College Football Old School Game of the Week: The Catch(Clemson Version)

Jerry Butler makes "The Catch" for Clemson in their 1977 win over South Carolina.

When sports fans think of "The Catch" most of them either point to Dwight Clark's famous game-winning touchdown reception for the San Francisco 49ers as they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship Game or Willie Mays' over the shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series to help the New York Giants defeat the Cleveland Indians.

But when someone mentions "The Catch" in the state of South Carolina, fans of both of the two major college football teams in the Palmetto state will think of Clemson Tigers wide receiver Jerry Butler's game-winning touchdown catch in the final minutes of the Tigers' 1977 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Clemson came into the game needed to defeat the Gamecocks to earn an invitation to play the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville on December 30th of that year which would be the first bowl game for the Tigers since 1959.

The Tigers were led by first-year head coach Charley Pell, whose offense was led by junior quarterback Steve Fuller and ironically Dwight Clark, who would only catch 32 passes during his career at Clemson as Butler, a junior, was the Tigers' leading receiver as he had caught 40 passes for 694 yards and three touchdowns.

While the Tigers were playing for a bowl game, South Carolina was looking to secure its third straight winning season under head coach Joe Corlen as the Gamecocks came into the "Palmetto Bowl" with a 5-5 record after starting out the season 3-0.

The South Carolina offense was led by senior quarterback Ron Bass or more famously known as "Sunshine" for the 1971 T.C. Williams Titans of Alexandria, Virginia that inspired the 2000 movie Remember The Titans and a plethron of running backs that featured 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers, who was the team's second leading rusher as a freshman in 1977.

 After both teams punted on their opening possessions of the game, the Tigers took over at their 10-yard-line as it took them eight plays just get to their 45-yard-line until Fuller ran for five yards on a quarterback option to the left side then lateraled the ball to running back Warren Ratchford who ran for 27 yards to complete the 32-yard play and give Clemson a 1st down at the South Carolina 23-yard-line.

Running back Marvin Sims would then get a carry as he ran for 19 yards to give Clemson a 1st & goal where Rutherford would cap off the 11-play, 90-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 6:36 left in the first quarter.

Clemson would get a golden opportunity to extend their lead when on the second play of the Gamecocks' ensuing possession, cornerback Roy Eppes would pick off a pass from Bass and return the interception 30 yards to the South Carolina 10-yard-line.

The Tigers would run the ball three straight times for a total of nine yards as Pell would take the points instead of going for it on 4th down as kicker Obed Ariri would make the 18-yard field goal to increase Clemson's lead to 10-0 with 3:59 remaining in the first quarter.

The Gamecocks would then drive from their 31-yard-line to the Tigers' 39-yard-line thanks in large part to a pair of 12-yard completions by Bass, first to Rogers and the latter to tight end Willie Scott, until running back Johnnie Wright fumbled the football as Clemson free safety Steve Ryan would make the recovery to give the Tigers the ball at their 33-yard-line.

From there, the Tigers would travel 67 yards in 14 plays, converting on four straight 3rd down conversions as Lester Brown would dive into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown to extend the Clemson lead to 17-0 with 9:39 to go in the second quarter.

Clemson quarterback Steve Fuller would complete 14 of 20 passes for 178 yards while running for 31 yards on 17 carries. 

South Carolina would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as the Gamecocks ran the ball on 14 consecutive plays for 63 yards until Bass threw a pass that was batted down by Tigers defensive tackle Jim Stuckey on a 3rd & 5 as Carlen would send in the field goal unit to get South Carolina on the scoreboard.

But Britt Parish's 34-yard field goal attempt would side right of the uprights as the Gamecocks came away with zero points after a drive which lasted for seven minutes as the Tigers would get begin their next drive at their 20-yard-line.

The Tigers seemed poised to add on to their lead especially after a 41-yard pass from Fuller to Butler put Clemson in South Carolina territory at the Gamecocks' 33-yard-line with over a minute to go before halftime.

However, the Tigers would turn it over on the next play from scrimmage as Ratchford would cough up the football thanks to a hit by Gamecocks linebacker David Prezioso as defensive lineman Bill Janus would recover the fumble at the South Carolina 44-yard-line.

Carolina would try to get into field goal range before the end of the half but Bass would throw his second interception of the game as cornerback Rex Varn picked off a pass intended for wide receiver Phillip Logan to allow the Tigers to run out the clock on the first half and go into the locker room still ahead 17-0.

Midway through the third quarter, it appeared that the Tigers had put up the knockout punch as running back Ken Calicutt busted through a hole provided by guard Jon Bostic and ran for a 52-yard touchdown to push the Clemson lead to 24-0.

After an exchange of three-and-outs, the Gamecocks had the ball at their 14-yard-line when Bass completed a nine-yard pass to Rogers which was followed by an incomplete pass to set up 3rd & 1 when Bass ran a quarterback option to the right side and tossed the ball to running back Spencer Clark who outran the Clemson defense for a 77-yard touchdown to give South Carolina their first points of the game and trim the deficit to 24-7 with 3:58 to go in the third quarter.

The Tigers would begin their next possession at their 35-yard-line as Fuller completed passes of 17 yards to wide receiver Rick Waddington and 10 yards to Dwight Clark to help Clemson drive to the South Carolina 27-yard-line until Fuller pitched the ball behind Brown, leading to a recovery by defensive lineman Fred Sinclair to give the Gamecocks the ball at their 33-yard-line.

Three plays later, Bass would complete a 40-yard pass to Logan to put South Carolina at the Clemson 11-yard-line when running back Steve Dorsey took a handoff from Bass and ran up the middle for the touchdown to cut Tigers' lead to 24-14 just 37 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Gamecocks kept the momentum on their side as they forced a three-and-out from the Clemson offense then got the ball at the Tigers' 39-yard-line after Dave Sims' punt only went 10 yards.

South Carolina would keep the ball on the ground as they ran the ball on 10 out of the 11 plays of their drive which ended with another touchdown run by Dorsey, this one from one yard out to make it a 24-20 game as the Gamecocks would go for two after the touchdown.

Bass would complete a pass to Scott but the tight end was out of bounds making the pass incomplete and keeping the score at 24-20 in favor of the Tigers with 7:02 to play in the game.

Clemson would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Gamecocks as Sims shanked another punt, this one going for 18 yards as South Carolina would take over at their 48-yard-line with a little over four minutes to play and a chance to take the lead with a touchdown.

Three straight running plays picked up 12 yards and a fresh set of downs at the Clemson 40-yard-line when Bass threw three straight incomplete passes to force a do-or-die 4th & 10 with 2:01 remaining when Bass threw a pass over the middle that was caught by Logan some 20 yards downfield, who then was able to break a couple of Clemson tackles to run into the end zone for the 40-yard touchdown.

It was the fourth touchdown for the Gamecocks in a span of 16 minutes and 10 seconds as they had wiped away a 24-point deficit to take their first lead of the game at 27-24 with 1:48 left to play in the game.

With their Gator Bowl hopes on the line, the Tigers would begin their next drive at their 33-yard-line after a 26-yard return by wide receiver Willie Jordan on the ensuing kickoff as Clemson had all three timeouts and 99 seconds to drive down the field for the go-ahead touchdown.

The drive would begin with an one-yard run by Fuller followed by a two-yard pass to Ratchford to bring up 3rd & 7 when Fuller connected with Waddington for a 26-yard completion to give Clemson a 1st down at the South Carolina 38-yard-line.

After throwing a pass out of bounds to stop the clock, Fuller would find Dwight Clark over the middle for 18 yards to move the chains as Clemson would have a 1st down at the Gamecocks' 20-yard-line with less than a minute to play.

That is when Fuller took the snap and drifted to his left side when he threw a pass toward the end zone for Butler that was too high and behind the wide receiver.

But Butler would contort his body to make the catch for the 20-yard touchdown to culminate the five-play, 67-yard drive and give Clemson a 31-27 lead with 49 seconds to go in the game.

The Gamecocks would get one last chance to pull out the win as an excessive celebration penalty and a 26-yard kickoff return by Rogers gave South Carolina the ball at their 49-yard-line.

However, Bass would throw four straight incomplete passes to force a turnover on downs as Fuller would take a knee to run out the clock as the Tigers had secured their first bowl game in 18 years with their 31-27 victory over the Gamecocks.

South Carolina would play one more game in 1977 as they traveled to Hawaii to take on the Rainbow Warriors where the Gamecocks would fall 24-7 to finish the '77 season with a 5-7 record while Clemson would be routed by Pitt 34-3 in the Gator Bowl to finish the season with a 8-3-1 record and #19 ranking in the final AP poll.

As for Butler, he would return to Clemson for his senior season where he led the Tigers with 58 catches for 908 yards to help Clemson win its first ACC championship in 11 years as the Clemson went 11-1 and finished #6 in the AP poll after a 17-15 win over Ohio State in the Gator Bowl, the infamous game where a Clemson player was punched by Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes.

Butler would then be chosen by the Buffalo Bills with the #5 pick in the 1979 NFL Draft where Butler would spend his entire eight-year NFL career as he caught 278 passes for 4,301 yards and scored 29 touchdowns.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Wilhoit's Long FG Gives Vols Win over Gators

James Wilhoit(25) would make a 50-yard field goal with six seconds to go to give the Vols the win over Florida in 2004.

 The field goal kicker is perhaps the most stressful position in all of football as one can forever remembered a hero with if he is able to make the game-winning field goal or as it a goat if he misses it or has a series of misses that ends costing his team the game.

In 2004, Tennessee Volunteers kicker James Wilhoit was able to feel both extremes in the same game as he would go from rock bottom to top of the world in the Vols' annual September showdown with the Florida Gators.

The Volunteers came into the game ranked #13 in the country under head coach Philip Fulmer who was beginning his 12th season as the Tennessee head coach but still looking for a new starting quarterback to replace Casey Clausen who had graduated after the 2003 season.

True freshmen Erik Ainge, nephew of former NBA player Danny Ainge, and Brett Schaeffer would both get reps with the first team offense during the Vols' season opener with the UNLV Runnin Rebels thirteen days prior to the Florida game.

Schaeffer, who was a dual threat quarterback got the start as he completed seven of 10 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown while running for 29 yards and another touchdown on seven carries while Ainge, who was a traditional drop back passer, completed 10 of 17 passes for 118 yards and throwing two touchdowns as the Volunteers easily defeated the Rebels 42-17.

Fulmer would not name a starting quarterback for the Florida game as he would once again go with the two-quarterback system as the Vols prepared to host the Gators, who came into the game ranked #11 in the country but intense pressure to perform for their embattled head coach, Ron Zook.

Zook had became the Gators' head coach after Steve Spurrier left to become the coach of the Washington Redskins in 2002 after a 12-year tenure where the "ol Ball coach" complied a record of 122-27-1 while leading the Gators to five SEC championships and the 1996 national championship.

But after back-to-back 8-5 seasons, Zook was on the hot seat entering the 2004 season as he had lost five home games in his first two seasons in Gainesville compared to the five that Spurrier had lost during his entire 12-year run.

With sophomore Chris Leak returning as the Gators' starting quarterback, Florida would defeat Eastern Michigan 49-10 in their season opener before traveling up to Knoxville to take on the Vols in a primetime showdown.

The Vols would start the game on offense as Schaeffer would get the start at quarterback for Tennessee's opening possession which ended in a turnover when running back Derrick Tinsley dropped a handoff on an end-around that was recovered by Florida defensive back Dematrice Webb at the Volunteers' 32-yard-line.

Five plays later, Leak would find wide receiver O.J. Small for a five-yard touchdown to give the Gators a 7-0 lead with 11:15 left in the first quarter.

Florida quarterback Chris Leak would throw for 286 yards and three touchdowns.

The Vols would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line for their next possession where they relied on their stable of running backs to drive down the field as Tennessee would attempt a single pass during the drive.

Cedric Houston would carry the ball on the first four plays of the drive, gaining 34 yards, before Gerald Riggs Jr got four carries which went for 28 yards, while Schaeffer ran for 16 yards on two carries to move the Vols to the Gators' two-yard-line.

From there, Jabari Davis would carry the ball on the last two plays of the drive with the second carry being an one-yard touchdown to end the 12-play, 80-yard drive and tie the game at seven.

Florida would begin its next possession at their 32-yard-line as the Gators would advance to the Tennessee 47-yard-line until Leak was picked off by Volunteers safety Jason Allen on a deep pass intended for Andre Caldwell in the end zone as the Vols would begin their next drive at their 20-yard-line.

Now it was Ainge's turn at quarterback as he started the drive with a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Chris Hannon then ended it with a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Justin  Reed to give Tennessee a 14-7 lead just 44 seconds into the second quarter.

The Gators would get horrible field position for their next drive as Caldwell caught the kickoff while going out of bounds at the Florida three-yard-line.

However, the Gators would drive 97 yards in 16 plays as they converted on four straight 3rd down situations, the first being a shovel pass from Leak to running back Ciatrick Faison that went for 21 yards, followed by a 11-yard pass to wide receiver Dallas Baker on a 3rd & 5 and then a seven-yard pass to wide receiver O.J. Small on a 3rd & 4 and wrapped with a 13-yard pass to Baker on a 3rd & 9.

The drive culminated with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Leak to wide receiver Jemalle Cornelius to tie the game at 14 with 7:32 to go in the second quarter.

The Volunteers' ensuing possession would end in a turnover as Ainge was intercepted by Florida safety Terrence Holmes who returned the pick 20 yards to the Tennessee 30-yard-line as Leak would complete a 29-yard pass to Caldwell on the next play from scrimmage to set up an one-yard touchdown run by running back Deshawn Wynn to give Florida a 21-14 lead with 5:29 remaining before halftime.

Both teams would trade punts to end the first half with the Gators on top and set to get the ball to start the second half as Florida would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Vols who would take over at their 28-yard-line with Schaeffer at quarterback.

The drive was going smoothly for the Vols as Schaeffer completed passes of 18 yards to Hannon and 11 yards to Jayson Swain which was followed by a 22-yard run by the freshman quarterback to move Tennessee to the Florida 17-yard-line until Schaeffer lost the football after a quarterback sack by linebacker Earl Everett.

Florida defensive tackle Ray McDonald would recover the fumble to give the Gators the ball at their 23-yard-line as a 32-yard run by Fason along with a 18-yard pass from Leak to Small help Florida advance all the way to the Tennessee one-yard-line where they had a 1st & goal.

But the Gators could not punch into the end zone as Leak lost three yards on a quarterback run on 1st down then threw back-to-back incomplete passes to force a 21-yard field goal attempt by Matt Leach, which sailed wide right to keep the score at 21-14 as Tennessee would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line.

From here on out, Ainge would be the Tennessee quarterback as he would complete seven of nine passes for 62 yards on a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ended with the freshman quarterback firing a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bret Smith that with the extra point tied the game at 21 with 13:02 left in the fourth quarter.

Erik Ainge(10) would complete 16 of 24 passes for 192 yards and throw three touchdown passes.

Following an exchange of punts, Florida got the ball back at their six-yard-line as two runs by Wynn for seven yards and a six-yard pass from Leak to Small gave the Gators a 1st down at their 19-yard-line when Leak threw a pass that was tipped by Tennessee safety Brandon Johnson but landed in the hands of Gators wide receiver Chad Jackson at his 45-yard-line as Jackson would run the remaining 55 yards untouched to complete the stunning 81-yard touchdown and give Florida a 28-21 lead with 7:43 left in regulation.

Tennessee would begin its next possession at their 20-yard-line as a pass interference penalty on Florida free safety Jarvis Herring on a 3rd & 9 followed by a 15-yard pass from Ainge to Hannon helped the Vols move to the Gators' 47-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 6 situation with 5:22 to go in the game.

Instead of punting the ball back to the Gators, the Vols would gamble and go for the 1st down which they got when Ainge hit wide receiver Tony Brown for a 32-yard completion to give Tennessee a 1st down at the Florida 15-yard-line.

After two running plays gained two yards, Ainge would fire a 13-yard touchdown pass to Swain as the Vols were on the verge of tying up the game once again when disaster struck as Wilhoit's kick sailed wide right to keep the score at 28-27 in favor of the Gators with 3:25 to go in the game.

The Gators would begin their ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line with a chance to run out the clock if they could pick up a couple of 1st downs.

A nine-yard pass from Leak to Fason followed by a two-yard run by Fason gave the Gators a 1st down at their 31-yard-line with 2:02 to go as Wynn carried the ball on the next two plays, gaining seven yards to set up a crucial 3rd & 3 that if Florida converted, would win them the game.

Wynn would be stopped for no gain but that was not the worst of it as Baker was called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after slapping the helmet of Tennessee cornerback Jonathan Wade in response of Wade slapping Baker's helmet.

The officials stopped the clock to assess the penalty but forget it to restart it until the Gators snapped the ball as they punted the ball back to the Volunteers who would take over at their 39-yard-line with 43 seconds to go.

After throwing an incomplete pass to begin the drive, Ainge would hit Hannon for 21 yards to move Tennessee to the Florida 40-yard-line where Ainge would spike the ball to stop the clock with 29 seconds left.

Ainge would then complete a seven-yard pass to Hannon which was followed by another spike to stop the clock with 13 seconds remaining as Fulmer would send Wilhoit on to the field to attempt a 50-yard field goal, one yard shy of his career long of 51 yards that ironically came against Florida in 2003.

Wilhoit would get his redemption as his kick sailed through the uprights with six seconds remaining to give the Vols a 30-28 lead as Florida could not pull off a miracle on the ensuing kickoff on the final play of the game as Tennessee came away with its fourth win in seven years over the Gators.

The loss to Tennessee was the beginning of the end for Zook as one month later after a 38-31 loss to 1-5 Mississippi State, it was announced that Zook would be fired at season's end, though he was allowed to coach the team for the rest of the regular season which ended with a 20-13 win over Florida State.

Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong would be the Gators' interim head coach for the Peach Bowl where Florida would lose 27-10 to the Miami Hurricanes to finish the 2004 season with a 7-5 record.

The Gators would hire Utah head coach Urban Meyer to become their next head coach as Meyer would comply a record of 65-15 over six seasons as Florida won two national championships during Meyer's tenure.

Meanwhile, Tennessee would use its win over Florida as a springboard to the SEC East title as they finished the regular season with a 9-2 record and earn a trip to the SEC Championship Game where the Vols would fall to the Auburn Tigers 38-28.

Tennessee would wrap up its 2004 season with a 38-7 win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl as the Vols would finish ranked #13 in the final AP poll and #15 in the final coaches poll as Schaeffer would transfer to Ole Miss following the season as Ainge would be benched during his sophomore season before winning back the starting quarterback job for his final two seasons in Knoxville.

As for Wilhoit, he would remain the Vols' kicker through 2006 as he finished his career with 59 successful field goals, third most in Tennessee history and 325 points, which is also third most in school history.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Oklahoma Survives Alabama's Upset Bid

Oklahoma's Eric Bassey would score the game-sealing touchdown with a 45-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the Sooners' 2002 win over Alabama.

On September 7,2002 the Alabama Crimson Tide traveled to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the Oklahoma Sooners in the first regular season matchup between the two historic programs.

The two teams had met before in the 1962 Orange Bowl won by the Crimson Tide 17-0 and again in the 1970 Bluebonnet Bowl which finished in a 24-24 tie.

The Sooners would came into the game as the favorite as they were ranked #2 in the country as they were seen as a national title contended under head coach Bob Stoops, who had led Oklahoma back to national promience after years of medicority as the Sooners won the 2000 national championship in Stoops' second season as head coach.

Going into the 2002 season, the biggest question amongst Oklahoma fans was who was going to be the starting quarterback between redshirt sophomore Jason White and senior Nate Hybl.

Despite coming off a torn ACL in his left knee that he suffered on a quarterback rollout the previous season, White won the starting quarterback job as he would get the start in the Sooners' season opener with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane which Oklahoma won 37-0.

The Sooners looked to White and senior running back Quentin Griffin, who had rushed for 237 yards in the win over Tulsa, to lead the Sooners to a win over the Crimson Tide, who came into the game having barely escaped with a 39-34 win over Middle Tennessee in their season opener.

Seven months earlier, the Tide were put on probation for illegal benefits to players that had occurred during the tenure of head coach Mike Dubose from 1997 through 2000 as the NCAA hit Alabama with a two-year bowl ban and loss of 21 scholarships.

The Tide were led by head coach Dennis Franchione, who was in his second season as the Alabama head coach who now had to coach a football program that could not go to a bowl game in 2002, meaning the Tide had very little to lose as a win over Oklahoma could be one of the highlights of the season.

Oklahoma was set to get the ball to start the game but the Crimson Tide would pull a fast one on the Sooners as they executed a surprise onside kick to perfection as kicker Lane Bearden recovered his own kick to give Alabama the ball at their 47-yard-line.

From there, the Tide would drive to the Sooners' 28-yard-line until Michael Ziifie kicked a 45-yard field goal to give Alabama an early 3-0 lead.

The Tide would get the ball back in Oklahoma territory for their second possession after wide receiver Lance Taylor partially blocked Blake Ferguson's punt to give Alabama the ball at the Sooners' 40-yard-line.

However, the Tide could only move four yards on three plays as they settled for a 52-yard field goal attempt by Ziifie which was blocked by Oklahoma linebacker Pasha Jackson to keep the score at 3-0 in favor of the Tide.

The Sooners would go three-and-out on their ensuing possession to give the ball back to the Tide who would also go three-and-out as they were set to punt the ball back to Oklahoma when the snap from center Nick Ridings went over the head over Bearden and into the end zone.

Bearden would then kick the ball out of the end zone resulting in a safety to cut the Alabama lead to 3-2 as Oklahoma would get the ball back at the 50-yard-line following the free kick.

Following an one-yard run by Griffin to start the drive, White would complete passes of six yards to Griffin and 11 yards to Curtis Fagan to give Oklahoma a 1st down at the Alabama 32-yard-line when White found Mark Clayton for the first touchdown of the game to give the Sooners a 9-3 lead with 6:09 to go in the first quarter.

Oklahoma wide receiver Mark Clayton would catch four passes for 129 yards and score two touchdowns.

Alabama would start its next drive at their 29-yard-line when on the second play of the drive, quarterback Tyler Watts was intercepted by Oklahoma cornerback Derrick Strait, whose 15-yard runback gave the Sooners a 1st & goal at the Crimson Tide six-yard-line.

But the Sooners could not cash in on the turnover as three plays would pick up just one yard as Trey Dicarlo was called upon to attempt a 22-yard field goal which was blocked by strong safety Waine Bacon that was scooped up by free safety Charles Jones who ran it back 30 yards to the Alabama 38-yard-line when the Tide offense would begin its next possession.

The Oklahoma defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 47-yard-line as an offsides penalty and an incomplete pass would bring up 2nd & 5 when disaster struck for White as he tore the ACL in his right knee during a rollout to the right, similiar to the play where he tore the ACL in his left knee one year earlier.

Hybl would come on to take over as starting quarterback as he completed a four-yard pass to Fagan on his first play from scrimmage on a 3rd & 4 to give Oklahoma a 1st down at the Alabama 43-yard-line as the first quarter came to an end.

Oklahoma would end up punting the ball back to Alabama on that possession as the two teams traded punts until late in the second quarter when Strait stripped tailback Santonio Beard of the ball as linebacker Teddy Lehman would make the recovery to give the Sooners the ball at the Crimson Tide 49-yard-line.

It would take Oklahoma one play to get into the end zone as Hybl threw deep and connected with wide receiver Mark Clayton for a 49-yard touchdown to increase Oklahoma's lead to 16-3 with 2:25 left in the second quarter.

After an Alabama three-and-out, the Sooners got the ball back at their 46-yard-line as Hybl would complete three straight passes for 16 yards to move Oklahoma to the Alabama 38-yard-line where on a 3rd & 5, Hybl connected with Clayton on a curl route that would go for 37 yards and give the Sooners a 1st & goal at the Alabama one-yard-line with 16 seconds to go in the half.

Following an incomplete pass and a Kejuan Jones that went for no gain, the Sooners were faced with a 3rd & goal with three seconds to go before halftime, meaning Oklahoma had just one play before the halftime break.

Instead of taking the chip shot field goal, Stoops opted to go for the touchdown which he got when Hybl was able to sneak into the end zone as time expired in the first half with Oklahoma ahead 23-3.

Alabama would get the ball to start the second half as the Tide would put together their best drive of the game thus far as they travled 66 yards in 12 plays with 10 of those plays being runs as running back Ahmaad Galloway would punch it in for a four-yard touchdown that cut the Sooners' lead to 23-10 with 9:14 to go in the third quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Bearden would attempt a pooch kick that Lehman tried to catch but was unable to secure the kick after a collison with a teammate as Chris James would make the recovery to give the ball to the Crimson Tide at the Oklahoma 43-yard-line.

Watts would complete a 37-yard pass to wide receiver Sam Collins to help the Tide drive to the Sooners' four-yard-line where Ziifie would attempt a 22-yard field goal, only for the kick to sail wide left to keep the score at 23-10 in favor of the Sooners.

After an Oklahoma three-and-out, the Tide got the ball back at their 43-yard-line as a 22-yad pass from Watts to tight end Donald Clarke would move the Sooners to the Alabama 26-yard-line where on 4th & 10, Franchoine would go for the 1st down instead of attempting a field goal.

The gamble would not pay off as Watts would threw an incomplete pass resulting in a turnover on downs and giving the ball back to the Sooners at their 26-yard-line.

The Alabama defense would force another three-and-out as Oklahoma was set to punt the ball back to the Tide when the Alabama special teams unit struck again as defensive end Leslie Williams would block the punt as Taylor, who had partially blocked a punt earlier in the game, recoverd the ball and ran it in for a nine-yard touchdown that cut the Sooners' lead to 23-17 with 1:53 left in the third quarter.

Alabama's defense would keep up the pressure on the Sooners as back-to-back quarterback sacks would lead to another Oklahoma three-and-out as the Tide would get the ball back at the Oklahoma 39-yard-line with a chance to take the lead.

The Tide would drive all the way to the Oklahoma three-yard-line as they lined up to attempt a 20-yard field goal only for Bearden, who was the holder, to keep the ball and run it himself for a three-yard touchdown that with the extra point gave Alabama a 24-23 lead with 10:16 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Sooners would pick up their first 1st down of the second half before punting the ball back to the Tide who once again got the ball in Oklahoma territory as they began their next possession at the Sooners' 46-yard-line.

The Tide would run off nearly five minutes off the clock as they drove to the Oklahoma 28-yard-line before settling for a 45-yard field goal by Ziifie to extend Alabama's lead to 27-23 with 3:37 left in the game.

The Sooners would start their next drives at their 20-yard-line needing a touchdown to take the lead which seemed unlikely at this point as Oklahoma's total offense in the second half was -5 yards on five possessions.

Coming off the bench, Oklahoma quarterback Nate Hybl would complete 16 of 30 passes for 251 yards and throw one touchdown pass.

Following an incomplete pass to begin the drive, Hybl would throw a shovel pass to running back Renaldo Works that would go for a 23-yard gain to give the Sooners a 1st down at their 43-yard-line.

After a pair of incomplete passes would force Oklahoma into a 3rd & 10 situation, Hybl would connect with wide receiver Antwone Savage for the 10 yards the Sooners needed as Oklahoma moved into Alabama territory with a fresh set of downs at the Tide 47-yard-line.

That is when Hybl throw another shovel pass to Works, which this time went for 39 yards to give Oklahoma a 1st & goal at the Alabama eight-yard-line when Hybl handed the ball off to Jones, who would run it in for the touchdown to give Oklahoma a 30-27 lead with 2:11 left to play in regulation.

The Tide would get the ball back at their 21-yard-line needing at least a field goal to send the game into overtime or a go-ahead touchdown as following an one-yard loss to start the drive, Watts would complete three passes for 37 yards to move Alabama to the Oklahoma 43-yard-line twith less than a minute to play.

Needing at least one more 1st down, Watts would drop back to pass when the ball slipped out of his hand before it went forward, resulting a fumble that was picked up by Oklahoma defensive back Eric Bassey who ran it back for a 45-yard touchdown to put the game away as the Sooners would escape with the 37-27 win.

Alabama would go on to have a solid season as they would go to finish with a 10-3 record to finish ranked #11 in the AP poll only for the Tide to lose their head coach as Franchione left Tuscaloosa to became the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies.

Franchione would be temporary replaced by Washington State head coach Mike Price until Price was fired before coaching a single game because of an off the field sex scandal as former Bama quarterback Mike Shula would eventually become the Tide head coach for the 2003 season.

As for the Sooners, they would ride with Hybl as their starting quarterback to a 8-0 start until a pair of losses to Texas A&M and Oklahoma State in the final month of the regular season would derail Oklahoma's national championship hopes.

But the Sooners would recover to win the Big 12 Championship with a 29-7 win over the Colorado Buffaloes as Oklahoma would be invited to play in the Rose Bowl for the first time in school history as the Sooners would dispatch of the Washington State Cougars 34-14 as Oklahoma would finish the season with a 12-2 record and #5 ranking in both the final AP and coaches polls.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: USC Wins Rose Bowl to Spoil Northwestern's Dream Season

USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson caught 12 passes for 212 yards and score one touchdown in USC's win over Northwestern.

The biggest story of the 1995 college football season was the Northwestern Wildcats who after 24 straight losing seasons would win the Big 10 conference title and earn a trip to play in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1949.

The Wildcats' opponent in the Rose Bowl were the USC Trojans, who were seen as a supporting player in what would be in final game of this Cinderella story that many college football fans hoped would end with a Northwestern victory in the "Grandaddy of Them All".

 But USC had other ideas as the Trojans looked to turn the Wildcats back into the pumpkin as the two teams faced off on the first day of 1996.

Northwestern was the sentimental favorite as the Wildcats were ranked #3 with a 10-1 record under head coach Gary Barnett, who promised to "take the purple to Pasadena" upon his arrival before the 1992 season.

In the 1995 season opener, the Wildcats would upset 28-point favorite Notre Dame 17-15 in South Bend, thanks to a 33-carry, 160-yard performance by running back Darnell Autry as Northwestern defeated the Irish for the first time since 1962.

The Wildcats seemed to fall back to reality in their next game, a 30-28 loss to Miami of Ohio, only to bounce back and win the remaining nine games of the regular season which included wins over Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Iowa as Northwestern would finish the regular season with a 10-1 record but needed a 31-23 by Michigan over Ohio State in the final week of the regular season to clinch the Big 10 title and fulfill Barnett's promise on sending the purple to Pasadena.

Autry would lead the way of offense as he ran for 1,675 yards and scored 14 touchdowns while linebacker Pat Fitzgerald who averaged 13 tackles per game until he broke his leg in the Wildcats' win over Iowa in the penultimate game of the regular season.

Fitzgerald would have to watch the Rose Bowl from the sidelines as the Wildcats looked to cap off their magical season with a win over the Trojans who making their return to the Rose Bowl after a six-year absence.

  USC came into the game ranked #17 in the country with a 8-2-1 record under head coach John Robinson, who was the third year of his second tenure as the Trojans head coach following a seven-year run from 1976 to 1982 where he complied a 67-14-2 record as he led USC to three Rose Bowl victories and a share of the 1978 national championship.

The Trojans started off the 1995 season with a 6-0 record until they lost to Notre Dame 38-10 which was followed by a 21-21 tie to the Washington Huskies the following week as the Huskies and the Trojans would finish with identical conference records at 6-1-1 but it would be USC who the bid to the Rose Bowl as the Trojans finished with a better overall record(8-2-1 to Washington' 7-3-1).

USC's best player during the 1995 season was All-American wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who caught 90 passes for 1,218 yards and scored six touchdowns during the regular season despite the fact that the Trojans used a two-quarterback system throughout the season as Brad Otton and Kyle Wacholtz would go back-and-forth as the team's starting quarterback.

No matter who the quarterback was, if the Trojans were going to knock off the Wildcats they would need a big day from Johnson like he did in the Cotton Bowl one year earlier as he caught eight passes for 222 yards and scored three touchdowns in USC's 55-14 beatdown of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

USC got the ball to start the game with Otton as the quarterback as he would complete his first seven passes of the game as the Trojans would drive 83 yards in 12 plays with the drive ending with an one-yard touchdown run by running back LaVale Woods to give USC a 7-0 lead.

The Wildcats would begin their first drive of the game at their 32-yard-line as Northwestern would use the passing game to move down the field as quarterback Steve Schnur connected with wide receiver D'Wayne Bates three times for 56 yards on the drive that culminated with a three-yard touchdown run by Autry to help tie the game at seven midway through the first quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Trojans got the ball back at their 22-yard-line as Johnson would make his presence felt on this drive as he caught three passes in a row totaling 46 yards to help set up Otton's 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Terry Barnum to put USC back on top 14-7 with 13:05 to go in the second quarter.

The Wildcats would get great field position for their ensuing possession as they took over at their 48-yard-line as two runs by Autry for 21 yards help move Northwestern to the USC 15-yard-line when they called on Brian Gowins to attempt a 32-yard field goal.

However, Gowins' kick would sail wide left of the uprights to keep the score at 14-7 as the Trojans would take over possession at their 20-yard-line.

USC would once again rely on Johnson to move down the field as he caught a 12-yard pass from Otton to convert on a 3rd & 4 at the Trojans' 26-yard-line then later in the drive caught a 22-yard pass to give USC a 1st down at the Northwestern 31-yard-line.

From there, the Trojans would advance to the Northwestern 12-yard-line before calling on Adam Abrams to attempt a 30-yard field goal, which he made to increase USC's lead to 17-7 with 3:29 remaining in the second quarter.

Trying to cut into the Trojans' lead, the Wildcats had the ball at their 30-yard-line when Schnur completed a screen pass to wide receiver Brian Musso who managed to get around the 50-yard-line until he lost the football after a hit by USC defensive back Sammy Knight, though replays indicated that Musso's knee may have been down before losing the football.

Cornerback Dayton McCutcheon would scoop up the loose football and run it back for a 53-yard touchdown to extend the Trojans' lead to 24-7 with 2:56 to go before halftime as the Wildcats were faced with their largest deficit of the season.

Northwestern running back Darnell Autry would carry the ball 32 times as he ran for 110 yards and scored three touchdowns.

After a Northwestern three-and-out, the Trojans got the ball back at their 27-yard-line as they seem content to go into the locker room with a 24-7 halftime lead when disaster struck as Woods fumbled the football after a hit by Wildcats linebacker Tim Scharf as defensive back Hudhaifa Ismaeli made the recovery to give Northwestern the ball at the USC 34-yard-line with 12 seconds to go in the half.

Schnur would complete a 22-yard pass to Bates to set up Gowins' 29-yard field goal as time expired in the first half with the Wildcats trailing 24-10 but set to get the ball to start the second half.

Starting at their 43-yard-line, the Wildcats would drive 46 yards in 10 plays as a 17-yard pass from Schnur to Musso would be the biggest play of the drive that ended with another Gowins field goal, this one from 28 yards out to cut the USC lead to 24-13.

The Trojans were set to get the ball when the Wildcats surprised them with an onside kick that was recovered by Northwestern defensive back Josh Barnes to give the ball back to Schnur and the Northwestern offense as they would begin their next drive at their 47-yard-line.

Two runs by Autry for 14 yards followed by a 16-yard pass from Schnur to tight end Darren Drexler put Northwestern at the USC 23-yard-line as two more running plays for five yards set up a 3rd & 5 where a USC holding penalty would give the Wildcats a 1st & goal at the nine-yard-line.

That is when Autry took a handoff from Schnur and ran it around the right side for the nine-yard touchdown that with the extra point trimmed the Trojans' lead to 24-19 with 8:17 left in the third quarter as the Wildcats attempted a two-point conversion that was unsuccessful.

With the momentum on Northwestern's side, the Trojans took over at their 21-yard-line as Otton started the drive with a 5-yard completion to tight end Tyler Cashman, then found Johnson for 19 yards and a 1st down at the Trojans' 45-yard-line.

Two plays later, the Trojans were faced with a 3rd & 11 when Otton hit Johnson at Northwestern 45-yard-line, on a post across the middle of the field as the wide receiver outran the Wildcats defense for a 56-yard touchdown to push USC's lead back to double digits to 31-19.

The Wildcats would answer quickly on the first play of their ensuing possession from their 26-yard-line as Schnur threw a bomb for Bates, who was able to make the catch despite being covered by two USC defensive backs, for 46 yards that got 15 yards added to it because of a roughing the passer penalty on the Trojans to give Northwestern a 1st down at the USC 13-yard-line.

Three runs by Autry for 12 yards put the Wildcats at the Trojans' one-yard-line where Schnur would sneak it for the touchdown to cut the USC lead back down to five points at 31-26 with 2:59 to play in the third quarter.

Following an USC three-and-out, the Wildcats got the ball back at their 43-yard-line as Schnur would complete passes of 11 yards to fullback Mike McGrew and 23 yards to Musso on a 10-play, 57-yard drive that was capped off with a two-yard touchdown run by Autry to give Northwestern its first lead of the game at 32-31 with 13:01 to go in the game after another unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt.

The Trojans would get the ball back at their 33-yard-line as they would move down the field behind the right arm of Otton as he completed passes of seven-yards to Cashman on a 3rd & 4, followed by a 13-yard pass to Chris Miller, and then a 11-yarder to Johnson on a 3rd & 10 to move USC into field goal range where Abrams would come to kick a 46-yard field goal to give USC a 34-32 lead with a little over nine minutes to go.

The Wildcats would begin their ensuing possession at their 23-yard-line as Schnur completed passes of 10 yards to Bates and 16 yards to wide receiver Dave Beasley to move Northwestern to the USC 44-yard-line when Schnur overthrown his intended receiver, fullback Matt Hertl, and was intercepted by Trojans safety Jesse Davis.

Davis would return the interception 41 yards to the Northwestern 31-yard-line as Otton would complete a five-yard pass to Barnum on a 3rd & 5 then find Johnson for six yards on a 3rd & 4 to help set up a two-yard touchdown run by Washington to push the USC lead to 41-32 with 2:55 to go in the game.

The Trojans inexplicably went with a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff, giving Northwestern the ball at their 42-yard-line as the Wildcats needed two scores to end their magical season with a Rose Bowl win.

After two incomplete passes to start the drive, Schnur would scramble for 12 yards to pick up a Northwestern 1st down at the USC 46-yard as Autry would catch two passes for 11 yards and convert on a 4th & 1 with a six-yard run to move the Wildcats to the USC 26-yard-line when it appeared that were going to cut the deficit to two points as Schnur threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Bates.

However, a holding penalty on tackle Brian Kardos would nullify the touchdown and push the Wildcats back to the USC 42-yard-line as a 12-yard pass to Musso would put the Cats back in field goal range as Gowins would come on to attempt a 49-yard field goal to keep Northwestern alive.

But this is where the clock officially struck midnight for the Wildcats as Gowins' kick bounced off the left upright as USC would take over and run out the clock as the Trojans would come away with their 20th Rose Bowl victory in school history with the 41-32 triumph.

USC quarterback Kyle Otton would play the whole game as he completed 29 of 44 passes for 391 yards and threw two touchdowns.

The win over Northwestern vaulted the Trojans to just outside the top 10 as they finished ranked #11 in the coaches poll and #12 in the AP poll with a 9-2-1 record while Northwestern would fall to #7 in the coaches poll and #8 in the AP poll with a 10-2 record.

Schnur, Autry, a healthy Fitzgerald and Barnett would all return the following season to prove 1995 was no fluke was the Wildcats would a share of the Big 10 title with Ohio State as Northwestern would finish with a 9-3 record.

As for the Trojans, their win in the 1996 Rose Bowl would be one of the final great moments for Robinson as head coach as the team finished with back-to-back six-win seasons as Robinson would be fired after the 1997 season.

They would not return to the Rose Bowl until at the end of the 2003 season as where they would defeat Michigan to win a share of the national championship in the first of four Rose Bowl victories in a span of six years.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Auburn Escapes Kentucky with Win on Walk-off FG

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton would run for 198 yards on 28 carries and score four touchdowns while completing 13 of 21 passes for 210 yards in the Tigers' win over Kentucky.

The 2010 season for the Auburn Tigers was perhaps the greatest season in school history as the team came out of nowhere to win the national championship as the team went 14-0 with seven of their victories having a margin of eight points or less.

One of the Tigers' close calls came midway through the season when Auburn traveled up to the Bluegrass state to take on the Kentucky Wildcats in a primetime showdown.

Auburn came into the game ranked #8 in the country with a 5-0 record under head coach Gene Chizik, who was in his second season as the Tigers' head coach who had led the Tigers to a 5-0 start the previous season only for Auburn to finish with a 8-5 record.

The Tigers' rise in the polls had coincided with the arrival of quarterback Cam Newton, who had joined the Auburn football program in the spring of 2010 after playing a year in junior college following dismissal from the University of Florida after he stole a laptop computer from a fellow student.

In the Tigers' first five games of the season, Newton had thrown for 928 yards and 12 touchdowns while running for 474 yards and five touchdowns in offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn's high octane no-huddle offense.

With narrow wins over Mississippi State, Clemson and South Carolina, the Tigers were starting to be seen as a national title contender as Auburn looked to avenge their 21-14 loss to Kentucky from the year before at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.

The Wildcats came into the game with a 3-2 record as they looked to end a two-game losing streak following a 3-0 start to the season under head coach Joker Phillips, who was in his first season as the Kentucky head coach after taking over for Rich Brooks, who retired after the 2009 season.

Kentucky had its own dynamic player in Randall Cobb who after playing his freshman season at quarterback, moved to wide receiver in 2009 while lining up at quarterback from time-to-time in the "Wildcat" formation as he accounted for 15 touchdowns to help Kentucky earn its fourth straight bowl appearance.

The Wildcats would hope for a big performance from Cobb if they were going to upset the Tigers and end Auburn's chances at an undefeated season.

Kentucky would get the ball to start the game as the Wildcats would get great field position for their first drive of the game as Cobb returned the opening kickoff 36 yards to the Auburn 49-yard-line.

From there, the Wildcats would travel to the Tigers' two-yard-line when Cobb, lined up at quarterback, ran it for the touchdown to give Kentucky a 7-0 lead.

The Tigers would begin their first drive of the game at their 22-yard-line as Auburn would drive 78 yards in nine plays culminating with a 16-yard touchdown run by Newton to tie the game at 7 with 6:44 to go in the first quarter.

After forcing the Wildcats to go three-and-out on their next possession, the Tigers would get the ball back at their 22-yard-line as the drive would begin with a 27-yard run by Michael Dyer which was followed by a 12-yard pass from Newton to tight end Phillip Lutzenkirchen to put Auburn in Kentucky territory at the Wildcats' 39-yard-line.

Five plays later, the Tigers were back in the end zone as Newton ran it in from eight yards out to give Auburn a 14-7 lead with 1:17 left in the opening quarter.

Following a Kentucky punt, the Tigers would begin their next drive at their 20-yard-line as two runs by Newton for 34 yards and a four-yard pass to running back Mario Fannin moved Auburn to the Kentucky 42-yard-line when Newton was able to throw a pass downfield despite being dragged down by Wildcats cornerback Anthony Mosley, that was caught by Kodi Burns for a 33-yard gain and an Auburn 1st down at the nine-yard-line.

Fannin would run for four yards on the next play from scrimmage which was followed by Newton's third touchdown run of the game, a five-yard scamper that increased Auburn's lead to 21-7 early in the second quarter.

Kentucky looked to get things going on offense on their next possession but running back Derrick Locke would fumble the football at the end of a five-yard run as he was stripped of the ball by Auburn linebacker Daren Bates as fellow linebacker Craig Stevens would recover the fumble to give the Tigers' offense the ball at their 48-yard-line.

Three straight running plays gained 31 yards until two straight incomplete passes thrown by Newton forced the Tigers to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Wes Byrum which extended the Auburn lead to 24-7 with 7:12 left in the second quarter.

Locke would atone for his fumble by returning the ensuing kickoff 40 yards to the Kentucky 45-yard-line as the Wildcats would drive 55 yards in five plays to cut the Auburn lead to 24-14 as Cobb threw a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Aumiller with 4:52 to go in the first half.

The Tigers would respond with a nine-play, 80-yard drive as Newton would complete a 34-yard pass to wide receiver Darvin Adams on a 3rd & 13, then ran for 35 yards to set up his fourth touchdown run of the game, this one from two yards out to push the Auburn lead back to 17 points at 31-14 with 1:06 remaining before halftime.

The Wildcats would take over at their 33-yard-line hoping to get some points before the end of the half as their regular starting quarterback Mike Hartline would complete four straight passes to four different receivers, totaling 43 yards to move Kentucky to the Auburn 24-yard-line with 12 seconds to go.

Hartline would throw his only incomplete pass of the drive which was followed by a 12-yard completion to Locke to set up a 29-yard field goal by Craig McIntosh as time expired in the first half with Auburn holding on to a 31-17 lead.

Kentucky's Randall Cobb complied 207 all purpose yards and accounted for four touchdowns.

The Tigers would get the ball to start the second half as Fannin would get two carries for 10 yards to give Auburn a 1st down at the Tigers' 32-yard-line when Newton was intercepted by Kentucky defensive back Winston Guy to give the Wildcats the ball at their 38-yard-line.

Hartline would connect with La'Rod King for 22 yards to begin the drive which would stall at the Auburn 39-yard-line as the Wildcats could not capitalize on the turnover and would punt the ball back to the Tigers.

The Kentucky defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at the Auburn 48-yard-line as it took the Wildcats seven plays to get into the end zone as Cobb caught a screen pass from Hartline and ran it in for a 16-yard touchdown to trim the Tigers' lead to 31-24 with 8:18 to go in the third quarter.

After another Auburn three-and-out, the Wildcats got the ball back at their 43-yard-line as Donald Russell, taking over for Locke who left the game with a bruised shoulder, would get his hands on the ball on four consecutive plays as he carried the ball three times for 21 yards and caught a nine-yard pass to move Kentucky to the Auburn 27-yard-line.

Then it was when Cobb struck again as he lined up as quarterback when the Auburn pass rush forced Randall to retreat to the 50-yard-line before he was able to run down the sideline for a 26-yard gain to give Kentucky a 1st & goal where Cobb ran it for the touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 31 with 4:03 to remaining in the third quarter.

Having seen their 17-point lead evaporate, the Tigers would take over at their 25-yard-line as Newton would complete passes of 17 yards to Terrell Zachery and 39 yards to Adams to help set up a 19-yard field goal by Byrum to give Auburn a 34-31 lead just 43 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Kentucky would get the ball back at their 30-yard-line as they would hold the ball for nearly seven minutes as the Wildcats drove 53 yards in 14 plays with the drive being capped off with a 35-yard field goal by McIntosh to tie the game at 34 with 7:31 to go in regulation.

Auburn would avoid disaster on the ensuing kickoff as Demond Washington, who caught the ball on the kick, tried to pitch it to Zachery only for the senior wide receiver to drop the ball as Terrell would land on the ball at the seven-yard-line as the Tigers would embark on one of if not the most important drives of the season.

Newton would run for four yards on 1st down, then threw an incomplete pass to bring up a 3rd & 6 where he completed a nine-yard pass to Adams to move the sticks and give Auburn a 1st down at its 20-yard-line.

Newton would then run for 10 yards on two straight carries to give the Tigers another 1st down at their 30-yard-line when on a reverse, Zachery fumbled the football after a hit by Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan as cornerback Randall Burden made the recovery but was ruled that he did not possess the fumble as he went out of bounds, allowing Auburn to keep the football at their 30-yard-line.

Following the near turnover, Newton would complete a 11 yards pass to Adams before handing it off to Dyer whose 11-yard run put the Tigers in Kentucky territory at the Wildcats' 48-yard-line.

After a nine-yard run by Newton, McCalebb would pick up the first down on a six-yard run to move the sticks to the Kentucky 30-yard-line as Dyer would get another carry, this one going for only three yards to set up a 2nd & 7.

From there, Newton would run the ball six straight times for a total of 25 yards before taking a knee to run the clock down to two seconds before Auburn called timeout as Chizik would send in Byrum to try and win the game with a chip shot field goal.

Byrum would calmly make the 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the Tigers a 37-34 victory to improve Auburn's record to 6-0 while dropping Kentucky's record to 3-3.

Auburn players mob Wes Byrum after his game-winning field goal 

One week after the heartbreaking loss to Auburn, the Wildcats would overcome a 28-10 halftime deficit to score 21 unanswered points to shock the #10 South Carolina Gamecocks 31-28 in what would be the high point of Kentucky's season as the Cats would finish with a 6-7 record after a 27-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama.

As for the Tigers, their magic carpet ride would continue through the rest of the season as they finish the regular season with a 12-0 record as Auburn would rout South Carolina 56-17 in the SEC Championship Game to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship Game against the Oregon Ducks while securing the Heisman Trophy for Newton.

In the title game, Dyer was able to rip off a 37-yard run after he landed on top off of an Oregon defender without his knee touching the ground, to help set up the game-winning field goal by Byrum from 19 yards out as time expired to give the Tigers a 22-19 win and their first national championship since 1957.(To read about the championship game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/08/college-football-old-school-game-of_28.html).

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Boise State Outlasts Nevada in Shootout

Boise State running Ian Johnson ran for 205 yards on 28 carries while catching four passes for 51 yards as he accounted for three touchdowns.

On October 14, 2007, the Nevada Wolfpack traveled up to Boise, Idaho to take on the Boise State Broncos in a game that at the time was the highest scoring game in FBS(Football Bowl Subdivision)history.

Boise State came into the game with a 4-1 record led by second year head coach Chris Peterson, who had led the Broncos to a 13-0 season the year before that ended with the Broncos' improbable 43-42 win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl in which the Broncos used a number of trick plays to help them pull off the upset.

Returning from that team was their leading rusher Ian Johnson, who had proposed to his girlfriend after the game, but not starting quarterback Jared Zabransky, who had graduated following the 2006 season with his replacement being senior Taylor Tharp, who had helped design the "Statue of Liberty" play that was the game-winning two point conversion in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Broncos' strength at this point of the 2007 season was their defense as they came into the game having allowed just 61 points and an average of 231.2 yards per game, good for #3 in total defense in the country.

Little did the Broncos know that their defense would be carved up by the Nevada Wolfpack, who came into the game with a brand new starting quarterback in Colin Kaepernick.

The redshirt freshman had taken over for an injured Nick Graziano the week before in which Kaepernick threw for 384 yards and four touchdowns in a losing effort for the Wolfpack as they came into the Boise State game with a 2-3 record.

The Wolfpack's head coach was Chris Ault, who was in the fourth season of his second tenure as the Nevada head coach as he directed the Wolfpack from 1976-1995 winning 170 games.

Since his return to the sidelines in 2004, Ault had used the "pistol formation" in which the running back lines up directly behind the quarterback who is in the shotgun formation which allows the quarterback to read the defense better and determine whether or not he should hand the ball off to the running back or keep it himself if he is a threat as a runner.

With Kaepernick at quarterback and sophomore Luke Lippincott as the running back, the Wolfpack hoped to use the pistol to help pull off an upset of the Broncos on the blue turf of Boise as Boise State had lost only two home games since the beginning of the 1999 season.

 Boise State would get the ball to start the game as the Broncos would drive 64 yards in eight plays as Johnson carried the ball four times for 31 yards on the drive that ended with Jeremy Avery running it in from nine yards out to give Boise State an 7-0 lead.

Following an exchange of punts, the Wolfpack had the ball at their 10-yard-line when Kaepernick began to find his rhythm throwing the ball as he completed passes of 18 and 26 yards to wide receiver Marko Mitchell on the 12-play drive that culminated with Kaepernick connecting with tight end Junior Pakula on a 16-yard touchdown that would tie the game at 7 with 1:10 left in the first quarter.

The Broncos would begin their ensuing possession at their 32-yard-line as two runs by Tharp gained 11 yards for a Boise State 1st down where Tharp appeared to have completed a 30-yard pass to wide receiver Jeremy Childs only for it to be nullified because of a pass interference penalty on Childs which pushed the Broncos back 15 yards to their 28-yard-line.

That is when Tharp handed the ball off to Johnson who took off on the longest run of his career, a 72-yard touchdown to give the Broncos a 14-7 lead just 35 seconds into the second quarter.

After another Nevada punt, the Broncos would get the ball back at their 38-yard-line as they would drive down to the Wolfpack 33-yard-line when they lined up for a field goal only for holder Tanyon Bissell to throw a pass for tight end Ryan Putnam, who had lined up all by myself near the sideline, who took it into the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown that extended Boise State's lead to 21-7 with 6:06 to go in the second quarter.

The Wolfpack would get the ball back at their 33-yard-line as the first two plays of the drive lost two yards to set up 3rd & 12 when Kaepernick completed a short pass to Mitchell, who then dodged a tackle attempt from Boise State cornerback Orlando Scandrick, and ran it down the field until he was tackled at the Broncos' nine-yard-line after a 58-yard gain.

Three plays later, the Broncos were in the end zone as Lippincott punched it in from one yard out to cut the Wolfpack deficit in half to 21-14 with 4:27 remaining before halftime.

The Broncos would respond with a 5-play, 66-yard drive as Tharp completed all three of his passes for 60 yards on the drive with the last completion being a 25-yard touchdown to tight end Sherm Blaser to push the Boise State lead back to 14 points at 28-14 with 2:33 to go in the first half.

It would not take long for the Wolfpack to get back into the end zone as Kaepernick completed passes of two yards to Lippincott and 14 yards to Adam Bishop before firing a 58-yard touchdown to Mitchell to make an one-possession game at 28-21 with 1:15 to go in the half.

Boise State seemed poised to add some points before the end of the half as they began their ensuing possession at their 42-yard-line only for Tharp to be intercepted by Nevada defensive tackle Mundrae Clifton to give the Wolfpack the ball at the Broncos' 48-yard-line.

However, the Wolfpack could not take advantage of the turnover as the clock ran out in the first half with Boise State ahead 28-21 as Nevada would get the ball to start the second half.

In his first collegiate start, Colin Kaepernick threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns while running for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wolfpack's opening possession of the first half would begin with a 32-yard run by Lippincott that with a 15-yard face mask penalty on Boise State safety Austin Smith to give Nevada a 1st down at the Broncos' 33-yard-line.

After three straight runs by backup running back Brandon Fragger gained 22 yards, Lippincott would carry for six yards before punching it in for a five-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 28.

The Broncos would get the ball back at their 41-yard-line as they looked to recapture the lead as they drove down to the Nevada 18-yard-line until a holding penalty would help kill the drive and force Boise State to settle for a 40-yard field goal by Kyle Brotzman to give Boise a 31-28 lead midway through the third quarter.

After forcing the Wolfpack to punt on their ensuing possession, the Broncos would hold the ball for nearly six-and-a-half minutes as they drove 53 yards in 13 plays to set up a 31-yard field goal by Brotzman which extended Boise State's lead to 34-28 with 13:18 to go in the fourth quarter.

Nevada looked like it was going to have to punt it again as they faced a 3rd & 8 at their 31-yard-line when Kaepernick kept the ball himself and 28 yards to give the Wolfpack a 1st down at the Boise State 41-yard-line.

On the very next play, Kaepernick would connect with wide receiver Mike McCoy on a 41-yard touchdown that would tie the game at 34 as Nevada was set to take the lead when Boise State defensive tackle Dan Gore blocked the extra point to game tied.

The blocked extra point would come back to haunt the Wolfpack later in the game.

The Broncos would respond with a five-play, 63-yard drive as Tharp completed three of four passes for 60 yards on the drive which ended with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Tharp to Johnson to put Boise State back on top at 41-34 with 10:37 left in the fourth quarter.

It would only take the Wolfpack 25 seconds to get back into the end zone as Kaepernick started the ensuing drive with a 55-yard run, then ran it in for a nine-yard touchdown to tie the game once again at 41.

The Broncos would get the ball back at their 39-yard-line as it took them three plays to drive into Nevada territory until Johnson lost the football at the end of a 10-yard run as Wolfpack linebacker Ezra Butler forced and recovered the fumble to give the Wolfpack the ball at their 31-yard-line.

The Wolfpack would not put the ball back into the air as they ran the ball nine straight times for 51 yards to set up a 35-yard field Brett Jaekle that would give Nevada its first lead of the game at 44-41 with 3:40 to go in regulation.

Boise State would get great field position to start its next drive as Rashaun Scott would return the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to the Nevada 44-yard-line as the Broncos decided to bleed the clock as they drove down the field as they advanced all the way to the 10-yard-line before sending in the field goal unit to try and send the game into overtime with three seconds to go.

Nevada called timeout in hopes of freezing the kicker but to no avail as Brotzman would calmly make the 27-yard field goal to tie the game at 44 as time expired in regulation, sending the game into overtime.

Broncos quarterback Taylor Tharp completed 26 of 35 passes for 340 yards and threw four touchdown passes.

The offensive fireworks would continue in the extra period as it would take the Wolfpack only one play to get into the zone as Lippincott ran it for a 25-yard touchdown to give Nevada a 51-44 lead.

Not to be outdone, the Broncos only needed one play to score a touchdown as Tharp fired a 25-yard touchdown pass to Blaser to tie the game at 51 and send it to a second overtime period.

Once again, the Broncos would score a touchdown on the first play of their ensuing drive as Tharp found Childs for the 25-yard touchdown to give Boise State a 58-51 lead.

The Wolfpack would actually waste a play before scoring a touchdown as Kaepernick would throw an incomplete pass on 1st down then run it from 25 yards out on 2nd down to tie the game at 58 and send it to a third overtime period.

Lippincott would run for 16 yards to begin the third overtime period when the Boise State defense finally rose up and helped make a stop as Kaepernick would throw two incomplete passes, forcing the Wolfpack to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Jaekle to give Nevada a 61-58 lead.

Needing a touchdown to win the game, the Broncos would advance to the Nevada 10-yard-line on two runs by Avery for 15 yards until the freshman running back was dropped for a two-yard-loss which was followed by an incomplete pass to bring up 4th down when Bortzman came on to kick a 29-yard field goal to force a fourth overtime period with the game tied at 61.

It would take the Broncos five plays to get back into the end zone as Johnson would punch it in for a one-yard touchdown which was followed by Tharp completing a swing pass to Avery, who then took into the end zone for the two-point conversion, which was required if a team scored a touchdown beyond the third overtime period, to give Boise State a 69-61 lead.

After an incomplete pass to start the drive, the Wolfpack would keep the ball on the ground as Lippincott carried the ball twice for 11 yards, followed by a seven-yard run by Kaepernick and then a seven-yard touchdown run by Lippincott to make it 69-67 as the Wolfpack prepared to attempt a two-point conversion that if successful would force a fifth overtime period.

That is when Boise State linebacker Tim Brady was able to sack Kaepernick on the two-point conversion to end the game with the Broncos on top 69-67 in a game that featured a combined 136 points and 1,266 yards of total offense.

 Boise State would go on to win its next five games until the regular season finale when the Broncos lost to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 39-27 to end Boise State's run of five straight WAC conference championships as the Broncos would finish the season with a 41-38 loss to East Carolina in the Hawaii Bowl to finish with a 10-3 record.

As Nevada, they would keep Kaepernick as the team's starting quarterback as he helped lead the Wolfpack to a third straight bowl appearance, a 23-0 loss to New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl, to finish the season with a 6-7 record.

However, brighter days were ahead for the Wolfpack as Kaepernick remain as the starting quarterback for the next three seasons which included a historic 2009 season in which he, Lippincott, and Vai Taua would all run for at least 1,000 yards, the first time in FBS history that three players from the same team had crossed the 1,000 yard rushing mark.

Then in 2010, the Wolfpack would get a matter of revenge for their 2007 loss as Kaepernick would lead Nevada to a 34-31 overtime victory over the Broncos in the final game of the regular season, which handed Boise State its first loss and ended their hopes of playing for a national championship.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: BYU Wins Holy War on Beck-to-Harline Walk Off Touchdown

 

Jonny Harline raises his rams in celebration after catching the game-winning touchdown in BYU's victory over Utah in 2006.

What makes college football so unique is that a player or players could earn a place in their school's football history with a singular play or moment in that can occur in a rivalry game.

Such is the case for BYU quarterback John Beck and tight end Jonny Harline for what they did on the final play of the Cougars' 2006 game against the Utah Utes that would become known as the "Answered Prayer" by BYU fans.

The Cougars came into their annual showdown with their rivals from Salt Lake City with a 9-2 record, the team's first winning season since 2001 as BYU had already wrapped the Mountain West conference championship and had accepted an invitation to play in the Las Vegas Bowl after the regular season.

The Cougars were led by head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who was in his second season as the BYU head coach after serving as the team's defensive coordinator in 2003 + 2004, and featured one of the country's most explosive offenses which averaged 37 points per game through the first 11 games of the season under the leadership of Beck, who had thrown for 3,135 yards and 26 touchdowns up to this point the season.

Beck's favorite target was Harline who had caught 42 passes for 636 yards and scored eight touchdowns in helping BYU go on an eight-game winning streak to earn the Cougars a #21 ranking in the AP and coaches polls as prepared for the 2006 version of the "Holy War".

Utah came into the game unranked with a 7-4 record in a up-and-down season under coach Kyle Wittingham, who was in his second season as Utah head coach after taking over for Urban Meyer who had led the Utes to a 12-0 season and Fiesta Bowl win in 2004.

On the field, the Utes were led by senior quarterback Brett Ratliff, who one year earlier made his first career start against BYU which he led Utah to a 41-34 overtime victory, and all-American cornerback Eric Weddle, who led the team with six interceptions.

Weddle and Ratliff were hoping to finish their college careers undefeated against BYU as the Utes was on a four-game winning streak in the "Holy War" as Utah hoped to make it five in a row in front of nearly 45,000 raucous fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

  BYU would get the ball to start the game as Beck come out firing as he would complete four of five passes for 83 yards on the 10-play, 83-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown by running back Manase Tonga to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead.

After the Utes punted on their opening possession of the game, the Cougars got the ball back at their 19-yard-line when Beck threw a chest pass to wide receiver Zac Collie for a 21-yard gain to begin the drive.

After Curtis Brown was dropped for a two-yard loss on the next play from scrimmage, Beck hit tight end Daniel Coats for a 26-yard completion to put the Cougars in Utah territory when Beck connected with Harline for a 36-yard touchdown to extend BYU's lead to 14-0 with 6:48 left in the first quarter.

The two teams would exchange punts as the game moved into the second quarter when the Utes marched into BYU territory for the first time in the game when they drove from their 35-yard-line to the Cougars' 47-yard-line until they lined to punt on 4th & 6.

But the Utes would not punt the ball as kicker Louie Sakoda kept the ball and ran 18 yards for a Utah 1st down at the BYU 29-yard-line.

Two plays later, the Utes would once again go into their bag of tricks as defensive back Eric Weddle lined up at quarterback and threw a 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brent Casteel to cut the Cougars' lead to 14-7 with 9:18 remaining in the second quarter.

Following a BYU three-and-out, the Utes got the ball back at their 48-yard-line as they were able to drive to the Cougars' 17-yard-line until a pair of incomplete passes and a quarterback sack pushed Utah back to the BYU 24-yard-line where Sakoda would come on to try a 41-yard field goal.

However, Sakoda's kick would sail wide left to keep the score at 14-7 in favor of BYU who would begin its next possession at its 24-yard-line.

Beck would throw three straight incomplete passes to force a BYU punt as Utah would take over at its 28-yard-line with 1:51 left before halftime.

The Utes would move to their 40-yard-line when it appeared disaster had struck as Ratliff appeared to fumble the ball after a hit by BYU linebacker Aaron Wagner as fellow linebacker Bryan Kell picked up the ball and ran it back for a touchdown.

However, the replay booth showed that Ratliff's arm was moving forward, making it an incomplete pass, as the call was overturned which allowed Utah to keep the football.

From there, Ratliff would lead the Utes to the BYU six-yard-line to set up a 24-yard field goal attempt by Sakoda, which he made as time expired to trim the deficit to four points at 14-10 as the first half came to an end.

Utah wide receiver Brent Casteel caught five passes for 100 yards and scored two TDs.

Utah would get the ball to start the second half as it only took the Utes one play to get into Cougar territory as Ratliff completed a 47-yard pass to wide receiver Brian Hernandez to put Utah at the BYU 26-yard-line.

The Utes would advance to the BYU seven-yard-line when on 4th & 1 they decided to go for the 1st down only for Ratliff to be stopped for no gain on a quarterback sneak as Utah would turn it over on downs.

After forcing the Cougars to punt on their ensuing possession, the Utes got the ball back at their 43-yard-line when Ratliff threw a pass for wide receiver Marquis Wilson, who made the catch at the BYU 40-yard-line and then outran the Cougar defense for the 57-yard touchdown to give Utah its first lead of the game at 17-14 with 8:24 left in the third quarter.

Following a BYU three-and-out, the Utes would begin their next possession at their 34-yard-line as two critical BYU penalties, a pass interference penalty on defensive back Ben Criddle and a roughing-the passer penalty on linebacker Kelly Poppinga, helped Utah moved down the field to set up its four-yard touchdown pass from Ratliff to tight end Colt Sampson to extend its lead to 24-14 with 1:41 to go in the third quarter.

Facing their biggest deficit of the year, the Cougars desperately needed a good drive to turn the momentum back in their favor after giving up 24 unanswered points.

Beck would complete his next three passes for 25 yards to lead the Cougars to the Utah 45-yard-line when facing a 3rd & 24, Beck threw a deep pass for Harline in the end zone where he drew a pass interference penalty on Utah free safety Steve Tate that would give BYU an automatic 1st down at the Utes' 30-yard-line.

From there, the Cougars would draw an offsides penalty on the Utes for a free five yards which was followed by a 23-yard pass from Beck to Collie to give BYU a 1st & goal at the Utah two-yard-line.

After Fui Vakapuna was dropped for a two-yard loss on 1st down, Beck found Harline in the end zone for the four-yard touchdown to cut the Utes' lead to 24-20 as the extra point would be blocked with 13:15 left in the fourth quarter.

Utah would pick up two 1st downs before punting the ball back to the Cougars, who took over at their 10-yard-line when they put together their longest drive of the game as they drove 90 yards in 13 plays on a drive that took up six minutes and thirty-seven seconds on the clock.

Beck would complete six of seven passes for 48 yards on the drive that culminated with a two-yard touchdown pass from Beck to Coats to give BYU a 27-24 lead with 3:23 to go in regulation.

BYU quarterback John Beck would complete 28 of 43 passes for 375 yards and throw four touchdowns.

Needing at least a field goal to tie, the Utes would begin their next possession at their 17-yard-line with an incomplete pass followed by a 16-yard pass from Ratliff to running back Daryl Poston that was  wiped out because of a holding penalty to push Utah back to its nine-yard-line where they faced a 2nd & 18 situation.

Two passes to wide receiver Derrek Richards for 16 yards set up a do-or-die 4th & 2 when Ratliff scrambled for six yards to give Utah a fresh set of downs at their 31-yard-line.

On the next play from scrimmage, Ratliff would hit Casteel for 37 yards to move the Utes to inside BYU territory as they had a 1st down at the Cougars' 32-yard-line.

Ratliff would then complete two more passes to Richards for 13 yards to put Utah at the BYU 19-yard-line when Ratliff completed a short screen to Casteel, who managed to zigzag his way through the BYU defense to get into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown and give the Utes a 31-27 lead with 1:19 to go in the game.

Curtis Brown would return the ensuing kickoff 25 yards to the Utah 25-yard-line as Beck and the BYU offense would come onto the field needing to score a touchdown instead of a field goal because of the blocked extra point earlier in the 4th quarter.

The drive would begin with a 15-yard pass from Beck to wide receiver Bryce Mahiuka to give BYU a 1st down at its 40-yard-line as Beck would complete one of his next three passes for six yards to set up a 4th & 4 situation at the Cougars' 46-yard-line.

That is when Beck found Harline for a 17-yard completion to give BYU a 1st down at the Utah 37-yard-line as Beck and Harline would connect again on the next play from scrimmage, this one for seven yards as the Cougars called timeout with 17 seconds to go and 30 yards away from the end zone.

Beck would then hit McKay Jacobsen for 19 yards and a 1st down at the Utah 11-yard-line when Beck was able to spike the ball and stop the clock with seven seconds to play.

With at best two chances to get into the end zone, Beck would throw a fade for Harline in the right corner of the end zone only for Utah cornerback Brice McCain to break up the pass as the ball fell to the ground with three seconds to go.

Lined up in the shotgun, Beck would take the snap as he drifted toward his left as he tried to point his receivers to find an open spot in the end zone until Utah linebacker Joe Jiannoni forced Beck to scramble back to the right side where he fired a pass across his body to a wide open Harline in the left corner of the end zone.

Falling to his knees, Harline would make the catch for what would be the game-winning touchdown to end the Cougars' four-game losing streak in the "Holy War" and give BYU a shocking 33-31 victory.

The heartbreaking loss to BYU would drop the Utes to a 7-5 record but still good enough to earn an invitation to play Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas where the Utes defeat the Golden Hurricane 25-13 to finish the season with an 8-5 record.

As for the Cougars, they would face the Oregon Ducks in the Las Vegas Bowl where Beck would throw for 375 yards and two touchdowns with Harline catching nine passes for 181 yards and a touchdown to lead BYU to a 38-8 rout to finish the season with a 11-2 record and #15 ranking in the final AP poll and #16 ranking in the final coaches poll.