for the third time in the third quarter as Jones bobbled another punt which was recovered Mike Hicks at the Alabama 33-yard-line.
Auburn would drive to the Alabama two-yard-line before calling on Del Greco again to attempt another chip shot field goal.
This time, Del Greco was successful as his 19-yard field goal gave the Tigers their first lead of the game at 17-14 with 13:02 left in the game.
The Tide would take over at their 25-yard-line and would drive 75 yards in seven plays culminating with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to Bendross to give Alabama a 21-17 lead with 10:19 remaining.

Alabama wide receiver Jesse Bendross only caught three passes for 76 yards, but two of them were for touchdowns.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Tide would get the ball at the Auburn 49-yard-line when Linnie Patrick made his presence felt on the ensuing Alabama possession.
On the first play of the drive, Patrick would get outside and ran for 32 yards to the Auburn 17-yard-line.
Then after Ken Fagan ran for two yards, Patrick would break through tackles for a 15-yard touchdown to increase the Crimson Tide's lead to 28-17 with 7:07 to go in the game.
Following an exchange of punts, the Tigers would put together one last drive to pull off a miracle as they drove to the Alabama 26-yard-line until Hobby was picked off for the third time in the game as Perrin made his second interception of the game as he returned the pick 37 yards to the Crimson Tide 44-yard-line, allowing for Alabama to run out the clock and secure Bryant's 315th career victory as the Tide won the 1981 Iron Bowl 28-17.
While the loss gave Auburn a second straight 5-6 season, brighter days would be ahead for the Tigers starting with the arrival of running back Bo Jackson, who went over the top for the game-winning touchdown in the '82 Iron Bowl to end the Tigers' nine-game losing streak in the series.
In fact, during Dye's time at Auburn the Tigers would comply a 6-6 record in the rivalry including a four-game winning streak from 1986-89 as Dye would lead Auburn to four SEC championships and 99 wins in his 12 seasons at the Plains.
As for Bryant, he would lead the Crimson Tide to the Cotton Bowl where they fell to Texas 14-12 to finish the season with a 9-2-1 record.
Bryant would add eight more wins to his record as he retired following the Crimson Tide's 21-15 win over Illinois in the 1982 Liberty Bowl, then dying just one month later at the age of 69.
Bryant would remain the all-time winningest coach in FBS history until 2001 when Joe Paterno won his 324th game when his Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 29-27 victory.
Currently, Bryant ranks third at the FBS level and eighth when you combine all the divisions of college football with his 324-85-17 record.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: "Majik Man" Leads Packers to Upset Win over 49ers

Packers quarterback Don Majkowski ran for two touchdowns and threw another in the Packers' upset win over the 49ers.

Don Majkowski is unfortunately famous for being the quarterback that Brett Favre replaced in 1992 to begin Favre's incredible streak of starting 321 games after the "Majik Man" sprained his ankle in the third game of the 1992 season.
But if you talk to Packers fans, they will tell you about an magical season that Majkowski lead Green Bay on in 1989.
Majkowski arrived in Green Bay in 1987 after a four-year career at the University of Virginia where Majkowski helped the Cavaliers to their first ever bowl game in 1984 where the "Hoos" beat the Purdue Boilermakers 27-24 in the Peach Bowl.
Majkowski was selected in the 10th round of the '87 draft and spent the next two years splitting time with Randy Wright as the Packers' starting quarterback as Green Bay went a combined 9-21-1 over that two-year span.
In fact, the last two decades were considered the dark ages for the Packers has they made the playoffs only twice and four winning seasons since they won the first two Super Bowls.
Majkowski would win the starting job as the 1989 season and with his ability to create plays with his arm and legs, Majkowski earned the nickname the "Majik Man" as he lead Green Bay to a 5-5 record, with four of those wins coming by a field goal or less, including a memorable 14-13 win over the Chicago Bears that became known as the "Instant Replay Game" as Majkowski hit Sterling Sharpe for a game-winning 14-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left after instant replay overturned the referees' call of Majkowski stepping beyond the line of scrimmage to throw the pass.
This win and the others like it dubbed the '89 Packers as the "Cardiac Pack" as they traveled to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in Week 11.
Not only were the 49ers the defending Super Bowl champions, but they had the best record in the league at 9-1, with their only loss being a 13-12 loss to their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams.
Even though they had a first-year head coach in George Seifert, the 49ers still had Joe Montana at quarterback, Roger Craig at running back, Jerry Rice and John Taylor at wide receiver, and an underrated defense that was lead by safety Ronnie Lott.
With the 49ers riding a six-game winning streak and Majkowski limited because of an hyper-extended knee, the Packers were not given much of a chance as they were listed as 11-point underdogs to beat the 49ers in San Francisco.
But to quote legendary ESPN anchor Chris Berman, that is why they play the games.
 The Packers got the ball to start the game and used their running game to drive down the field as running back Brent Fullwood carried the ball six times for 42 yards on a 10-play, 69-yard drive that took up nearly seven minutes which was capped off with an one-yard touchdown run by Majkowski off a quarterback bootleg to give Green Bay a 7-0 lead.

Getting the ball at their 20-yard-line, the 49ers would drive down the field on the right arm of Montana as he completed all six of his passes for 77 yards with the last completion being a four-yard touchdown to Craig which tied the game at 7 with 4:11 left in the first quarter.

49ers quarterback Joe Montana would complete 30 of 42 passes for 325 yards and throw two touchdowns.

The Packers would hold the ball for nearly seven minutes on their ensuing possession which dragged into the second quarter, only to have the drive stall at the San Francisco 43-yard-line, forcing Green Bay to punt the ball back to the 49ers who took over at that 19-yard-line.
However, the Packers would get the ball when on 2nd & 11, Green Bay defensive back Chuck Cecil intercepted a Montana pass intended for Taylor and returned it 16 yards to the San Francisco nine-yard-line.
After two runs by Michael Haddix picked up five yards, Majkowski went back to pass on 3rd & goal and fired a pass that was tipped by 49ers cornerback Don Griffin, only to fall into the hands of Sharpe for a four-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a 14-7 lead with 9:54 to go in the second quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, the 49ers' Terry Greer returned the kick 17 yards to the San Francisco 25-yard-line until he was hit by Packers linebacker Mike Weddington, knocking the ball loose which was recovered by Green Bay's Carl Bland to give the Packers the ball at the 49ers' 25-yard-line.
However, the 49ers would dodge a bullet as they not allowed a 1st down, but force a 38-yard field goal attempt by Chris Jacke which hooked wide right to keep it a 14-7 game.
Following an exchange of punts, the 49ers were pinned back as they had the ball at their two-yard-line.
The 49ers would get out of their territory as Montana hit tight end Brent Jones for six yards on the first play from scrimmage, which was followed by a 13-yard run by Craig to give San Francisco a 1st down at their 21-yard-line.
San Francisco would run five more plays, picking up 19 yards when the two-minute hit as the 49ers faced a 3rd & 3 at their 40-yard-line.
That is the 49ers put the ball back in Montana's hands as he hit Mike Wilson for 13 yards to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Packers' 47-yard-line.
After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Montana would complete his next four passes, with Taylor catching three of them, for 43 yards until he spiked the ball to stop the clock with 16 seconds left at the Packers' nine-yard-line.
Following the spike, Montana would find Rice in the back of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown, completing a 15-play, 98-yard drive where Montana completed 10 of 12 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown to tie the game at 14 with nine seconds left before halftime.
The Packers would take a knee to run out the clock in the first half as they headed to the locker room tied at 14, but having to go defense to start the second half as the 49ers would be receiving the second half kickoff.
However on the third play of the second half, Montana was sacked by Packers strong safety Mark Murphy, causing a fumble that was recovered by nose tackle Bob Nelson to give Green Bay the ball at the San Francisco 44-yard-line.
The Packers would pick up one 1st down when Majkowski connected with Sharpe for 12 yards to start the drive, but would be forced to punt the ball back to the 49ers after Majkowski was sacked on 3rd & 10 by Charles Haley for an nine-yard loss, pushing Green Bay back to the San Francisco 41-yard-line.

Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe would catch six passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.

The 49ers would get the ball at their 20-yard-line but would quickly be in Packers territory after Montana connected with Craig for a 44-yard catch-and-run to put the 49ers at the Green Bay 36-yard-line, only to have Taylor fumble the ball at the end of a five-yard catch that was recovered by Packers linebacker Tim Harris.
The Packers would go three-and-out punting the ball back to the 49ers who took over at their 28-yard-line and drive to the Green Bay 36-yard-line until a sack by defensive end Blaise Winter temporarily knocked Montana out of the game and forced Seifert to put backup Steve Young for a critical 3rd & 8.
But Young would be dropped for a seven-yard loss after he was sacked by Harris, forcing the 49ers to punt the ball back to the Packers who took over at their six-yard-line.
Following an one-yard run by Fullwood on 1st down, Majkowski would complete three passes in a row, gaining 36 yards, which was followed by two incomplete passes and then a 12-yard completion to Bland to give the Packers a 1st down at the 49ers' 45-yard-line.
The Packers would go back to the running game as Majkowski handed the ball off to Fullwood two straight times, with the second carry resulting in disaster as Fullwood fumbled the football after he was hit by 49ers linebacker Mike Walter, which was recovered by Matt Millen to give San Francisco the ball at their 43-yard-line.
From there, the 49ers would drive 30 yards in seven plays to set up a 45-yard field goal attempt by Mike Cofer, only to have the kick go wide right, keeping the game tied at 14 as the third quarter came to a close.
Majkowski and the Packers would drive to the 49ers' 13-yard-line when the biggest play of the game occurred.
On 2nd & 8, Majkowski threw a pass that was intercepted by 49ers strong safety Chet Brooks, who returned the interception all the way for a 94-yard touchdown, only to have it called back because defensive end Danny Stubbs lined up in the neutral zone, drawing an offsides penalty allowing for Green Bay to keep the football as they moved five yards closer to the end zone.
After Haddix was stopped for no gain on 2nd down, Majkowksi lined up in the shotgun for 3rd & 3, only to run a quarterback draw up the middle for an eight-yard touchdown to give the Packers a 21-14 lead with 11:55 left in the fourth quarter.
The 49ers would get the ball at their 33-yard-line as Montana lead the 49ers down to the Packers' 27-yard-line before Seifert called on Cofer to attempt a 44-yard field goal, which he made to cut the Green Bay lead to 21-17 with 7:43 left in the game.
The Packers could not pick a 1st down on their ensuing possession, forcing them to punt the ball back to the 49ers who took over in Packers territory at the Green Bay 41-yard-line after a 30-yard punt by Don Bracken and an eight-yard return by Taylor.
With 5:49 left on the clock and needing just 41 yards to pick up for the go-ahead touchdown and with one of the greatest clutch quarterbacks in NFL history at the helm, it seemed inevitable that the 49ers were going to score and take the lead.
Things got off to a good start as Montana hit Rice for eight yards to start the drive, which was followed by a five-yard run by Tom Rathman to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Green Bay 28-yard-line.
But a false start penalty on guard Terry Tausch and a sack by defensive end Robert Brown pushed the 49ers back 14 yards for 2nd & 24 from the Packers' 42-yard-line.
Montana would get the 14 yards back when he hit Rice on 2nd down, only to lose five of those yards when tackle Harris Barton drew a false start penalty leading to 3rd & 15 where Montana connected with Rice again but only for one yard setting up 4th & 14 at the Green Bay 32-yard-line.
That is when Montana dropped back and fired a deep pass for Rice, only to have Murphy knock it down at the Green Bay 10-yard-line for an incompletion that forced a turnover on downs and gave the Packers the ball at their 32-yard-line with 2:02 left in the game.
With the two-minute warning and one timeout in the 49ers' pocket, the Packers would need one 1st down to clinch the game.
Keith Woodside would run for just one yard on 1st down, which was followed by an eight-yard run by Majkowski, setting up a 3rd & 1 with 1:51 left as San Francisco burned its last timeout.
Majkowski handed the ball off to Fullwood, who ran for 15 yards to the 49ers' 44-yard-line to pick up the 1st down and allow for Majkowski to take a few knees to run out the clock as the Packers came away with the 21-17 victory.

Packers running back Brent Fullwood carried the ball 16 times for 76 yards, including a 15-yard run that iced the game.

The loss to the Packers would be the last time the 49ers would lose in the 1989 season as they would win their final five games of the regular season, including a 30-27 thriller over the Rams(Click on the link to read about that game: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-montana.html) to finish the regular season with a 14-2 record and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The 49ers would then their dismantle their three playoff opponents, the Minnesota Vikings(41-13), the Rams(30-3), and the Denver Broncos(55-10)on their way to their second straight Super Bowl title and fourth in nine years.
As for the Packers, they would finish with a 10-6 record, their best season since 1972, but would miss out on the playoffs as they finished in a tie for the NFC Central Division title with the Vikings, who had a better conference record than the Packers to give Minnesota the division title while Green Bay finished one game back of the Rams and the Eagles for a Wild Card spot.
Majkowski would finish the season with 4,318 yards to lead the league in passing as he was selected to his first and only Pro Bowl.
The 1989 season would be the high point of Majkowski's career as a torn rotator cuff ended his 1990 season which was followed up with a benching during the 1991 season.
Majkowski won the starting quarterback job prior to the start of the 1992 season but then has previously stated was injured during the Packers' third game of the season and never regained the starting quarterback job.
Majkowski would bounce around the NFL for four more years as he served as a backup quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts from 1993-94 and the Detroit Lions from 1995-96 before retiring after the 1996 season.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: 4th String QB Leads UCLA to Win Over USC

UCLA quarterback John Barnes tries to scramble away from USC linebacker Willie McGinest during the 1992 USC-UCLA game.

In 1991, John Barnes was in the stands of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as he watched the UCLA Bruins knock off their arch rivals the USC Trojans 24-21, ending a four-game winless streak for the Bruins in their rivalry with the Trojans.
Little did he know that one year later he would be the Bruins' starting quarterback and help produce one of the greatest moments in the history of the UCLA-USC rivalry.
When he came out of high school, Barnes was not offered a scholarship to play at any college in the country to play football so he enrolled at Saddleback College, a community college in Mission Viejo, California.
After spending a year there, he transferred to Western Oregon University, a Division II school located in Monmouth, just one hour southwest of Portland, where he was able to walk on to the football team.
But after just three games, the coaching staff told Barnes that they were going to move him to tight end, which made him consider giving up football.
Eventually Barnes would not give up football as he transferred to his university, the University of California in Santa Barbara, or UCSB, where he threw for over 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns as he lead the Gauchos to a 5-3 season in the Division III ranks.
However after the season, UCSB would shut down the football program leaving Barnes once again without a school to play for.
But when he heard that Tommy Maddox was leaving UCLA to enter the 1992 NFL Draft, Barnes decided to take a chance and walk on to the Bruins football team.
Head coach Terry Donahue allowed for Barnes to be on the team but it would take a miracle for Barnes to get on the field as he was behind three quarterbacks as the 1992 season began.
But over the course of the first five games of the season, all three quarterbacks got hurt, and with nobody left, Donahue was forced to start Barnes as the Bruins traveled to Pullman to take on the Washington State Cougars.
Barnes didn't last long as he threw a pick six in the first quarter which lead to him being benched as the Bruins fell to the Cougars 30-17.
One month later, Barnes would get a second chance as he came off the bench and helped threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to J.J. Stokes and lead the Bruins on a 10-play, 58-yard drive to set up Louis Perez's game-winning field goal as time expired to give UCLA a 9-6 victory over the Oregon Ducks.
Based off this performance, Barnes would be named the starter for the Bruins' last game of the regular season as they 5-5 UCLA prepared to play their most hated rival, USC who entered the game ranked #15 with a 6-2-1 record and a likely bowl appearance.

UCLA running back Kevin Williams(20) carried the ball 23 times for 99 yards and scored two touchdowns.

The Trojans scored first when a 12-play, 47-yard drive lead to a 36-yard field goal by Cole Ford to give USC a 3-0 lead.
The Bruins would respond with a 13-play, 80-yard drive which culminated with an 18-yard touchdown run by Kevin Williams to give UCLA a 7-3 lead, which wouldn't have been possible if not for Williams recovering a fumble following a 14-yard catch by Stokes on 3rd & 12 from the UCLA 45-yard-line.
After the Williams touchdown, the Bruins used a pooch kick on the kickoff to make sure Curtis Conway did not have a chance for a good return.
What happened was a bizarre turn of events as the ball bounced between several USC players and was recovered by UCLA defensive back Donovan Gallatin for an "onside kick" to give the Bruins the ball at the Trojans' 32-yard-line.
However, the USC defense allowed only two yards on three plays, forcing the Bruins to settle for a 47-yard field goal by Perez which extended the UCLA lead to 10-3 with 2:47 left in the 1st quarter.
USC would get the ball back at their 39-yard-line and drive to the UCLA 36-yard-line when the Trojans went their bag of tricks and pulled out a reverse pass play as Conway appeared to be run an end-around, only to stop and fire a pass for quarterback Rob Johnson, who made the catch and then ran into the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown that with Ford's extra point tied the game at 10 with 1:14 to go in the 1st quarter.
The game remained tied until midway through the second quarter when Stokes made his presence felt with a 57-yard touchdown catch from Barnes to give the Bruins the lead once again at 17-10.
The Trojans would strike back with an nine-play, 67-yard drive that was capped off with an one-yard touchdown run by Johnson to tie the game at 17 with 3:22 to go in the first half.
For the rest of the second quarter and the early part of the third quarter, the game was a stalemate as neither team could mount a serious scoring threat.
Then in the middle of the third quarter, the Trojans made an huge play in special teams as Zuri Hector blocked an UCLA punt which was recovered in the end zone by teammate Bruce Luzzi for an USC touchdown to give the Trojans a 24-17 lead with 8:50 left in the third quarter.
Following an UCLA punt, the Trojans got the ball at their 20-yard-line and proceeded to drive 80 yards in 10 plays which ended with a 32-yard touchdown run Estrus Clayton which extended the Trojans' lead to 31-17 with 2:43 left in the third quarter.
The score remained 31-17 in favor of USC as the game went into the 4th quarter.
Up to this point, Barnes had been solid as he had thrown for 181 yards and a touchdown pass plus zero interceptions.
But in the fourth quarter, he would go off, with a little help from Stokes.
First, Barnes directed a seven-play, 69-yard drive which culminated with Barnes hitting a wide-open Stokes for a 29-yard touchdown to cut the Trojans' lead to 31-24 with 12:49 left in the game.
Then after the Bruins forced an USC punt, Barnes got the ball back at his 20-yard-line and immediately went back to Stokes as they connected on a 14-yard pass to begin the drive which was followed up with a 59-yard pass from Barnes to Stokes to give UCLA a 1st & goal at the Trojans' seven-yard-line.
From there, Williams would carry the ball three straight times with the last one being for an one-yard touchdown that with Perez's extra point tied the game at 31 with over seven minutes to go.
The Bruins' defense would force another USC punt on their ensuing possession, only for the Trojans to pin the Bruins at their four-yard-line with under six minutes to play.
Williams carried the ball twice for six yards setting up a 3rd & 4 situation when Stokes signaled to Barnes that he was going to run a streak route to which Barnes obliged.
Barnes hit Stokes in stride at the 25-yard-line, enough for the 1st down, but Stokes didn't stop there as he was able to outrun the rest of the USC defense for a shocking 90-yard touchdown to give UCLA a 38-31 with 4:14 left in the game.

UCLA wide receiver J.J. Stokes(18) caught six passes for 236 yards and scored three touchdowns.

The Trojans got the ball back at their 31-yard-line with enough time to drive for a touchdown and go for a two-point conversion to win the game if they desired since there was no overtime in college football in 1992.
Three plays gained the Trojans only four yards, setting up a do-or-die 4th & 6 with 2:10 remaining.
That is when Johnson and found tight end Yonnie Jackson for six yards and a Trojans 1st down at their 41-yard-line.
Three plays later, the Trojans faced another 4th down situation, this time at thier 48-yard-line and needing three yards to pick up the 1st down.
Lined up in the shotgun, Johnson surprised the Bruins by going deep for Johnnie Morton, who made a 39-yard catch to give USC a 1st down at the UCLA 13-yard-line with a little over a minute left.
After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Johnson scrambled for 12 yards to the one-yard-line, setting up 1st & goal where Johnson snuck it in for his third touchdown of the game and making it 38-37 with 41 seconds left.
Head coach Larry Smith decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win as he called for Johnson to run the same play the Trojans had run on 4th & 6 where Johnson hit the tight end.
But this time the UCLA defense stood tall as linebacker Nkosi Littleton knocked down the pass making it incomplete and keeping it a 38-37 game.
The Trojans would attempt an onside kick but to no avail as the Bruins would recover, allowing for Barnes to take a knee and run out the clock to give UCLA a 38-37 win and a fairy tale ending for Barnes as he finished the game with 385 yards on 16-of-28 passing and three touchdown passes as the Bruins finished the season with a 6-5 record as they would not receive a bowl invitation.
The loss to the Bruins would mark the beginning of the end for Smith as head coach as the Trojans would lose their next two games, 31-23 to Notre Dame, and 24-7 to Fresno State in the Freedom Bowl to finish the season with a 6-5-1 record, leading to Smith's dismissal after six seasons at Southern Cal where he complied a 44-25-3 record.
As for Barnes, he would graduate from UCLA in the spring of 1993 and would travel to Italy where he played one more year of football before returning home where he accepted a job at a software company in the Bay Area and settling down with a wife and two kids.
Where he may have disappeared from the world of football, he still has his name etched in UCLA football lore with his performance against USC in 1992.
(Here are some highlights from that game).

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Lions Complete Comeback Win over Cowboys With Choatic Walk-off FG

Eddie Murray kicks the game-winning field goal as time expired in the Lions' 1981 win over the Cowboys.

Anytime a NFL team defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the late 1970s + early 1980s, it was a big deal for that team as they had defeated what NFL Films had bestowed as "America's Team".
That was the case for the Detroit Lions in week 11 of the 1981 NFL season as they pulled off a wild but controversial victory against the Cowboys.
The Lions entered the Dallas game with a 4-6 record, having gone 4-0 at home at the Pontiac Silverdome while losing all six of their games on the road.
The Lions were coached by Monte Clark, who was in his 4th season as the Lions' head coach and was hoping to lead the Lions to the playoffs for the first time since 1970 after just barely missing the postseason in 1980 with a 9-7 record.
The Lions had found a bonafide superstar in running back Billy Sims, who had been the 1980 NFL offensive rookie of the year with his over 1,900 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns as he rushed for 1,303 yards and caught 52 passes for 621 yards.
Though the first 10 games of the '81 season, Sims had rushed for 887 yards and scored nine touchdowns despite missing two games to injury.
It was during Sims' two-game absence that another star had been born in Detroit in the form of second-year quarterback Eric Hipple, who after starting quarterback Gary Danielson had been lost for the season because of a dislocated wrist, replaced backup quarterback Jeff Komlo and got his first career NFL start on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears in week 7.
All Hipple did was threw for 336 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two more in a 48-17 rout of the Bears to be named the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
With Sims back and Hipple behind center, the Lions desperately needed a win over the Cowboys to maintain any chances of making the playoffs.
Dallas entered the game with a 8-2 record fighting for home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs as it seemed they always did under head coach Tom Landry, who was in his 22nd season as head coach.
However, it was only the second year of the Danny White era, as White had taken over the starting quarterback job from Roger Staubach who had retired after the 1979 season.
But with weapons like running back Tony Dorsett, wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, plus the famous "Doomsday Defense", the Cowboys were still a fixture among the top of the NFC as they had just missed out on another Super Bowl appearance as they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 20-7 in the 1980 NFC Title Game.
So when the Cowboys came out to face the Lions, nearly 80,000 fans pack the Pontiac Silverdome to see if their beloved Lions could beat "America's Team.
The Cowboys would get the first great scoring opportunity of the game when Sims fumbled the ball after a hit by Dallas linebacker Bob Breuing during Detroit's opening drive of the game.
Cowboys defensive back Benny Barnes would recover the fumble at the Lions' 39-yard-line which the Cowboys would convert into points as White found Pearson wide open in the right corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown to give Dallas a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Lions would respond with a drive from their 28-yard-line to the Cowboys' four-yard-line, which included a fake punt on 4th down as punter Tom Skladany threw a 19-yard pass to linebacker Garry Cobb to keep the drive alive.
However, the Lions would not get into the end zone as Sims dropped a pitch from Hipple which was recovered Cowboys defensive end Ed "Too Tall" Jones to kill the Lions' drive and keep it a 7-0 game.
The score remained 7-0 until the second quarter when the Cowboys drove 37 yards in six plays to set up Rafael Septien's 43-yard field goal which increased the Dallas lead to 10-0 with 9:33 left in the second quarter.
The Dallas pass rush was getting to Hipple as he had been sacked twice on the Lions' drive before the Septien field goal, then was sacked two more times on their ensuing possession, to force a Detroit punt, giving the ball back to the Cowboys who took over at their 38-yard-line.
From there, White would hit Pearson for 17 yards to the Lions' 45-yard-line, then hand it off to Dorsett who ran for 13 yards, then completed a 19-yard pass to Tony Hill to give Dallas a 1st & 10 at the Lions' 13-yard-line.
On 2nd & 9, White would find Pearson for a 12-yard touchdown to increase the Cowboys' lead to 17-0 with 4:30 left in the first half.

Cowboys quarterback Danny White(11)would throw for 244 yards and three touchdowns.

It looked like the Cowboys were going to have a chance to increase their lead before halftime as two more negative plays by the Lions' offense on their next possession set up a 3rd & 19 situation from their 10-yard-line.
That is when Hipple threw over the middle and found tight end David Hill for 30 yards and a huge 1st down at the Dallas' 40-yard-line to keep the drive going.
The Lions would continue to drive toward the end zone as Mark Nichols ran for 30 yards on a double reverse, leading to a three-yard touchdown run by Sims to cut the Cowboys' lead to 17-7 with just 15 seconds left before halftime.
That would be the score as the two teams went into the locker room for the halftime break with the Lions feeling a little bit better thanks to their late touchdown and the fact that they were getting the ball to start the second half.
The Lions would drive deep into Cowboys territory until Hipple was hit as he threw by Jones, leading to an interception by Breuing at the Dallas 28-yard-line.
However, the Cowboys would give the ball right back to the Lions as defensive end Al Baker intercepted a White pass intended for Dorsett and returned it nine yards to the Cowboys' 22-yard-line.
Four plays later, the Lions were back in the end zone as Hipple connected with Nichols for a six-yard touchdown to make it a three-point game at 17-14 midway through the third quarter.
The Detroit defense would get another interception on the Cowboys' next possession, with Cobb making the pick this time and returning it 17 yards to the Dallas 41-yard-line.
The Lions would drive only to the Cowboys' 20-yard-line before calling on Murray to kick a 37-yard field goal which he made to tie the game at 17 with 2:48 left in the third quarter.
Following the Murray field goal, the game would turn into a punting contest as neither team could mount a serious scoring threat for the rest of the third quarter and a good portion of the 4th quarter.
It wasn't until about eight minutes to go in the 4th quarter when the Lions had the ball in Cowboys territory with a 3rd down situation as Hipple found Sims wide open for a possible go-ahead touchdown, only to have Sims drop the pass and force a Detroit punt.
The Cowboys took over at their 20-yard-line and were immediately on the move as White found Tony Hill for 21 yards on the first play of the drive.
Later in the drive, White and Hill would connect again, this time for 37 yards on a 3rd & 18, leading to White's 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jay Saldi to give Dallas a 24-17 lead with just 2:37 remaining.

The Lions would get the ball at their 19-yard-line hoping to put together a drive that would result in the game-tying touchdown.
The Lions would not need a drive as it took them only one play to get into the end zone as Hipple lofted a pass for Sims, who made the catch at the Cowboys' 40-yard-line and proceeded to run toward the end zone for a 81-yard touchdown that with Murray's extra point tied the game at 24 with 2:17 left in regulation.

Billy Sims(20) would account for exactly 200 yards of total offense as he ran for 119 yards on 23 carries and caught a 81-yard pass.

The Cowboys would go three-and-out punting the ball back to the Lions who took over at their 18-yard-line with 1:13 to go and a chance to drive into field goal range for Murray to kick a potential game-winning field goal.
Hipple would connect with David Hill for 15 yards, then again for 30 yards to put the Lions at the Dallas' 37-yard-line, needing one more 1st down to give Murray a reasonable shot.
That is when Jones and Harvey Martin sacked Hipple for an 11-yard-loss forcing the Lions to burn their last timeout with 25 seconds left and facing 2nd & 21 from the Cowboys' 48-yard-line.
On 2nd & 21, Hipple would find tight end Ulysses Norris for an 18-yard completion to put the Lions at the Cowboys' 30-yard-line needing three more yards for a 1st down.
It looked like Hipple was lining up the offense so he could throw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock but in massive confusion, Clark decided to send in the field goal unit.
Even Murray was confused as he was still sitting on the bench as Hipple was trying to line up the offense because he thought the Lions still had a timeout left.
Murray was able to run on the field and the Lions were able to set their field goal unit for a 47-yard attempt with Hipple holding the ball for Murray.
The Lions got snapped the ball with four seconds left, enough time for Hipple to catch the snap and hold for it Murray to kick the football.
Murray's kick was on target but it looked like it may fall short, only to just to go over the crossbar as time expired to give the Lions a 27-24 win.
While the Lions were celebrating, the Cowboys were crying foul as they claimed the Lions had too many men on field.
The Cowboys were right as replays showed that the Lions had 12 men on the field, meaning the field goal shouldn't have count and the game would have gone into overtime.
But with no instant replay in the NFL in 1981, the call on the field stood and the Lions had a 27-24 win.

Despite the controversy surrounding the last-second field goal, the result of the game ultimately did not effect the playoff picture as Dallas finished the regular season with a 12-4 record, good enough to win the NFC East Division by two games over the Philadelphia Eagles and good enough to earn the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Cowboys would dismantled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-0 in the Divisional Round before bowing out to the San Francisco 49ers thanks to "The Catch" as they lost 28-27 in the NFC Championship Game.
For the Lions, the win over the Cowboys would be the highlight of the season as they would finish 8-8 and out of the playoffs as they lost a winner-take-all game against the Bucs for the NFC Central title in the final game of the regular season.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Georgia Wins SEC East Title on 4th Down TD Miracle

Georgia wide receiver Michael Johnson makes the game-winning touchdown catch to give the Bulldogs the 2002 SEC East title.

There are many plays that are etched in the minds of Georgia Bulldogs fans: Herschel Walker running over Bill Bates for a touchdown against Tennessee in 1980, Lindsay Scott's 93-yard catch-and-run to beat Florida later that same season, and Vernon Haynes' "Hobnail Boot" touchdown against Tennessee in 2001.
Another one of these legendary Georgia plays occurred in the Bulldogs' 2002 contest with the Auburn Tigers that would go down as the most memorable play in a championship season.
The Dawgs entered the Auburn game ranked #7 in the country with a 9-1 record, needing a win against the #24 ranked Tigers to clinch the SEC Eastern Division title and earn Georgia a trip to the SEC Championship Game for the first time in school history.
But a loss coupled with a Florida win over South Carolina later that night would mean the Gators would be the SEC East Champions as they held the head-to-head tiebreaker over Georgia thanks to 20-13 win over the Dawgs.
While the team still had quarterback David Greene and All-American defensive end David Pollack for the game, the Dawgs were missing two of their leading receivers as Terrence Edwards was out  with a separated left shoulder and Damien Gray who was out with a leg injury.
To make matters worse, sophomore receiver Fred Gibson was playing with a cast on his left thumb, meaning that junior wide receiver Michael Johnson would start along Gibson, despite having caught only 11 passes during the season.
Before the day was over, every Georgia fan would know who Michael Johnson was.
 Auburn got the ball to start the game as they drove from their 20-yard-line to the Georgia 15-yard line thanks to a pair of catches by running back Ronnie Brown that accounted for 33 yards as well as 20 yards on three carries by the redshirt sophomore.
However, the Tigers would turn the ball over when quarterback Jason Campbell overthrew a pass intended for tight end Robert Johnson and was intercepted by Georgia safety Sean Jones, whose 58-yard return gave the Georgia offense the ball at the Auburn 33-yard-line.
But the Dawgs were unable to convert the turnover into points as Billy Bennett missed a 45-yard field goal, giving the Tigers the ball back at their 28-yard-line.
Auburn drove to their 47-yard-line until they faced a 3rd & 1 when Brown busted through the middle to go untouched for a 53-yard touchdown to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 6:29 left in the first quarter.
It looked like that the Tigers were going to have a great chance to increase their lead after they forced the Dawgs to punt on their ensuing possession as Roderick Hood returned the Georgia punt 34 yards to the Dawgs' 38-yard-line, only to have Hood lose the football after a hit by Georgia defensive back Burt Jones which was picked up by Sean Jones, who returned the fumble 11 yards to the Georgia 49-yard-line.
An 19-yard pass from Greene to tight end Benjamin Watson would set up a 43-yard field goal by Bennett which cut the Auburn lead to 7-3 with 2:34 left in the opening quarter.
Auburn got the ball back at their 30-yard-line but on the first play from scrimmage, Sean Jones made another big play as he intercepted Campbell on a pass intended for Cooper Wallace to give the Dawgs the ball at the Georgia 42-yard-line.
But the Auburn defense would force the Dawgs to punt the ball back to Auburn who took over at their 20-yard-line as the first quarter came to an end with the Tigers leading 7-3.

Georgia safety Sean Jones would intercept two passes and recover a fumble in the first quarter alone.

Both teams would trade punts throughout the second quarter until the Tigers got the ball at the Georgia 45-yard-line following a 36-yard punt return by Hood, setting up a seven-play drive which had Campbell ran for 35 yards on two carries and throw a two-yard touchdown pass to fullback Brandon Johnson to extend the Auburn lead to 14-3 with exactly 100 seconds left in the first half.
Georgia could not mount a drive in the waning moments of the first half as they went into the locker room facing their largest 1st half deficit of the season at 14-3 after managing only 63 yards of total offense compared to the Tigers' 223 yards.
If Georgia was going to back in the game, they needed to score more points on their first drive of the second half as they were set to receive the second half kickoff.
The Dawgs got the ball at their 33-yard-line but were in Auburn territory after just two plays as Greene found Michael Johnson for 14 yards to put Georgia at the Auburn 39-yard-line.
Then on 3rd & 7 from the 36-yard-line, the Dawgs converted were able to pick up a 1st down on a 3rd down situation for the first time in the game as Greene ran for 10 yards to the Auburn 26-yard-line.
Two plays after Greene hit Gibson for 18 yards on 3rd & 6 from the 22-yard-line, the redshirt sophomore quarterback snuck it in for a one-yard touchdown to cut the Auburn lead to 14-10 with 10:46 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers would respond with a 10-play, 54-yard drive that culminated with a 21-yard touchdown run by Campbell to push the Auburn lead back to 11 points at 21-10 with 5:45 left in the third quarter.
It seemed like it wasn't going to be the Dawgs' day especially on the first play of their ensuing possession as Greene was sacked for a nine-yard loss by Tigers defensive end Reggie Torbor setting up a 2nd & 19 situation from the Georgia two-yard-line.
That is when Greene handed it off to Smith, who ran for 32 yards to give Georgia not only a 1st down at their 34-yard-line, but some much needed momentum.
The next two plays netted a loss of two yards setting up 3rd & 14 when Michael Johnson began to make his presence felt.
Johnson would give the Dawgs a 1st down as he made a 20-yard catch on 3rd & 14 to put Georgia at the 50-yard-line, which was followed by a 11-yard catch for another 1st down at the Auburn 39-yard-line.
Then on 2nd & 5 from the 34-yard-line, Johnson caught a 31-yard pass to give the Dawgs a 1st & goal at the Auburn three-yard-line.
Two plays later, the Dawgs averted disaster when Greene lost the football on a quarterback draw, only to have offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb recover the fumble in the end zone for a Georgia touchdown which help cut the lead to 21-17 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.

Georgia quarterback David Greene would throw for 232 yards and account for two touchdowns, one through the air and the other on the ground.

Both teams would trade punts as the game went into the 4th quarter with Auburn still ahead 21-17 when the Dawgs fumbled the football when Johnson was hit by Auburn linebacker Mark Brown after an 11-yard reception which was recovered by the Tigers at their 42-yard-line with 9:17 left in the 4th quarter.
The Dawgs would force the Tigers to go three-and-out to get the ball back at their 49-yard-line after Sean Jones returned the ensuing punt 28 yards.
But for the second straight series, the Dawgs would turn the ball over as Greene was intercepted by Tigers free safety Travaris Robinson to give the Tigers the ball back at their 33-yard-line.
But once again, the Georgia defense would force a three-and-out and once again Sean Jones would give the Dawgs good field position as his 23-yard punt return gave Georgia the ball at the Auburn 43-yard-line with 3:16 left in the game.
The drive began with a 12-yard pass from Greene to Johnson but after two incomplete passes and a two-yard run by Smith, the Dawgs were faced with a 4th & 8 from the Auburn 29-yard-line.
That is when Greene threw a screen pass for Johnson, who was tackled for an one-yard-loss to give Auburn the ball back at their 30-yard-line with 2:33 left and a chance to run out the clock if they could pick up a 1st down.
However, the Tigers made a crucial mistake on 1st down as Brown was knocked out of bounds after a three-yard-run, stopping the clock and giving the Dawgs an extra timeout as they had two timeouts left in their pocket.
The Tigers ran the ball two more times but only picked up five yards, allowing the Dawgs to use their final two timeouts as the Tigers were faced with a 4th & 2 at their 38-yard-line with 2:11 to play.
Auburn would punt the ball back to Georgia, who took over at their 41-yard-line after a 16-yard return by Jones, giving their offense one last shot at getting the go-ahead touchdown as they took over with 1:58 left on the clock.
The drive started with a four-yard pass from Greene to Johnson, but on 2nd & 6 Greene fired a deep pass down the left side of the field that was caught by Gibson for 41 yards to give Georgia a 1st down at the Tigers' 14-yard-line.
But three straight incomplete passes and a false start lead to a do-or-die 4th & 15 from the Auburn 19-yard-line with 1:31 left in the game.
That is when Georgia head coach Mark Richt called "70 X Takeoff", a play that called for Gibson and Johnson to run straight toward the end zone and hope one of them could catch a jump ball from Greene.
Lined up in the shotgun, Greene took the snap, pump-faked to his right, and then fired a pass for Johnson in the left corner in the end zone, who outjumped Auburn defensive back Horace Willis to make the catch and then land both feet inbounds to complete the 19-yard touchdown to give the Dawgs their first lead of the game at 24-21 with 1:25 left in the game.
It was Johnson's 13th catch, two more than he had the entire season, for 141 yards.

Now it was up to the Georgia defense to make one more stop to secure the Dawgs' first trip to the SEC Championship Game.
Auburn would take over at their 28-yard-line where it took them one play to get into Georgia territory as Campbell found Robert Johnson for 25 yards and a 1st down at the Dawgs' 47-yard-line.
But a pair of penalties and an incomplete pass lead to a 2nd & 20 when Campbell was sacked by Georgia linebacker Boss Bailey for a seven-yard loss to set up 3rd & 27 from the Tigers' 36-yard-line.
Campbell would run for seven yards on 3rd down to set up 4th & 20 where Campbell connected with Tre Smith for 14 yards, but six yards short of the 1st down, giving the Dawgs the ball at their 43-yard-line with 19 seconds left.
Greene took a knee and the Dawgs not only had a 24-21 win, but their first SEC East title in school history.
The Tigers would recover from the Georgia loss to beat Alabama 17-7 in the Iron Bowl, earning them a trip to the Citrus Bowl where they knocked off the Penn State Nittany Lions 13-9 thanks to a 184-yard and two-touchdown performance by Brown, to give Auburn a 9-4 season and #14 ranking in the final AP Poll.
Two years later, Campbell and Brown, along with a healthy Cadillac Williams would lead Auburn to a 13-0 season.
As for the Dawgs, they would play Arkansas in the SEC Championship Game, which they won easily 30-3 for Georgia's first SEC championship in 20 years.
This earned the Dawgs a trip to the Sugar Bowl, where they knocked off the Florida State Seminoles 26-13 to finish the season with a 13-1 record and #3 ranking in both the AP and coaches poll.

NFL Old School Game of The Week: Panthers Beat Packers on Walk-off Quarterback Draw

Panthers quarterback Steve Beuerlein would throw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, but it would be his legs that would decide the outcome of the 1999 Panthers-Packers game.

Throughout his 16-year NFL career, Steve Beuerlein was a journeyman quarterback as he played for six different teams, primarily as a backup quarterback which included a stint with the Dallas Cowboys where he earned a Super Bowl ring after the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVII.
Beuerlein would get a shot as a starting quarterback in 1993 as he throw for over 3,000 yards as he started 14 out of the 16 games for the Arizona Cardinals.
However, Beuerlein would lose his starting job the following season as head coach Buddy Ryan would call Beuerlein one of the worst starting quarterbacks he had ever seen.
Beuerlein would not get another shot at a starting quarterback job until 1998 when he became the starting quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, replacing incumbent Kerry Collins.
Thanks to a league-high completion percentage of 63% in 1998, Beuerlein kept his starting quarterback job for the 1999 season where he would have the best year of his career which included a memorable walk-off win against the Green Bay Packers in Week 14 of the 1999 NFL season.
The Panthers entered the game with a 5-7 record under first-year head coach George Seifert, but still had an outside chance at a Wild Card spot in the NFC.
If the Panthers were going to have any chance of making the postseason, they were going to need to pull out an upset win over the Packers in Lambeau Field, who entered the game with a 7-5 record under first-year head coach Ray Rhodes, who had taken over for Mike Holmgren after Holmgren left the Packers following the 1998 season after leading Green Bay to six straight playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title.
Though Green Bay had a new head coach, they still had three-time MVP Brett Favre at quarterback, who had led the Packers to several comeback wins early in the season and were riding high entering their game with the Panthers as they had won their previous three games and seemed to destined for a seventh straight playoff appearance.
To add even more confidence to the Packers' chances at beating the Panthers, Green Bay had never lost a game at Lambeau Field since Favre became the starting quarterback in 1992.
With that record, the Panthers were facing a tough task to pull off the upset.
The Packers got the ball to start the game and drove from their 26-yard-line to the Panthers' 46-yard-line when fullback William Henderson fumbled the football after catching a screen pass from Favre, which was recovered by Carolina cornerback Eric Davis to give the Panthers the ball at their 47-yard-line.
Beuerlein would complete four of his first seven passes for 57 yards to lead the Panthers to the Green Bay 11-yard-line when it appeared disaster struck as Beuerlein was picked off in the end zone by Packers free safety Darren Sharper, who returned it 101 yards for an apparent touchdown.
However, an illegal contact penalty on Packers linebacker June Waddy nullified the touchdown and gave the Panthers a fresh set of downs at the Green Bay six-yard-line.
The Panthers would settle for a 20-yard field goal by John Kasay to give them a 3-0 lead, but considering they had a 101-yard pick-six call back, Carolina has happy with the field goal.
The Panthers would force the Packers to go three-and-out on their ensuing possession to get the ball back at their 21-yard-line.
After two plays gained two yards, the Panthers were faced with a 3rd & 8 when Beuerlein was sacked by Packers defensive tackle Santana Dotson, which caused a fumble that was picked up by defensive end Keith McKenzie who returned 18 yards for a touchdown to give Green Bay a 7-3 lead with 1:38 left in the first quarter.
The Panthers would get the ball back at their 15-yard-line and drive to the Packers' 35-yard-line until the second play of the second quarter when Beuerlein fumbled the football again with Packers defensive end Cletidus Hunt recovering the fumble at the Green Bay 39-yard-line.
This time the fumble would not lead to points as the Packers would be forced to punt the ball back to the Panthers, who would drive 80 yards in 10 plays, culminating with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Beuerlein to Patrick Jeffers to give Carolina a 10-7 lead with 5:27 left in the second quarter.
The Packers would respond with an eight-play, 72-yard drive that was capped off with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Favre to Antonio Freeman to give the Packers a 14-10 with 1:48 left in the first half.

Packers quarterback Brett Favre would throw for 302 yards and two touchdowns on 26-of-38 passing.

Both teams would get one more drive before the end of the half but neither team could mount a scoring threat as the first half came to an end with the Packers up 14-10 with the Panthers receiving the kickoff to start the second half.
It wouldn't take long for the Panthers to score as Michael Bates returned the second half kickoff 60 yards to the Packers' 38-yard-line where on the very next play, Beuerlein hit Jeffers for a 38-yard touchdown to give Carolina a 17-14 lead just 21 seconds into the second half.
The Packers would respond with a 11-play, 81-yard drive which saw Favre ran for two first downs a pair of 3rd & 1 situations and complete five of six passes for 62 yards on the drive including an eight-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver(the first of his career)as Green Bay retook the lead at 21-17 midway through the third quarter.
However, the Packers' lead was short-lived as Bates gave the Panthers a short field again following a 15-yard return to the Carolina 46-yard-line setting up a five-play, 54-yard drive that was capped off with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Beuerlein to Brian Kinchen to give Carolina a 24-21 lead with 4:27 left in the third quarter.
The Packers would get the ball back at their 22-yard-line and would drive to the Panthers' 22-yard-line as Favre complete four straight passes for 49 yards, then ran for 11 yards on the final play of the third quarter.
As the fourth quarter began, Favre hit Henderson for seven yards which was followed by a four-yard run by Basil Mitchell to give the Packers a 1st down at the Panthers' 11-yard-line.
That is when the Packers started to go backwards as a holding penalty on left guard Raleigh McKenzie cost Green Bay 10 yards which was followed by a quarterback sack by Panthers linebacker Kevin Greene for a loss of 17 yards to set up 2nd & 37 from the Green Bay 38-yard-line.
The Packers would get 16 yards back to set up a 40-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell which tied the game at 24 with 11:05 left in regulation.
Carolina got the ball back at its 32-yard-line but quickly drove to the Packers' 18-yard-line in just four plays as Beuerlein hit Jeffers for 20 yards to start the drive, then connected with Walls for 26 more yards on a 3rd & 6 from the Green Bay 44-yard-line.
However, the Green Bay defense would stiffen and not allow another yard on the next three plays, forcing the Panthers to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Kasay to tie give the Panthers a 27-24 lead with 7:48 to go in the fourth quarter.

Panthers wide receiver Patrick Jeffers would catch eight passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

De' Mond Parker would return the ensuing kickoff 40 yards to give the Packers the ball at their 48-yard-line as Favre hit Mitchell for six yards to begin the drive which was followed by a three-yard run to set up a 3rd & 1 at the Carolina 43-yard-line when Favre snuck for the 1st down, the third time he had run for a 1st down on a 3rd & 1 situation.
Favre went back to the air on the next play from scrimmage as he hit Bill Schroeder for 22 yards, then after an incomplete pass, connected with Driver for 11 yards to set up 1st & goal from the nine-yard-line.
After Mitchell ran for four yards on 1st down, Favre threw a pass intended for Freeman in the end zone which fell incomplete, but drew a pass interference penalty on Panthers cornerback to give the Packers a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.
That is when Favre handed the ball off to Henderson who punched it in for the one-yard touchdown for the eighth lead change of the game as the Packers took a 31-27 lead with exactly four minutes left in the game.
Following a 22-yard return by Fred Lane on the ensuing kickoff, the Panthers took over at their 37-yard-line as Beuerlein completed three straight passes for 11 yards to give Carolina a 1st down at their 48-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.
Following the two-minute warning, Beuerlein found Walls for eight yards, then connected with Mushin Muhammad for four yards, which became a nine-yard play as Packers defensvie back Antuan Edwards was called for an incidental face mask penalty putting the Panthers at the Packers' 35-yard-line.
After two straight incomplete passes, Beuerlein would hit Jeffers for nine yards setting up a do-or-die 4th & 1 at the Green Bay 26-yard-line.
That is when Beuerlein found Walls for 18 yards to give Carolina 1st & goal at the Packers' eight-yard-line with 65 seconds left on the clock.
On 1st down, Beuerlein scrambled around the pocket until he fired a pass for Walls in the left corner in the end zone for the apparent go-ahead touchdown.
But the touchdown was called back as Beuerlein had stepped over the line of scrimmage making the pass illegal and nullifying the touchdown.
It also meant the Panthers lost five yards and lost a down as it was now 2nd & goal from the 13-yard-line.
Beuerlein tried to found Walls again on 2nd down but to no avail, then hit Walls for eight yards to set up 4th & goal at the five-yard-line with about 45 seconds to go.
Knowing that this would be his team's last play, Seifert ran down the clock to five seconds before calling timeout with five seconds left.
Many Packer fans felt that Rhodes should have spent one of his team's timeouts to prevent Seifert from running the clock down and giving Favre some time in the clock in case of a Carolina touchdown.
Nevertheless, there were now five seconds left and the game had come to down to one play from the Packers' five-yard-line.
Beuerlein lined up behind center, took the snap and dropped back as if he was preparing to throw.
But then Beuerlein began to ran up the middle and toward the end zone where he was hit by Packers strong safety LeRoy Butler at the one-yard-line, but not before Beuerlein fell over the goal line for the game-winning touchdown as time expired to give the Panthers a 33-31 win before a stunned crowd at Lambeau Field.

The loss to the Panthers would come back to haunt the Packers as they would lose thier next two games before winning their regular season finale against the Arizona Cardinals to finish the season with a 8-8 record but lost on a playoff spot as they finished in a four-way tie for the final two playoff spots with the Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, and Detroit Lions(The Cowboys and the Lions would get the playoff spots).
This lead to the Packers firing Rhodes after just one season and hiring Mike Sherman who would lead the Packers to four straight playoff appearances from 2001-04.
As for Beuerlein, he would finished the year with a league high 4,436 yards and 36 touchdown passes, which were second most in the league, to earn his first and only selection to the Pro Bowl.
He would remain with the Panthers for the 2000 season where he finished with 3,730 yards and 19 touchdown passes as Carolina finished with a 7-9 record.
He was released in the offseason but would go on to sign with the Denver Broncos where he backed up Brian Griese and Jake Plummer for the next three seasons before his retirement following the 2003 season.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: LSU Knocks off Undefeated Alabama in Overtime

Dwayne Bowe makes the game-winning touchdown catch in overtime of LSU's win over Alabama in 2005.

The rivalry between the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide definitely took up a notch in intensity when Nick Saban, who had led the LSU Tigers to a share of the 2003 national title, was hired as the head coach of the Crimson Tide in 2007 after leaving Baton Rouge for a brief stint in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.
Since Saban's arrival in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide and the Tigers have taken part in several big-time showdowns include two meetings as the top two ranked teams during the 2011 season.
But two years before Saban come back to college football, the Tigers and the Crimson Tide met in top-5 showdown late in the 2005 season that ended determining the outcome of the SEC Western Division race that season.
LSU entered the game ranked #5 with a 7-1 record, which was remarkable considering some of the circumstances the Tigers had dealt with during the season.
Not only were they under a first-year head coach in Les Miles, who had come over from Oklahoma State, but had to deal with the effects of Hurricane Katrina which had left much of the Louisiana coast in ruins when it hit in August.
The Tigers were able to overcome those distractions as they entered the Alabama game on a six-game winning streak thanks to an offense that was led by quarterback Jamarcus Russell, running back Justin Vincent, and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.
If the Tigers could knock off the Tide, they would need to win their final two games to earn a third trip to the SEC Championship Game in five years.
While the Tigers were once again competing for the SEC West title, the Crimson Tide were having an unlikely dream season under third-year head coach Mike Shula as Alabama entered the LSU game undefeated with a 9-0 record.
The Crimson Tide had gotten to this point thanks to a stingy defense and a cupid of late-game wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee as Jamie Christensen had hit game-winning field goals in the final seconds of both games.
If the Tide could knock off LSU, they would clinch the SEC West to earn their first trip to the SEC Championship Game since 1999 and keep their chances of a national championship alive with a 10-0 record.
 After both teams punted on their opening possessions of the game, the Tide had the ball at their 44-yard-line when quarterback Brodie Croyle hit Keith Brown for a 26-yard completion to give Bama a 1st down at the LSU 30-yard-line.
However, the Tigers defense would allow only one more yard on the next three plays, forcing the Tide to settle for a 46-yard field goal attempt by Christensen which sailed wide right and no good, keeping the game scoreless.
Following a LSU three-and-out, the Tide got the ball back at their 22-yard-line when they went to their vaunted running game as Kenneth Darby carried the ball four times for 44 yards on a 10-play, 67-yard drive which culminated with a 28-yard field goal by Christensen to give Bama a 3-0 lead with 5:15 left in the first quarter.
The Tide would get the ball again at their 16-yard-line with just 24 seconds left in the first quarter when the Bama offense put together a 11-play, 84-yard drive that was capped off with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Croyle to D.J. Hall to increase the Crimson Tide's lead to 10-0 with 10:59 left in the second quarter.

Alabama running back Kenneth Darby would be the game's leading rusher with 104 yards on 21 carries.

After another exchange of punts, the Tigers had the ball at their 36-yard-line when Russell connected with Craig Davis for 23 yards on the first play of the drive, then connected with Davis again for nine yards on a 3rd & 7 to put LSU at the Alabama 29-yard-line, the furthest the LSU offense had driven in the game to this point. But on the very next play, Xavier Carter was dropped for a 13-yard loss on a reverse, pushing LSU back to the Bama 42-yard-line.

The Tigers would get the yards back but were forced to settle for a 43-yard field goal attempt by Chris Jackson which he missed wide left giving the Tide the ball at their 27-yard-line with 3:52 left before halftime and a chance to increase their lead.

The Tide offense would drive to the LSU 38-yard-line until Croyle fumbled the football on a quarterback draw, which he recovered but not before losing 12 yards to force a 4th & 22 at the 50-yard-line with two seconds left in the half.

Croyle dropped back to attempt a "Hail Mary" pass but was sacked by LSU's Tyson Jackson for another 12-yard-loss as the first half came to a close with the Tide ahead 10-0.
The Tigers got the ball to start the second half at their 20-yard-line as Russell hit Davis for 17 yards to begin the drive, then connected with Vincent on a 26-yard screen pass to put LSU at the 37-yard-line.
Following a pass interference penalty on Crimson Tide cornerback Anthony Madison gave them a 1st down at the Bama 22-yard-line, the Tigers went to the ground game as Vincent carried the ball four straight times, gaining 20 yards.
The Tigers had a 2nd & goal at the two-yard-line but could only pick up one more yard on the next two plays forcing a 4th & goal at the one-yard-line.
Even though a field goal would make it a one-score game, Miles decided to go for the touchdown which he got as Vincent punched it in for the one-yard touchdown to cut the Tigers' deficit to 10-7 with 9:53 left in the third quarter.
Then after forcing a three-and-out, the Tigers got the ball at the Bama 44-yard-line when Russell connected with Bowe for 28 yards to give the Tigers a 1st down at the Crimson Tide's 16-yard-line.
It looked like the Tigers were going to have a short field goal attempt after an eight-yard pass from Russell to Bowe on 3rd & 11, but a late hit penalty on left tackle Andrew Whitworth pushed LSU back 15 yards, forcing Jackson to attempt a 42-yard field goal instead of a 27-yarder.
But Jackson would make the kick to tie the game at 10 with 5:46 left in the third quarter.
The next time the Tigers got the ball it was at their 12-yard-line just eight second into the fourth quarter when Russell lead the Tigers on a 10-play, 58-yard drive to set up a potential go-ahead field goal for Jackson from 47 yards out.
However, Jackson's kick would sail wide right, keeping the game tied 10-10 with 10:35 left in regulation.

LSU quarterback Jamarcus Russell would complete 16 of 30 passes for 229 yards and throw one touchdown.

After Jackson's miss, the game would turn into a defensive stalemate as neither team could mount a drive and traded punts until the Tigers took over at the 50-yard-line with 3:32 left in regulation and a chance to drive for the winning score.
Russell and the Tigers took their time as they only drove 18 yards in six plays before calling on Jackson to attempt a 49-yard field goal with about a minute left in regulation.
But for the second time in the 4th quarter, Jackson would miss a potential go-ahead field goal as his 49-yarder sailed wide right, giving the Tide the ball at their 33-yard-line with 54 seconds left.
The Bama offense could only get to their 49-yard-line before calling their last timeout with just two seconds left on the clock.
That is when Croyle lofted a screen pass for Glen Coffee in the left flat, who was able to run to the LSU nine-yard-line before he was met by a gaggle of LSU defenders as time expired to send the game into overtime with the score still 10-10.
LSU won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense which had held the Bama offense to 63 yards of total offense in the second half.
An illegal shift penalty on the first play of the drive pushed the Tide back five yards to the 30-yard-line but were able to drive to the LSU 17-yard-line where they had a 3rd & 2 when Croyle was unable to complete a pass to Darby, forcing Bama to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Christensen to give the Tide a 13-10 lead as the LSU offense prepared to take the field, knowing a touchdown would win them the game.
On the first play from scrimmage, Russell hit Vincent for 10 yards to give LSU a 1st down at the Bama 15-yard-line.
Two straight running plays picked up four yards to set up 3rd & 6 when Russell fired a pass for Bowe in the end zone, who made the 11-yard touchdown catch to give LSU a 16-13 overtime win and the lead in the SEC West Division.

The Tigers would knock off Ole Miss and Arkansas in their final two regular season games to clinch their third SEC West title in five years, where they would play the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game.
However, the Tigers would be stunned by the Bulldogs as they lost 34-14, denying LSU a third SEC title in five years.
The Tigers would finish the season with a 10-2 record as they trounced the Miami Hurricanes 40-3 thanks to a 196-yard passing and two-touchdown performance from backup QB Matt Flynn, who started in replaced of Russell who hurt his shoulder in the SEC Title Game.
As for the Tide, they would follow up their heartbreaking loss to LSU with a four straight in the "Iron Bowl" as Croyle was sacked 11 times in a 28-18 loss to the Auburn Tigers.
The Crimson Tide would get an invitation to the Cotton Bowl where they would play the Texas Tech Red Raiders as Christensen would kick his third game-winning field goal of the season with a 45-yarder as time expired to give Bama a 13-10 win to end the season with a 10-2 record.
One year later, the Tide would go 6-7 and fire Shula, who was replaced by Saban, who has gone on to win five national championships during his tenure at Tuscaloosa.