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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Spartans Deny Buckeyes National Title Game Berth with Big 10 Champ Game Upset

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates with the Big 10 championship trophy after his Spartans upset Ohio State in the 2013 Big 10 Championship Game.

Since their inception in 1992, college football conference championship games have often been the make-or-break for a team's hopes of playing for a national championship in the bowl games that are played in the first few days of January.

That was such the case in the 2013 Big 10 Championship Game when the Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to Indianapolis to play the Michigan State Spartans with a spot in the National Championship Game on the line for the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes came into the Big 10 Championship Game ranked #2 in the country behind #1 Florida State with a 12-0 record having won the Big 10 Legends division to earn a spot in the Big 10 Championship Game.

The Buckeyes were led by head coach Urban Meyer, who after taking a year off following a six-year tenure at the University of Florida where he won two national championships, became the Ohio State head coach for the 2012 season, taking over from interim head coach Luke Fickell, who had taken over for Jim Tressel who had resigned prior to the 2011 season because of NCAA infractions.

Those infractions would ban the Buckeyes from the 2012 postseason as the team went undefeated under Meyer and quarterback Braxton Miller who ran for 1,271 yards while throwing for 2,039 yards during that season which was followed up with another undefeated regular season in 2013 as Ohio State won its first 24 games since Meyer became the head coach.

All the Buckeyes needed to do was defeat Michigan State and they would secure a spot in the BCS National Championship Game to be played in Pasadena.

While the Buckeyes had hopes of playing for the national championship in Pasadena, the Spartans had ropes of playing in Pasadena on New Year's Day in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1987 as Michigan State came into the game ranked #10 in the country with a 11-1 record having won the Big 10 Leaders division.

It was the second division title under head coach Mark Dantonio, who had been the Spartans' head coach since 2007, having led Michigan State to bowl games in each of his prior six seasons and had complied two seasons of at least 10 wins in 2010 + 11.

On the field, the Spartans were led by sophomore quarterback Connor Cook and a stout defense that had given up only 141 points during the regular season.

Even though a loss would probably still allow them to play in the Rose Bowl as they would presumably be the Big Ten's highest ranked team after Ohio State, the Spartans were looking for redemption as they had lost a heartbreaker to Wisconsin in the inaugural Big 10 title game two years earlier.

The Spartans got the ball to start the game as they would move 47 yards in 14 plays on a drive that was extended twice by Ohio State pass interference penalties on 3rd down pass that fell incomplete.

Michael Geiger would kick a 40-yard field goal to cap off the six and a half minute drive to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead as the two teams would trade punts for the rest of the first quarter.

Then on the first play of the second quarter, Cook would find Keith Mumphrey on a corner route as the junior wide receiver would turn the play into a 72-yard touchdown to extend the Spartans' lead to 10-0.

Spartans quarterback Conner Cook completed 24 of 40 passes for 303 yards and threw three touchdown passes in his MVP performance.

After an Ohio State punt, the Spartans got the ball back at their 34-yard-line as two runs by running back Jeremy Langford collected seven yards to set up 3rd & 3 when Cook connected with wide receiver Aaron Burbridge for 14 yards, then with Mumphrey for 12 more, before firing a 33-yard touchdown pass to Tony Lippett to increase the Michigan State lead to 17-0 with 9:01 to go in the second quarter.

Desperately needing a spark, the Buckeyes would get it on the second play of their ensuing possession as Miller escaped a sack and ran 48 yards to the Michigan State 34-yard-line as Miller would end the 5-play, 84-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to running back Philly Brown to put Ohio State on the scoreboard for the first time in the game.

The two teams would exchange punts until 1:23 left in the first half when the Buckeyes got the ball at their 36-yard-line with a drive that got off to an auspicious start as Miller was sacked for a six-yard loss by Spartans linebacker Max Bullough and defensive end Shilique Calhoun.

However, the Buckeyes would get out of the hole as Miller ran for 15 yards on the next play which was followed by an eight-yard run for Hyde to pick up an Ohio State 1st down at Michigan State 47-yard-line.

Miller would complete a 36-yard pass to tight end Jeff Heuerman to help set a 28-yard field goal by Drew Basil as time expired in the first half with the Buckeyes trailing 17-10 as Ohio State would get the ball to start the second half.

The Buckeyes would use their running game to drive down the field on their first possession of the second half as three runs by Hyde for 27 yards and a 24-yard run by Miller put Ohio State at the Michigan State 19-yard-line when disaster nearly struck as Devin Smith fumbled the ball after catching a 11-yard pass from Miller only for Smith to fall on the ball at the Spartans' eight-yard-line.

On the next play from scrimmage, Miller would run it in for an eight-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game a 17 with 12:21 remaining in the third quarter.

The Spartans looked to respond on their next possession as they drove from their 29-yard-line to their 47-yard-line until Cook was intercepted by Buckeyes safety C.J. Barnett to give the Buckeyes the ball at the Michigan State 48-yard-line.

But the Buckeyes could not take advantage of the interception as the Spartans' defense would force an Ohio State punt to give their offense the ball back at their four-yard-line.

Following a Michigan State three-and-out, the Buckeyes got the ball back at the Spartans' 44-yard-line as the Ohio State offense would run the ball on five straight plays, culminating with a six-yard touchdown run to give the Buckeyes their first lead of the game at 24-17 with 5:36 left in the third quarter.

Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller threw for 101 yards and a touchdown while running for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

Having seen their 17-point lead disappeared, the Spartans needed to get their offense moving again which they did when Langford exploded for a 34-yard run on the first play of Michigan State's ensuing possession to give the Spartans a 1st down at the Ohio State 41-yard-line.

After the next three plays picked up eight yards, the Spartans were faced with a 4th & 2 situation when Dantonio decided to go for the 1st down which he got when Cook kept the ball and ran for six yards to give Michigan State a fresh set of downs at the Buckeyes' 27-yard-line.

Three straight incomplete passes would lead to Geiger coming on to kick a 44-yard field goal which barely made over the crossbar to cut the Buckeyes' lead to 24-20 with 2:29 left in the third quarter.

Following an Ohio State punt, the Spartans would begin their next possession at their 10-yard-line with a 12-yard pass from Cook to Bennie Fowler which was followed by an 48-yard pass from Cook to Macgarrett Kings, that despite having 10 yards given up because of an illegal block penalty, put Michigan State in Ohio State territory at the Buckeyes' 40-yard-line.

Six plays later, Cook found tight end Josiah Price wide open in the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown to put Michigan State back on top at 27-24 with 11:41 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Buckeyes would get great field position to start their next drive as the Spartans attempted a squib kick in hopes of recovering it only for Ohio State to recover it at its 41-yard-line.

However, the Buckeyes would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Spartans who picked up one 1st down before punting it back to Ohio State, who would once again get great field position as linebacker Ryan Shazier would partially block Mike Sandler's punt to give the Buckeyes the ball at the Michigan State 47-yard-line.

Three consecutive running plays gained eight yards to set up 4th & 2 when Meyer decided to go for the 1st down only for Spartans linebacker Denicos Allen tackle Miller for no gain to give Michigan State the ball at its 39-yard-line with 5:41 left in regulation.

Langford would run for 16 yards to begin the drive which was followed by the junior running back being stopped for no gain as Cook would complete back-to-back passes for 11 yards to give the Spartans a 1st down at the Ohio State 34-yard-line.

After an eight-yard run to make it 2nd & 2, Langford would get the ball again as he bursted through the Buckeyes' defense to score on a 26-yard touchdown run to increase the Spartans' lead to 34-24 with 2:16 left in regulation.

Needing a miracle to keep their national championship hopes alive, the Buckeyes next possession would begin with a 12-yard run by Miller, only to be followed by four straight incomplete passes to give the ball back to the Spartans who would run out the clock to come away with the 34-24 win to send Michigan State to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 26 years.

Spartans running back Jeremy Langford finished 128 yards on 24 carries and one touchdown.

The loss snapped Ohio State's 24-game winning streak and dropped them to #7 in the rankings as the Buckeyes would be invited to play in the Orange Bowl where they would face the Clemson Tigers with a chance to end their season on a high note.

But the Buckeyes would fall to the Tigers by the score of 40-35 as their 2013 season would end with Ohio State finishing with a 12-2 record and #10 final ranking in the coaches poll while finishing #12 in the final AP poll.

As for the Spartans, they would go on to face the Stanford Cardinal in the 100th playing of the Rose Bowl as linebackers Kyler Elsworth and Darien Harris would stop Stanford running back Ryan Hewitt for no gain on a 4th & 1 with 1:46 to go in the game to preserve Michigan State's 24-20 victory to give the Spartans their school record 13th win and #3 ranking in both the final AP and coaches polls.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Bengals Clinch AFC Central Title with OT Win over Redskins

The Bengals begin to celebrate after Jim Breech's field goal gave them the AFC Central championship with their overtime win over the Redskins.

The Cincinnati Bengals entered the final game of the 1988 regular season locked into the postseason but their seeding still up for grabs as Cincinnati needed one more win to the AFC Central division title plus a Buffalo Bills loss to clinch home field advantage throughout the NFL playoffs.

The Bengals were led by head coach Sam Wyche, who was in his fifth season as the Cincinnati head coach, but had seemingly came into the 1988 season on the hot seat as Cincinnati went 4-11 in 1987 which led to Wyche feuding with his starting quarterback Boomer Esiason.

For the '88 season, Wyche decided to install a no-huddle offense as the normal Bengals offense which under the direction of Esiason, scored 428 points through the first 15 games of the season as the left-handed quarterback would end up as the league's top rated passer.

To go along with Esiason, the Bengals featured the league's top rushing attack with running backs James Brooks and rookie Ickey Woods, who had gained notoriety throughout the country with his touchdown dance known as the "Ickey Shuffle".

Esiason, Woods, Wyche and the Bengals came into the regular season finale with a 11-4 record with a chance to clinch Cincinnati's first division title since 1981 when the Bengals made it all the way to the Super Bowl.

While the Bengals were looking to secure their playoff position, the Redskins were hoping to avoid their first losing season since 1980 as Washington came into the game with a 7-8 record having lost five of their previous seven games to knock them out of playoff contention.

The Redskins were led by Joe Gibbs, who was in his eighth season as the Washington head coach, having led the Skins to two Super Bowl titles including one 11 months earlier when quarterback Doug Williams threw four touchdowns in a 35-point second quarter as the Redskins routed the Denver Broncos 42-10.

Williams was joined in the backfield by rookie running back Jamie Morris, the younger brother of Giants running back Joe Morris, who had taken over the starting running back from Super Bowl hero Timmy Smith, who had a disappointing 1988 season after running for 204 yards in the Redskins' Super Bowl win.

Despite having just 81 carries up to this point in the season, Morris would be the workhouse for the Redskins in their final game of the 1988 season.

 The Bengals got the ball to start the game as they would drive from their 23-yard-line to the Redskins' 22-yard-line, thanks in large part to a 46-yard pass from Esiason to wide receiver Eddie Brown to help set up a 40-yard field goal attempt by Jim Breech, only for the kick to fall short of the uprights to keep the game scoreless.

The Redskins would begin their first possession of the game at their 22-yard-line as they would drive 52 yards in 10 plays with Morris carrying six times for 25 yards while Williams completed three of four passes for 27 yards on the drive which ended with a 43-yard field goal by Chip Lohmiller to give Washington a 3-0 lead with 5:27 left in the first quarter.

After a Cincinnati three-and-out, the Redskins would start its next drive at their 35-yard-line as they would move to the Bengals' 39-yard-line when Morris appeared to have fumble the football when he was stripped of the ball by defensive tackle David Grant leading to a recovery by strong safety Soloman Wilcots.

However, the referees ruled that the whistle had blown before Morris lost the football even though replay showed that he was not down before the fumble, which meant the Redskins kept the football at the Bengals' 35-yard-line as the first quarter came to an end.

Five plays later, Williams found Ricky Sanders for a 20-yard touchdown to increase the Redskins' lead to 10-0 with 12:33 left in the second quarter.

Redskins running back Jamie Morris carried the ball 45 times as he ran for 152 yards.

The Bengals would get the ball back at their 15-yard-line as a 24-yard run by Woods and a 19-yard pass from Esiason to wide receiver Tim McGee to put Cincinnati in Redskins territory as the drive would stall at the Washington 33-yard-line.

That is when Wyche sent in punter Lee Johnson to attempt a 50-yard field goal, instead of Breech, as Johnson would make his first career NFL field goal to cut the Redskins' lead to 10-3 with 9:03 to go in the second quarter.

Washington would start its ensuing possession at their 17-yard-line as Morris would have four carries for 29 yards to help lead the Redskins drive to the Bengals' 48-yard-line until Williams threw an interception when he was picked off by Cincinnati defensive back Ray Horton on a pass intended for Gary Clark to give the Bengals the ball at their 39-yard-line.

After the first two plays picked up only one yard, Esiason would hit McGee for 13 yards to give the Bengals a 1st down at the Washington 47-yard-line which was followed by a 15-yard run by Woods, then another Woods run for three yards, and then a 12-yard scramble by Esiason to put Cincinnati at the Redskins' 17-yard-line.

That is when Esiason fired a 17-yard touchdown pass to McGee that with Breech's extra point tied the game at 10 with 62 seconds left before halftime.

The Redskins would run out the clock with two Morris runs for 10 yards as the two teams went into the locker room deadlocked at 10 with Washington set to get the ball to start the second half.

The Redskins would start their first drive of the second half at their 31-yard-line with four runs by Morris for 14 yards followed by a 11-yard pass to Art Monk to put Washington in Cincinnati territory when Williams threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Sanders to break the 10-10 tie and give Washington a 17-10 lead.

The Bengals would hold the ball for the next seven minutes only to punt it back to the Redskins who would take over at their seven-yard-line as they moved only 14 yards on five plays to set up a 3rd & 7 at the Washington 21-yard-line when Williams threw a bomb that bounced off the hands of Cincinnati free safety David Fulcher and into the arms of Sanders for a 45-yard completion to give the Redskins a 1st down at the Bengals' 34-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.

Following a seven-yard run by Sanders on a reverse, Morris would carry the ball four straight times for 13 yards to set up a 4th & 1 at the Bengals' 14-yard-line when Gibbs decided to go for the 1st down instead of a chip shot field goal.

The gamble would backfire as Morris would be dropped for an one-yard loss by Fulcher to give the Bengals the ball back at their 15-yard-line with 11:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Four straight running plays gained 16 yards until Esiason, playing with a sprained index finger on his throwing hand which he injured in the first quarter and a sprained ankle he suffered in the third quarter, faked a handoff to fullback Stanley Wilson, and fired a 69-yard touchdown pass to Brown that with the extra point tied the game at 17 with 8:20 left in the fourth quarter.

Washington would begin its next drive at its 21-yard-line as Williams would complete three of four passes for 25 yards to help move the Redskins into Bengals territory to the Cincinnati 49-yard-line.

After a holding penalty gave them five extra yards and a 1st down, the Redskins went back to Morris who would carry the ball on seven of the next eight plays, gaining 24 yards to help put Washington at the Bengals' 12-yard-line with 11 seconds to go when Gibbs called on Lohmiller to kick a 29-yard field goal that would give the Redskins the win and end Cincinnati's chances of home field advantage.

But Lohmiller's kick would bounce off the right upright to make the kick no good as the Bengals would take a knee to run out the remaining five seconds in regulation and send the game into overtime with both teams deadlocked at 17.

Boomer Esiason only completed 10 of 19 passes for 187 yards but threw two touchdowns.

The Bengals won the overtime coin toss and took the ball to start the extra period as Cincinnati would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball to the Redskins who would take over at their 16-yard-line with another chance to spoil the Bengals' hopes of clinching a division title.

Morris would break the record for most carries in a NFL game with his 44th carry on the first play of the drive which would only go for two yards as Williams would complete a pair of four-yard passes to give Washington a 1st down at its 26-yard-line as an incomplete pass and a two-yard run by Morris would bring up a 3rd & 8 situation.

That is when Bengals nickelback Barney Bussey sacked Williams and knocked the ball loose which was recovered by Grant to give Cincinnati the ball at the Redskins' 17-yard-line.

Following two runs by Woods for 14 yards, Wyche sent in Breech and the field goal unit to try and win the game with a chip shot 20-yard field goal.

This time Breech's kick would be true as it sailed through the uprights seven minutes into overtime to give the Bengals not only a 20-17 win but the AFC Central division title for the first time since 1981.

The loss dropped the Redskins to 7-9 marking the first and only time Washington had a losing season during Gibbs' first tenure as the Redskins head coach as the Skins would win one more Super Bowl before his resignation in 1992.

As for the Bengals, they would get the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs when the Bills lost to the Indianapolis Colts 17-14 the following day as Cincinnati would defeat the Seattle Seahawks 21-13 in the Divisional Round then beat Buffalo 21-10 in the AFC Championship Game to send the Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII where they would face the 49ers again.

The Bengals would lose in heartbreaking fashion as 49ers quarterback Joe Montana led his team 92 yards in 11 plays for the game-winning touchdown, a 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left, to give San Francisco a 20-16 victory and their third Super Bowl title in the 1980s.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Oklahoma Nips Tennessee in Orange Bowl

 

Oklahoma running back Steve Owens dives for a touchdown in the 1968 Orange Bowl.

When the Oklahoma Sooners met the Tennessee Volunteers in the 1968 Orange Bowl, they was a lot on the line as both teams entered the game with a chance at a 10-win season.

Oklahoma was led by first-year head coach Chuck Fairbanks, who had been promoted to become the Sooners head coach four days after the death of Jim Mackenzie in the spring of 1967.

Tennessee also came into the game with a 9-1 record under head coach Doug Dickey, who in his fourth season as the Volunteers head coach had led Tennessee to its first SEC championship in 11 years.

With quarterback Dewey Warren and future All-American Steve Kiner at linebacker, the Vols traveled to Miami to take on the Sooners in primetime on New Year's Day.

With the help of junior quarterback Bobby Warmack, the Sooners would go 9-1 during the 1967 regular season to win the Big Eight conference title and earn a trip to play in the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1962 and a chance to earn Oklahoma its first 10-win season since 1958.

The Vols would get the ball to start the game as their offense would be given great field position for their opening drive as Bill Baker returned the opening kickoff 34 yards to the Tennessee 46-yard-line.

From there, the Vols would drive to the Oklahoma 29-yard-line until Sooners defensive end Jim Files hit the arm of Warren during a pitchout to cause a fumble that Files recovered to give his offense the ball at their 32-yard-line.

The Sooners would drive 68 yards in nine plays with Warmack accounting for 57 yards of total offense on the drive as he completed two passes to wingback Eddie Hinton for 31 yards and ran three times for 26 yards, including one for a seven-yard touchdown to give Oklahoma a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

The two teams would trade punts until the Sooners put together an eight-play, 87-yard drive which featured a 38-yard by Warmack and ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Warmack to Hinton on the second play of the second quarter to increase Oklahoma's lead to 13-0 as Mike Vachon would miss the ensuing extra point.

Tennessee would start its next drive in Oklahoma territory as Charles Fulton would return the ensuing kickoff 63 yards to the Sooners' 39-yard-line, only to see the Vols not take advantage of the opportunity as Karl Kresmer would miss a 51-yard field goal that would have been Tennessee on the scoreboard.

After an Oklahoma three-and-out, Tennessee would get the ball at their 30-yard-line as two runs by Walter Chadwick collected 18 yards until Warren was intercepted by Sooners defensive back Bruce Stensrud to give Oklahoma the ball at their 26-yard-line.

The Sooners would methodically drive down the field as they went 74 yards in 12 yards with running back Steve Owens capping off the drive with an one-yard touchdown that pushed Oklahoma's lead to 19-0 with 1:48 left in the first half as the Sooners failed to convert on a two-point conversion after the touchdown.

Oklahoma quarterback Bobby Warmack threw for 107 yards and a touchdown while running for 81 yards and another touchdown.

Tennessee tried to put some points on the board before halftime but Warren would throw another interception, this time on a deep pass intended for Ken DeLong which was picked off by Oklahoma safety Steve Barrett to allow the Sooners to run out the clock in the first half and go into the locker room ahead 19-0.

Oklahoma would go three-and-out to start the second half as the Vols would start its opening possession of the second half at the Sooners' 40-yard-line as Warren completed three passes for 24 yards to lead Tennessee to the Oklahoma 14-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 12.

Needing three touchdowns, the Vols would go for the 1st down but would fail to convert as Warren's pass intended for Chadwick fell incomplete to give the Sooners the ball at their 14-yard-line.

Oklahoma would drive to it 31-yard-line until Warmack was picked off by Tennessee strong safety Jimmy Glover, who returned the interception 36 yards for a touchdown to cut the Sooners' lead to 19-7 midway through the third quarter.

The Sooners would start their next possession at their 20-yard-line only for Warmack to be picked off again, this time by Jim Weatherford, whose 14-yard return gave the Vols the ball at the Oklahoma 17-yard-line. 

The Vols would convert the interception into a touchdown as Fulton would punch it in from five yards out to make it an one-score game at 19-14 with 5:07 left in the third quarter.

Following an Oklahoma punt, the Vols would get the ball back at their 18-yard-line as they would drive 73 yards in 11 plays to set up a 26-yard field goal by Kresmer which trimmed the Sooners' lead to 19-17 with 12:23 left in the fourth quarter.

Having scored 17 unanswered points, momentum was clearly on the side of the Vols, especially after their defense forced a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 15-yrd-line with a chance to drive down the field and take the lead.

However, Oklahoma defensive back Bob Stephenson would intercept a Warren pass intended for DeLong and return it 25 yards for a pick-six to increase the Sooners' lead to 26-17 with 9:35 to go in the game.

Tennessee would start its next possession at its 23-yard-line as the Vols would drive to the Oklahoma 38-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 3 when Dickey decided to go for the 1st down which he got when Warren completed a 11-yard pass to DeLong to give Tennessee a fresh set of downs at the Sooners' 25-yard-line.

Five plays later, the Vols were faced with another 4th down situation, this time at the Oklahoma two-yard-line and needing just one yard to convert.

Warren would give the ball to Chadwick who would pick up the 1st down to give the Vols a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line as Warren sneaked it in for the touchdown to make it a two-point game at 26-24 in favor of the Sooners with 4:05 to play.

The Sooners would get the ball at their 21-yard-line to start their next drive with hopes of picking up a few 1st downs to run out the clock.

The drive got off to a good start as Owens ran for 12 yards on the first play from scrimmage to give Oklahoma a 1st down at its 33-yard-line as the sophomore running back would get the ball on the next three plays, gaining nine yards to set up a 4th & inches at the Sooners' 43-yard-line with 1:44 to go in the game.

Instead of punting the ball away, Fairbanks decided to go for the 1st down in hopes that his offense would get the one yard needed to give the Sooners not only a fresh set of downs, but allow them to run out the clock.

But the gamble would backfire as Tennessee linebacker Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds would stop Owens for no gain to give the Vols the ball at the Oklahoma 43-yard-line with a chance to pick up a few yards to set up a potential game-winning field goal attempt.

Karl Kremser would miss what would have been a game-winning field goal in the final seconds of the 1968 Orange Bowl.

A six-yard run by Warren, followed by a two-yard loss by Fulton and an incomplete pass would set up a 4th & 6 as the Vols would try to pick up the 1st down as they were too far out of field goal range.

Tennessee would pick up the 1st down as Warren completed a 10-yard pass to DeLong to give the Vols a 1st down at the Oklahoma 29-yard-line as the Vols would run one more play, a two-yard run by Richard Pickins, before calling on Kresmer to attempt a 44-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go.

However, Kresmer's kick would sail wide right of the uprights, allowing for Oklahoma to run out the clock and came away with the 26-24 win to give the Sooners their first 10-win season in nine years.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Cowboys Overcome 21 Point 4th Quarter Deficit to Defeat Saints

Dallas quarterback Danny White would come off the bench to lead the Cowboys to a comeback win over the Saints in 1984.

As the New Orleans Saints traveled to the state of Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys in week 8 of the 1984 NFL season, both teams came into the game with questions at quarterback.

The Cowboys came into the 1984 season with a new starting quarterback as Gary Hogeboom took over for incumbent Danny White, despite the fact that White had led "America's Team" to four straight playoff appearances, including three consecutive trips to the NFC Championship Game from 1980-82, after taking over for the legendary Roger Staubach.

Hogeboom and the Cowboys got off to a 4-1 start only to lose their next two games as Hogeboom had thrown for zero touchdowns and four interceptions during the losing streak and had been replaced in both games by White.

Head Coach Tom Landry would give Hogeboom another chance as he would start the Cowboys' game against the Saints while White would serve as the backup quarterback to go along with his punting duties, a position White had held since his NFL career began back in 1976.

On the other side were the 3-4 New Orleans Saints who had their own quarterback controversy as former New York Jets quarterback Richard Todd had taken over the starting job from Ken Stabler, who had been the Saints' starting quarterback the year before in helping New Orleans accomplish its best season in team history with a 8-8 record.

Stabler had relived Todd because of poor play in the third game of the season, a 30-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, then alternated with Todd in the Saints' Week 7 game series by series during the first half of their 28-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

For the game against the Cowboys, head coach Bum Phillips would name Todd as the starter as the 39-yard Stabler would be the team's backup as New Orleans played Dallas in a rare Sunday Night game(Sunday Night games would not become a regular thing until 1987).

 The Cowboys got the ball to start the game as they would drive from their 29-yard-line to the Saints' 20-yard-line, thanks in large part to two passes from Hogeboom to Tony Hill for 34 yards, to set up a 37-yard field goal by Rafael Septien to give Dallas a 3-0 lead with 9:48 left in the first quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Saints would drive from their 31-yard-line to the Dallas' 30-yard-line until an holding penalty stalled the drive and led to a New Orleans punt that would go out of bounds at the Cowboys' one-yard-line.

The Saints defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back in Dallas territory early in the second quarter when Todd beat a Cowboys blitz to fire a 36-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyrone Young to give New Orleans a 7-3 lead just 61 seconds into the second quarter.

After another Cowboys punt, the Saints got the ball back at their 11-yard-line as four straight running plays picked up 14 yards to set up a 2nd & 7 situation when Todd was intercepted by Dallas free safety Michael Downs to give the Cowboys the ball at the New Orleans 29-yard-line.

A 13-yard pass from Hogeboom to Mike Renfro would help set up a 27-yard field goal by Septien that cut the Saints' lead to 7-6 with 4:35 remaining in the second quarter.

The Saints would begin their next possession at their 10-yard-line with Todd scrambling for 13 yards, followed by a 15-yard run by running back Earl Campbell to give New Orleans a 1st down at its 38-yard-line when fullback Hokie Gajan took a handoff from Todd around the left side and outran the Cowboys' defense for a 62-yard touchdown that increased the Saints lead to 14-6 with 2:54 left before halftime.

The Saints would force another Dallas punt before the end of the first half to get the ball back at their 17-yard-line when they went to the no-huddle offense to drive to the Cowboys' 31-yard-line as Campbell carried three times for 19 yards while Todd completed three of five passes for 32 yards on the drive which ended with a 49-yard field goal by Morten Andersen to push New Orleans' lead to 17-6 after the first 30 minutes of play.

Saints running back Earl Campbell would run for 67 yards on 12 carries.

The New Orleans offense would be given great field position to start the second half as Tyrone Anthony returned the opening kickoff 41 yards to the Saints 45-yard-line as they would drive 22 yards in six plays to set up a 50-yard field goal by Andersen to increase the lead to 20-6.

Things would go from bad to worse for the Cowboys on their ensuing possession when Hogeboom was picked off by Saints linebacker Dirt Winston, who returned it 43 yards for a pick-six, the third time a Hogeboom interception would be returned for a touchdown this season, which pushed New Orleans' lead to 27-6 with 9:21 left in the third quarter.

To add injury to insult, Hogeboom sprained his right wrist on the play, knocking him out of the game as White would take over at quarterback to add in to his punting duties.

White's insertion at quarterback did not provide a spark as the Cowboys would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Saints who would get the ball back at their 34-yard-line.

New Orleans would drive to the Dallas' 37-yard-line until reserve running back Wayne Wilson fumbled the football after a hit by Ed "Too Tall" Jones leading to a recovery by Downs at the Cowboys' 25-yard-line.

Dallas would hold the ball for the rest of the third quarter until they were forced to punt again to give the ball back to the Saints at their 38-yard-line.

The Cowboys would cut into the Saints' lead early in the fourth quarter when reserve running back Chuck McSwain blocked a New Orleans punt which Dallas would convert into a three-yard touchdown run by Dorsett that cut the Saints' lead to 27-13 with 13:21 to go in the fourth quarter.

Despite the setback, the Saints would get another great kickoff return by Anthony on the ensuing kickoff as his 64-yard return gave New Orleans the ball at the Dallas 29-yard-line.

But the Cowboys defense would allow only one yard on the next three plays to force the Saints to call on Andersen to attempt a 45-yard field goal, only for the kick to sail wide right and no good to keep the score at 27-13 in favor of New Orleans.

However, the Cowboys could not take advantage of the field goal miss as White would be picked off by Saints cornerback Dave Waymer to give New Orleans the ball at its 34-yard-line.

The Cowboys would force a New Orleans punt to give their offense the ball back at their 12-yard-line as Dallas would drive down the field on the right arm of White as he completed eight of 12 passes for 85 yards on the 13-play, 88-yard drive which ended with White throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Renfro to bring the Cowboys to within a touchdown at 27-20 with 3:59 to go in regulation.

When the Saints' offense came back onto the field, they came out with Stabler at quarterback as Todd could not continue because of a sprained knee.

A holding penalty would lead to a 3rd & 18 situation at the Saints' nine-yard-line when Stabler was sacked by Cowboys defensive tackle Randy White who knocked the ball loose which led to a recovery by defensive end Jim Jeffcoat in the end zone for a Dallas touchdown that with Septien's extra point tied the game at 27 with 2:53 left in regulation.

With their three touchdown lead having disappeared, the Saints would start their next possession at their 19-yard-line as Stabler would complete a 29-yard pass to wide receiver Jeff Groth to help put New Orleans at the Dallas 46-yard-line when Stable was picked off by Downs to give the Cowboys the ball at their 30-yard-line with 80 seconds left in regulation and a chance to drive for the game-winning score.

However, the Saints defense would sack White twice to force a three-and-out and give their offense the ball back at their 48-yard-line with 46 seconds to go as Stabler would throw two straight incomplete passes before throwing another interception as Cowboys cornerback Ron Fellows made the pick with 26 seconds left.

The Saints would force another three-and-out only to take a knee to run out the remaining time in regulation as the game would go into overtime tied at 27.

Rafael Septien is embraced by his teammates after his game-winning field goal.

The Cowboys would win the overtime coin toss and would take the ball as McSwain would return the overtime kickoff 24 yards to the Dallas 29-yard-line.

The Saints would the verge of another three-and-out as the first two plays gained zero yards to force a 3rd & 10 when White's pass intended for Hill fell incomplete but drew a 24-yard pass interference penalty on New Orleans cornerback Johnnie Poe to give the Cowboys a 1st down at the Saints' 47-yard-line.

From there, White would complete a 15-yard pass to Renfro as Dallas would drive to the New Orleans' 24-yard-line when Landry called on Septien to attempt the game-winning field goal from 41 yards out.

Septien's kick was true as it sailed through the uprights to complete the greatest comeback in Dallas Cowboys history as they had come back from 21 points to down to knock off the Saints 30-27 in overtime.

Five days after the collapse against the Cowboys, the Saints quarterback controversy would be resolved as Stabler announced his retirement from the league, leaving Todd as the New Orleans starting quarterback.

Todd would direct the Saints to a 7-9 record as the Saints would have to wait until 1987 to accomplish the first winning season in team history.

As for the Cowboys, their quarterback controversy would continue throughout the season as White and Hogeboom would alternate at quarterback until White regained the starting job for the final four games of the regular season, which included a 28-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the regular season finale which eliminated Dallas from competing in the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 1974.(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-marino.html).

White would be the starting quarterback for the 1985 season as he led the Cowboys back to the playoffs before playing three more seasons in Dallas until his retirement following the 1988 season.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Oregon Clinches 1st Rose Bowl Berth in 37 Years With Win over Oregon State

Oregon fans celebrate on the goalposts of Oregon State's Parker Stadiums following the Ducks win over the Beavers in 1994.

As the first month of the 1994 college football season progressed, things looked bleak for the Oregon Ducks.

Back-to-back losses to Hawaii and Utah had many Oregon fans calling for the dismissal of head coach  Rich Brooks, who was in his 18th year as the Ducks' head coach, who had complied only six winning seasons and three bowl appearances during his tenure in Eugene.

But after the 1-2 start, the Ducks began to turn things around thanks to in large part to their "Gang Green" defense as wins over Iowa, a ranked USC team and California pushed Oregon to over the .500 mark as their record improved to 4-3 when they hosted #9 Washington.

That is when the Ducks shocked the Huskies 31-20 as quarterback Danny O'Neil led the Ducks on a 11-play, 98-yard touchdown to give Oregon the lead late in the fourth quarter that was preserved when Kenny Wharton ran a Washington interception back 97 yards for a touchdown that would become known in Oregon lore as "The Pick".(To read all about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/college-football-old-school-game-of_10.html)

The following week, the Ducks knocked off the #11 ranked Arizona Wildcats 10-9 which gave Oregon its first appearance in the AP poll at #21 as wins over Arizona State and Stanford pushed the Ducks to the brink of a Rose Bowl bid for the first time since 1957 as they needed to beat their intrastate rivals, the Oregon State Beavers, to earn a spot in the "Grandaddy of Them All."

Even though the Beavers came into the game with a 4-6 record, they were still a dangerous foe for the Ducks as they had defeated Oregon three of the previous six years and featured a wishbone offense that averaged nearly 221 yards per game, which was third best in the country.

Add in the fact that the game was played at Oregon State's home field in Parker Stadium and that the conditions were horrible as gametime temperature was 37 with winds of over 20 miles per hour and the Ducks had their work cut out for them if they were going to secure a trip to Pasadena.

After stopping the Beavers on a 4th down, the Ducks got the ball at their 35-yard-line as six straight running plays gained 42 yards until O' Neil attempted a pass on 3rd & 9 at the Oregon State 23-yard-line which fell incomplete.

However, Beavers linebacker Cory Huot jumped offsides on the play, giving the Ducks five free yards but more importantly, another chance to get a 1st down with a 3rd & 4.

That is when O' Neil found a wide open Dino Philyaw for an 18-yard touchdown to give Oregon a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

The score was still 7-0 early in the second quarter when Beavers defensive back Larry Bumpus blocked an Oregon punt that was recovered in the end zone by backup wide receiver Chris Cross to put Oregon State on the scoreboard.

But Randy Lund's extra point attempt would bounce off the left upright to keep the score at 7-6 in favor of the Ducks with 12:29 remaining in the second quarter.

Oregon quarterback Danny O'Neil would complete only 11 of 25 passes for 173 yards, but two of those passes would go for touchdowns.

Later in the second quarter, the Ducks got the ball back at their 47-yard-line following an Oregon State punt and were able to the Beavers' 16-yard-line, thanks in large part to a 17-yard pass from O'Neil to Cristin McLemore and a pass interference penalty on Beavers cornerback Reggie Tongue.

However, the Ducks could go no further as two incomplete passes and a Philyaw run that lost a yard would force Oregon to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Matt Beldin which increased their lead to 10-6 with 1:10 remaining in the first half.

Oregon seemed poised to extend their lead early in the 3rd quarter as they drove to the Oregon State 34-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 2 when Brooks decided to go for the 1st down, only to have O'Neil fumble the football which he recovered but not before an one-yard loss and a turnover on downs.

Taking over at their 35-yard-line, the Beavers would quickly move into Oregon territory as Oregon State quarterback Don Shanklin completed a 25-yard pass to running back Cameron Reynolds to give the Beavers a 1st down at the Oregon 40-yard-line.

After an offsides penalty on the Ducks, the Beavers would run the ball seven straight times with the last run being an one-yard touchdown by Shanklin to give Oregon State a 13-10 lead with 6:01 to go in the third quarter.

As the fourth quarter began, the Beavers were faced with a 4th & 2 situation at the Oregon 14-yard-line when Oregon State head coach Jerry Pettibone decided to go for the 1st down instead of attempting a field goal into the stiff wind.

The gamble would backfire as Shanklin tripped over the right foot of his guard Darrin Borter and was tackled for a six-yard-loss to end the drive and keep the score at 13-10 in favor of Oregon State.

Oregon would have a chance to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter as Belden would attempt a 35-yard field goal but he missed it to keep it at 13-10 as the "Gang Green" defense would force a Beaver punt to give their offense the ball back at their 30-yard-line with 4:42 left in the game.

Things seemed hopeless for the Ducks as their offense had been stymied by the Oregon State defense as O'Neil had completed only seven of 20 passes for 98 yards up to this point.

They were also hurting as O'Neil was a little woozy after he tried to hurdle a defender on the Ducks' previous possession and their top receiver, McLemore, had been in the locker room to get a x-ray on his left hand.

But with a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line, O'Neil and McLemore would get it out and help make history with the Ducks' next offensive possession.

The drive would begin with O'Neil hitting McLemore on a crossing route for 31 yards to give Oregon a 1st down at the Oregon State 39-yard-line.

O'Neil would go back to McLemore for four yards on 1st down, then threw an incomplete pass on 2nd down to set up 3rd & 6 when O'Neil found McLemore again on another crossing route this time for 21 yards and a 1st down at the Beavers' 14-yard-line.

After a false start penalty on tight end Justin Wilcox, O'Neil would complete a screen pass to Philyaw, who then ran it in for a 19-yard touchdown to complete the five-play, 70-yard drive and give Oregon a 17-13 lead with 3:43 to go in the game.

Dino Philyaw would score the game-winning touchdown in the 1994 edition of the "Civil War".

The Beavers would start their ensuing possession at their 15-yard-line with one last chance to pull off the upset as the offense picked up a few yards before Shanklin completed a 31-yard pass to Jason Berry gave Oregon State a 1st down at the Oregon 49-yard-line.

Three running plays for nine yards would set up a do-or-die 4th & 1 at the Ducks' 40-yard-line when the most controversial play of the game happened.

Shanklin took the snap and tried to sneak for the 1st down only to fumble the ball and have it recovered by the Oregon defense.

However, officials ruled that not only was there no fumble, but Shanklin had made the 1st down before the ball loose, giving the Beavers a fresh set of downs at the Ducks' 39-yard-line with a little over two minutes remaining.

A seven-yard pass to Joe Douglass followed by a seven-yard run by J.D. Stewart gave the Beavers a 1st down at the Oregon 25-yard-line as Shanklin would run for four yards, then spiked the ball to stop the clock with less than a minute to go as Oregon State prepare to face a 3rd & 6.

Shanklin would try to throw for the 1st down but his pass intended for a diving Reynolds was just out of his reach to bring up 4th & 6 when Shanklin underthrew a pass for Douglass which fell incomplete to give the ball over on downs to Oregon with 34 seconds to go.

O'Neil would take a knee to run out the clock as Oregon fans would storm onto the Oregon State field as their beloved Ducks were victorious over their arch rivals 17-13 but more importantly were the Pac-10 champions and were going to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 37 years.

The heartbreaking loss to the Ducks would end the Beavers' season with a 4-7 record as Oregon State would win only three games over the next two seasons leading to Pettibone's dismissal as head coach.

As for the Ducks, the clock would strike midnight at the Rose Bowl as they were beaten by Penn State 38-20 despite a 465-yard performance by O'Neil as Oregon finished the 1994 season ranked #11 in both the AP and coaches polls.

One month later, Brooks would resign as Oregon head coach as he would move on to the NFL and become the head coach of the St Louis Rams as offensive coordinator Mike Belotti would take over as Ducks head coach.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Hearst's 96 OT TD Run Gives 49ers Season Opening Win over Jets

 

49ers running back Garrison Hearst(20) would run for 187 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns in the 49ers' win.

While the first Sunday of the NFL season is exciting, most NFL fans have a hard time remembering any close game or great play that often happen in Week 1.

That was not the case for the San Francisco 49ers' season opener with the New York Jets to begin the 1998 NFL season which featured one of the longest touchdown runs in NFL history.

The 49ers came into the 1998 season as Super Bowl contenders as the team was coming off a 14-2 regular season and a trip to the 1997 NFC Championship Game where they would fall to the Green Bay Packers.

Under second-year head coach Steve Marucci, the 49ers' offense was stacked they were led by quarterback Steve Young and the returning Jerry Rice, who had missed most of the 1997 season with knee injuries, to go along with running Garrison Hearst, who had rushed for 1,019 yards in his first season in San Francisco.

While the 49ers had Super Bowl aspirations, the Jets were just hoping to make the postseason for the first time since 1991 as the team was coming off a 9-7 season in 1997 during Bill Parcells' first year as Jets head coach.

The Jets had made a splash in free agency as they pried running back Curtis Martin from the New England Patriots to join an offense which featured former overall #1 pick Keyshawn Johnson at wide receiver and Glenn Foley at quarterback, taking over for Neil O' Donnell who left to join the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 49ers would get the ball to start the game as they drove from their 20-yard-line to their 42-yard-line until Young was intercepted by Jets free safety Kevin Williams, who returned it 34 yards to give the Jets the ball at the San Francisco 27-yard-line.

Two passes to Keyshawn Johnson for 18 yards help set up a 24-yard field goal by John Hall to give the Jets an early 3-0 lead.

Following an exchange of punts, the 49ers got the ball back at their 16-yard-line as Young would complete four passes for 72 yards on an eight-play, 84-yard drive which ended with Hearst running it in for a five-yard touchdown to give San Francisco a 7-3 lead with 3:31 left in the first quarter.

The Jets would hold the ball for the rest of the first quarter but would give right it back to the 49ers on the first play of the second quarter when 49ers cornerback Antonio Langham intercepted a Foley pass to give San Francisco the ball at the New York 48-yard-line.

A 19-yard run by Hearst would put the 49ers in field goal range as Wade Richey would come on to attempt a 47-yard field goal, but his kick would be short to keep the score at 7-3 as the Jets would take over at their 37-yard-line.

The Jets would drive to the 49ers' 44-yard-line until they were faced with a 4th & 1 when Parcells decided to go for the 1st down when Martin ran for three yards to give New York a fresh set of downs at the 41-yard-line.

On the very next play, Foley went deep and hit Johnson on a deep post pattern for a 41-yard touchdown to give the Jets a 10-7 lead with 10:11 remaining in the second quarter.

Jets quarterback Glenn Foley completed 30 of 58 passes for 415 yards and threw three touchdowns.

After another exchange of punts, the 49ers had the ball at their 37-yard-line as Young completed passes of 25 yards to J.J. Stokes and 16 yards to fullback Marc Edwards to help set up Young's six-yard touchdown pass to Stokes to give the lead back to the 49ers at 14-10 with 2:11 left in the first half.

The Jets would get great field position to start its next drive as Leon Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards to the New York 40-yard-line as Foley completed passes of 19 yards to Dedric Ward and nine yards to Keyshawn Johnson to put the Jets at the 49ers' 32-yard-line.

That is when Foley was picked off by 49ers free safety Merton Hanks on a pass intended for Keyshawn, only to have it nullified because of a pass interference penalty on Langham, to give the Jets a 1st & goal at the 49ers' six-yard-line.

After two runs by Martin netted no yards, Foley found Wayne Chrebet in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown to give the Jets a 17-14 lead with 33 seconds left before halftime.

The 49ers would drive from their 20-yard-line to the Jets' 41-yard-line until time ran out in the first half with New York ahead 17-14 and set to get the ball to start the second half.

The Jets would be forced to punt after their opening possession of the second half as a short punt as the 49ers would take over at the New York 42-yard-line as a 26-yard pass to Stokes would help lead to a 22-yard field goal by Richey to tie the game at 17 with 9:05 to go in the third quarter.

It would take long for the Jets to respond as Foley hit Chrebet for 48 yards on the first play of their next possession which was followed by a roughing the passer penalty on 49ers defensive tackle Bryant Young to put New York at the San Francisco 15-yard-line.

An incomplete pass and a six-yard loss on a Martin run would push the Jets back to the 49ers' 21-yard-line where they faced a 3rd & 16 when Foley found Johnson again for a 21-yard touchdown to put New York on top 24-17 with 7:15 left in the third quarter.

The 49ers would get the ball back at their 32-yard-line as San Francisco would drive down the field on the left arm of Young as he was a perfect 5-of-5 for 62 yards on the seven-play, 68-yard drive which culminated with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Young to Rice to put the 49ers on the verge of tying the game once again.

However, Richey's extra point would be blocked by Jets defensive tackle Jason Ferguson to keep New York in the lead at 24-23 with 3:03 remaining in the third quarter.

Steve Young(8) threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns in the 49ers 1998 season opener.

The Jets would respond by driving 54 yards in nine plays to set up a 45-yard field goal attempt by Hall which sailed wide right to keep the score at 24-23 in favor of New York with 13:31 left in the fourth quarter.

The two teams would trade punts until the Jets got the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Foley completed passes of 22 yards to Martin, 14 yards to Johnson, and 22 yards to Chrebet to put New York at the San Francisco 20-yard-line with a chance to extend the lead.

Two runs by Martin for six yards and an incomplete pass would force the Jets to call on Hall to kick a 32-yard field goal which increased New York's lead to 27-23 with 3:38 left in the fourth quarter.

Needing a touchdown, the 49ers would start their ensuing drive at their 24-yard-line as Hearst would turn a short screen pass from Young into a 35-yard gain to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Jets' 41-yard-line.

Four plays later, Young would fire a 31-yard touchdown pass to Stokes, who outjumped his defender to make the catch, to give the 49ers a 30-27 lead with 86 seconds left in regulation.

Following a 16-yard return by Aaron Glenn on the ensuing kickoff, the Jets would begin their ensuing possession at their 27-yard-line as Foley would throw two incomplete passes before hitting Chrebet for 19 yards to give New York a 1st down at its 46-yard-line where Foley would throw three straight incomplete passes to bring a 4th down with 33 seconds to go.

That is when Foley found Ward for 22 yards to give the Jets a fresh set of downs at the 49ers' 32-yard-line as after two more incomplete passes, Foley would connect with Ward again, this time for 19 yards to put New York at the San Francisco 13-yard-line with eight seconds to go as the Jets spent their last timeout.

The Jets would get one chance to get the game-winning touchdown as Foley threw an incomplete pass intended for Johnson leaving New York three seconds left for Hall to attempt a 31-yard field goal which he made as time expired to tie the game at 30 and send it into overtime.

The Jets would win the overtime coin toss to take the ball at their 20-yard-line where a quarterback sack by 49ers defensive tackle Junior Bryant for a nine-yard loss on 1st down would force New York to go three-and-out and punt the ball back to San Francisco who took over at the Jets' 43-yard-line.

However, the 49ers could not pick up a 1st down to punt the ball back to the Jets who took over at their 21-yard-line as New York drove to its 47-yard-line before punting it back to San Francisco who took over at its four-yard-line.

That is when Hearst took a handoff from Young and run up the middle, broke a tackle at about the seven-yard-line, then darted to his right as he stiffed arm another Jet at about the 20, then swerved around the tackle attempt of Otis Smith at about midfield, then carried linebacker Mo Lewis for the final five yards as he fell into the end zone following a stunning 96-yard touchdown run to give the 49ers a 36-30 Opening Day win.

The Jets would lose to the Baltimore Ravens the following week as Foley throw three interceptions in their 24-10 loss as Vinny Testaverde would take over the starting quarterback job and help lead New York to its first division title since the merger as they finished with a 12-4 regular season which earned the Jets the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

New York would defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-24 in the Divisional Round to earn a trip to the AFC Championship Game where the Jets jumped out to a 10-0 lead only to lose to the Denver Broncos 23-10.

As for the 49ers, they would also finish the regular season with a 12-4 record, but not enough for a division title as San Francisco would play the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round when Young threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens with three seconds left to give the 49ers a 30-27 win.

The 49ers would advance to the Divisional Round where they would fall to the Atlanta Falcons 20-18 in a game where Hearst broke his left ankle on the first play from scrimmage.

Little did Hearst know but the injury would lead him to missing the next two seasons as avascular neurosis, or death of bone tissue, developed around the ankle as Garrison would undergo seven surgeries in hopes of correcting the issue.

Not only would Hearst return for the 2001 season, he would run for 1,206 yards and catch 41 passes for 317 yards to be named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year for 2001.

Hearst would play two more seasons with the 49ers before being released after the 2003 season as he would sign with the Denver Broncos for 2004 as he played sparingly before a broken hand ended his season and eventually his NFL career after 10 seasons.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Young Leads Texas to Victory in Rose Bowl Classic over Michigan

Texas quarterback Vince Young ran for 192 yards and four touchdowns while throwing for 180 yards and one touchdown in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

The 2005 Rose Bowl matchup between the Michigan Wolverines and the Texas Longhorns came with a lot of controversy.

First, it was not the traditional Big 10 vs Pac 10 matchup and secondly, many college football experts believed that Texas had gotten the berth in the Rose Bowl only because Longhorns head coach Mack Brown basically campaigned to get the spot over the California Golden Bears, who had the same record as Texas and were a Pac 10 team.

But after the game was finished, the controversy was replaced with talk of having witnessed one of the greatest Rose Bowls of all time.

The Longhorns were making their first appearance in the "Granddaddy of them all" following their 10-1 season with their only loss being a 12-0 defeat to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Texas was led by Brown, who was in his seventh season as the Longhorns' head coach, having led Texas to its fourth straight season of at least 10 wins.

On the field, the Longhorns had a dynamic running attack which featured running back Cedric Benson, who won the Doak Walker award which is given to the best running back in the country, for his 1,774 yards and 19 touchdowns during the regular season and quarterback Vince Young who had run for 887 yards in the regular season.

With Young and Benson, the Longhorns were hoping to earn their second top 5 finish in the final rankings in four years.

On the other side was Michigan, who had won the Big 10 championship and earned a second trip to the Rose Bowl under head coach Lloyd Carr.

Carr's team was young as it featured freshman quarterback Chad Henne and freshman running back Michael Hart, but had the Fred Biletnikoff winner(the best wide receiver) in senior Braylon Edwards, who had caught 87 passes for 1,221 yards and 12 touchdowns, which included a 11-catch, 189-yard and three touchdown performance in a 45-37 triple overtime win over Michigan State(To read about that game, click on the link highlighted here:(https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/college-football-old-school-game-of_28.html).

Michigan would get the ball to start the game as Steve Breaston would return the opening kickoff 44 yards to the Wolverines' 47-yard-line.

While Michigan would not take advantage of the great field position as they punted the ball to the Longhorns, Breaston's kick return would set the tone of the rest of the game when it came to kickoffs.

Texas would start its opening possession of the game at its 20-yard-line as Benson would carry for nine yards only to hyperextend his right knee on the play which would hamper his performance for the rest of the day.

The Longhorns would end up punting the ball back to Michigan but would get the ball back at their 15-yard-line following a Wolverines punt with 5:53 left in the first quarter.

From there, the Longhorns would put together the first scoring drive as they would travel 85 yards in 12 plays, culminating with a 20-yard touchdown run by Young off a quarterback draw to give Texas a 7-0 lead with 1:41 to go in the opening quarter.

After both teams went three-and-out on their ensuing possessions, the Wolverines got the ball at the 50-yard-line as Hart carried the ball three straight times for 13 yards until Henne fired a deep pass down the left side of the field for Edwards, who made the catch in the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at seven just 73 seconds into the second quarter.

Braylon Edwards would catch 10 passes for 109 yards and score three touchdowns.

The Longhorns would get great field position to start its next drive as Ramonce Taylor returned the ensuing kickoff 40 yards to the Texas 42-yard-line as Young would lead the Texas offense to the Michigan 25-yard-line where they were faced with a 4th & 1.

Instead of attempting a field goal, Brown decided to go for the 1st down which he got when Michigan defensive end Pierre Woods jumped offsides giving the Longhorns a fresh set of downs at the Wolverines' 20-yard-line.

Three plays later, the Longhorns were in the end zone as Young threw a 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Thomas to give Texas a 14-7 lead with 4:16 left before halftime.

It looked like the Longhorns would get a chance to extend their lead after forcing a three-and-out on the Wolverines' ensuing drive but Taylor would fumble the football on the punt as Wolverines linebacker Roy Manning knocked the ball loose from Taylor, leading to a recovery by safety Anton Campbell at the Texas 34-yard-line.

Henne would complete passes of 16 yards to Breaston and nine yards to tight end Tyler Ecker before finding a wide open Edwards in the back of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown to help tie the game at 14 with 20 seconds left in the first half.

Texas would run out the clock with a run by Benson for zero yards as both teams went into the locker room deadlocked at 14 with the Longhorns set to get the ball to start the second half.

After the first five plays netted just 12 yards, Young took off on a quarterback draw as he ran down the right sideline for a 60-yard touchdown to give Texas a 21-14 lead with 12:53 to go in the third quarter.

The Wolverines would get another long return by Breaston as he returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to the 50-yard-line as Henne would throw two incomplete passes to bring up 3rd & 10 when he completed a 10-yard pass to Breaston, who then turned upfield and ran it in for the touchdown that with the extra point once again tied the game, this time at 21.

Following a three-and-out by the Longhorns, the Wolverines got the ball at their 23-yard-line as they put together a 10-play, 77-yard drive which ended with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Henne to Edwards to give Michigan its first lead of the game at 28-21 with 6:29 remaining in the third quarter.

Texas would then drive from its 23-yard-line to the Michigan 47-yard-line until Young was intercepted by Wolverines linebacker Preston Burgess, who returned the pick 23 yards to the Longhorns' 45-yard-line where he was tackled by Young.

With a chance to make it a 17-point lead, the Wolverines could not travel past the Texas 27-yard-line where Garrett Rivas came on to kick a 44-yard field goal which extended Michigan's lead to 34-21 with 2:35 left in the third quarter.

Michigan wide receiver Steve Breaston returned six kickoffs for 223 yards, a Rose Bowl record.

After an exchange of punts, the Longhorns got the ball back at the 50-yard-line as an 18-yard pass from Young to tight end Bo Scaife and a roughing the passer penalty added 15 yards to a six-yard completion to Thomas put Texas at the Michigan six-yard-line.

The Michigan defense pushed the Longhorns back to the ten-yard-line to face a 3rd & goal when Young made a spectacular play when he spun out of a potential sack by Wolverines defensive end Pat Massey and ran it for a 10-yard touchdown that helped cut the Texas deficit to three points at 31-28 with 9:51 left in the fourth quarter.

The Longhorns were able to contain Breaston on the ensuing kickoff as he ran for 24 yards to the Michigan 25-yard-line as the Wolverines would drive 60 yards in 10 plays to set up a 32-yard field goal by Rivas which extended their lead to 34-28 with 6:09 remaining.

A 31-yard return by Taylor on the ensuing kickoff set the Longhorns up at their 31-yard-line for their next possession when Young completed a 19-yard pass to Tony Jeffery then hit Thomas for 27 yards to put Texas at the Michigan 23-yard-line.

That is when Young took off again as he ran into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown for his fourth rushing touchdown of the game that with the extra point gave Texas a 35-34 lead with 4:56 to play in the game.

Breaston would strike once again on the ensuing kickoff as his 53-yard return put Michigan at the Texas 43-yard-line as three straight runs by Hart for 18 yards would set up 3rd & 2 when Henne threw an incomplete pass intended for Edwards.

This would lead to another Rivas field goal, this one from 42 yards out, which allowed the Wolverines to retake the lead at 37-35 with 3:04 left to play.

Following a 32-yard return by Taylor on the ensuing kickoff, the Longhorns would begin its next possession at their 34-yard-line with a chance to drive down for the winning score.

The drive would begin with a nine-yard run by Young, followed by a five-yard run by Benson to give Texas a 1st down at its 48-yard-line when Young completed an eight-yard pass to Scaife which put the Longhorns in Michigan territory.

Young would then run for 14 yards and a 1st down at the Michigan 30-yard-line as the quarterback would keep it himself on the next three plays, running for an additional 11 yards to put the Longhorns at the Wolverines' 19-yard-line with less than a minute to go.

From there, the Longhorns keep it conservative as Young handed off it to Benson on the next two plays until the clock wound down to two seconds when Brown called timeout and sent in the field goal unit to win the game with a 37-yard field goal.

Carr would then call back-to-back timeouts in hopes of icing kicker Dusty Magnum, a former walk-on who had earned a scholarship since he began kicking for the Longhorns in 2001.

As Mangum waited to attempt the kick, Brown went to his senior kicker and told him "You're the luckiest human being in the world because your last kick at Texas will win the Rose Bowl."

Finally, the field goal was attempted as Magnum's kick glazed the elbow of Michigan defensive back Ernest Shazor, then just misses the hands of Wolverines linebacker Roy Manning, to wobbly pass through the uprights as time expired, giving the Longhorns a 38-37 win.

Dusty Magnum kicks what would turn out to be the game-winning field goal.

The loss was a bitter pill for the Wolverines to swallow as they would finish the season with a 9-3 record and ranked #14 in the final AP poll and #12 in the final coaches poll.

The Wolverines would get one more trip to the Rose Bowl during Carr's tenure as Michigan head coach which ended after the 2007 season, which was a 32-18 loss to USC.

As for Texas, they would finish the season ranked #4 in the coaches poll and #5 in the AP poll as the Longhorns finished the season with a 11-1 record, their best since 1983.

Young and the Longhorns would return to the Rose Bowl one year later, this time against the Trojans in the BCS National Championship Game, where Young threw for 267 yards and ran for 200 yards and scored three touchdowns, including the game-winner with 19 seconds to go, to give Texas a 41-38 win and the Longhorns their first national championship since 1970(To real about that game, click on the link highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/09/college-football-old-school-game-of_13.html).