College Football Old School Game of the Week: Byars' Historic Performances Leads Buckeyes To Comeback Win

Keith Byars, with his shoe off, runs for his one of his five touchdowns during Ohio State's comeback win over Illinois in 1984.

Most of the college football media and college football fans would agree that Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie was the rightful winner of the 1984 Heisman Trophy.

But if you were in or around Columbus, Ohio, they would tell you the best player in college football in 1984 was Ohio State Buckeyes running back Keith Byars, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy race behind Flutie as Byars ran for a then school record 1,764 yards and scored 22 touchdowns while catching 42 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns to help lead Ohio State to the Rose Bowl.

Byars' finest performance would come midway through the '84 season when the #8 ranked Buckeyes hosted the Illinois Fighting Illini in front of nearly 90,000 fans at Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State entered the Illinois game with a 4-1 record as they been upset by the Purdue Boilermakers 28-23 one week earlier, despite a 30-carry, 191-yard two touchdown performance by Byars which caused the Buckeyes to drop from #2 to #8 in the country.

The Buckeyes were led by head coach Earle Bruce, who was in his sixth season as the Ohio State head coach after taking over for Woody Hayes who had been fired after punching a Clemson player toward the end of the 1978 Gator Bowl to end his 28-year run in Columbus where Hayes led the Buckeyes to eight Rose Bowl appearances and three national championships.

While the Buckeyes made it to Pasadena in Bruce's first season in 1979, they had not returned to the "Grandaddy of them all" as they had complied four straight 9-3 seasons.

But led by Byars, who ran for 728 yards and eight touchdowns while catching 22 passes for 212 yards in the Buckeyes' first five games, and the additions of freshman wide receiver Cris Carter and linebacker Chris Spielman, the Buckeyes looked to end their mini-drought from the Rose Bowl.

On the other side were the Fighting Illini, who came into the Ohio State game with a 4-2 record and unranked as Illinois hoped to return to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row after ending a 20-year absence the year before.

Illinois was led by head coach Mike White, who has in his fifth season as the Illini head coach, as he had turned the Illinois football program with a strong passing attack, which went against the old "three yards and a cloud of dust" that the Big 10 Conference had been built on.

Pulling the trigger at quarterback was Jack Trudeau, who had thrown for 2,446 yards and 18 touchdowns the year before, with his favorite target being wide receiver David Williams who caught 59 passes for 870 touchdowns in his freshman season in 1983.

Trudeau, Williams, and the Illini traveled to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes in hopes of defeating the Buckeyes for the second straight year after losing their previous 15 meetings dating back to 1968.

The Buckeyes got the ball first as they begin their initial possession at their 30-yard-line with three straight runs by Byars for 12 yards before two other running plays gained only two yards forcing Ohio State to punt to the Illini.

Illinois would then move 80 yards in 12 plays, the biggest play being a 38-yard run by running back Thomas Rooks, with the drive being capped off with a three-yard touchdown pass from Trudeau to wide receiver Randy Grant to give the Illini a 7-0 lead with 10:32 to go in the first quarter.

After an Ohio State three-and-out, the Illini got the ball back at their 34-yard-line as Trudeau completed passes of 17 yards to running back Ray Wilson and 23 yards to Grant on a nine-play, 57-yard drive that ended with a 26-yard field goal by Chris White to extend Illinois' lead to 10-0.

Ohio State would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line but would give the ball right back to the Illini as Tomczak would be picked off by Illinois cornerback Mike Heaven on a pass intended for Carter to give Illinois the ball at the Ohio State 21-yard-line.

Three plays later, Trudeau would find Williams in the end zone for the nine-yard touchdown to extend Illinois' lead to 17-0 with 1:39 left in the first quarter.

Things would go from bad to worse for the Buckeyes on the first play of their ensuing possession as Byars dropped a pitch from Tomczak which was recovered by Illinois safety Craig Swoope at the Ohio State 21-yard-line.

It would take the Illini six plays to get back into the end zone as Trudeau would throw his third touchdown pass of the game, an 8-yarder to tight end Cap Boso on the second play of the second quarter to increase Illinois' lead to a seemingly insurmountable 24-0.

Illinois quarterback Jack Trudeau completed 32 of 52 passes for 313 yards and threw four touchdown passes.

The one thing going for the Buckeyes was that still had time to mount a comeback as they were nearly three quarters of football to play.

Taking over at their 12-yard-line, the Buckeyes would drive to the Illini 13-yard-line, thanks in large part to two passes from Tomczak to wide receiver Mike Lanese for 39 yards, until the drive stalled as two runs by Byars gained zero yards which was followed by an incomplete pass to set up a 4th & 10 situation.

Instead of kicking a field goal to get on the board, Bruce went for the 1st down which the Buckeyes could not covert as Tomczak would throw an incomplete pass to end the drive and give the Illini the ball at their 13-yard-line.

Illinois seemed poised to make a 31-0 lead as a 36-yard pass from Trudeau to Grant help moved the Illini to the Ohio State 31-yard-line until a clipping penalty would kill the drive and force Illinois to punt the ball to the Buckeyes, who would begin their next possession at their nine-yard-line.

Ohio State would then ride the right arm of Tomczak to help them drive down the field as he would complete three straight passes for 68 yards, the biggest one being a 36-yard completion to Carter, to move the Buckeyes to the Illinois 23-yard-line.

After a holding penalty pushed the Buckeyes back 10 yards, Tomczak would complete a 17-yard pass to Carter which was followed by a 16-yard touchdown run by Byars to put Ohio State on the scoreboard and cut the Illinois lead to 24-7 with 4:13 left in the second quarter.

Thanks to an late hit penalty on Swoope on the touchdown, the Buckeyes would kick off from the Illinois' 45-yard-line when they attempt an onside kick which was recovered by linebacker Joe Jenkins to give Ohio State the ball at the Illinois 31-yard-line.

After an one-yard run by Byars on 1st down, Tomczak would throw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Carter that for the Buckeyes' second touchdown in 50 seconds to trim the deficit to 10 points at 24-14.

Illinois looked to stop the Buckeyes' rally before it could get going as the Illini traveled 27 yards on the first three plays of their ensuing possession until Trudeau would be intercepted by Ohio State cornerback Sonny Gordon to give the Buckeyes the ball back at their 38-yard-line with 2:03 left before halftime.

The Buckeyes would then drive 62 yards in 10 plays with Tomczak completing five of eight passes for 47 yards to help set up Byars' four-yard touchdown run to make it an one-possession game at 24-21 with 23 seconds to go in the first half.

Illinois would take a knee to end the first half as they would set to get the ball to start the second half with hopes of stopping the Buckeyes' momentum.

But the Illini would fumble the opening kickoff of the second half as Wilson lost the football after a hit by cornerback William White as Scott Leach would make the recovery to give Ohio State the ball at the Illinois 26-yard-line.

After riding the passing game to get back in the game, the Buckeyes would rely on Byars on the ground attack for this drive as he carried on all four plays of the drive  with the last carry being an one-yard dive into the end zone to give Ohio State a 28-24 lead just 73 seconds into the second half.

Having seen their 24-point lead evaporated, the Illini would begin their next possession at their 20-yard-line as Trudeau would complete passes of 14 yards and 15 yards to David Boatright to help move Illinois to the Ohio State 29-yard-line until the drive stalled as the Illini would settle for a 46-yard field goal by White to cut the Buckeyes' lead to 28-27.

The Buckeyes would get the ball back at their 23-yard-line as Byars would carry the ball two straight times gaining 15 yards until an illegal procedure penalty pushed Ohio State back five yards to their 33-yard-line where they would face a 2nd & 11 situation.

That is when Tomczak handed the ball off to Byars who took around the right side toward the sideline before cutting it back to the middle of the field where around the Illinois 40-yard-line where Byars would lose his left shoe but still outran the Illini defense for a 67-yard touchdown that would increase Ohio State's lead to 35-27 with 8:57 left in the third quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Illini would put together a 10-play, 63-yard drive that would end with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Trudeau to Wilson to bring Illinois to within two points at 35-33 as they decided to go for the two-point conversion which they converted as Trudeau would keep the ball himself and run it into the end zone to tie the game at 35 with 1:03 to go in the third quarter.

The Buckeyes would begin their next possession at their 21-yard-line as Byars would carry the ball seven times for 30 yards on a 14-play, 49-yard drive that culminated with a 47-yard field goal by Rich Spangler to give Ohio State a 38-35 lead with 10:21 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Illini would get the ball back at their 22-yard-line for their next drive which would last nearly seven minutes as Illinois would convert on four straight 3rd down conversion to move to the Ohio State seven-yard-line where they had a 1st & goal as Rooks would carry the ball on the next two plays, gaining six yards to set up a 3rd & goal at the one when Rooks was stopped for no gain to bring up a 4th & goal situation.

Instead of trying to get into the end zone that would give them the lead, the Illini settled for the game-tying field goal, which White made from 18 yards out to tie the game at 38 with 3:18 to go in the game.

After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, the Buckeyes would start their next drive at their 20-yard-line with a chance to drive down the field for at least a field goal that could give them the win.

Following an incomplete pass to begin the drive, Tomczak would hand the ball off to Byars, who would run for 23 yards to give the Buckeyes a 1st down at their 43-yard-line.

From there, Byars alternated carries with John Woolridge as the Buckeyes would advance all the way to the Illinois three-yard-line when Tomczak pitched it Byars, who took it in for his fifth touchdown of the game but more importantly give Ohio State a 45-38 lead with just 32 seconds to go in the game.

Ohio State wide receiver Cris Carter would catch seven passes for 134 yards and scored one TD.

Illinois would have one last chance to at least salvage a tie as they took over at their 21-yard-line as Trudeau would complete a 19-yard pass to Grant which unfortunately for the Illini would be followed by four straight incomplete passes to end the game as Ohio State completed what was then the greatest comeback in school history to win the game 45-38 thanks in large part to Byars who finished with a school record 274 yards and five touchdowns on 39 carries.

Illinois would win three of their four remaining games of the regular season to finish the season with a 7-4 record but not enough to earn an invitation to a bowl game as there were just 18 bowl games in 1984.

As for Ohio State, they would go 4-1 over the last month of the regular season to finish with a 9-2 overall record as they would finish first in the Big 10 conference to earn the Buckeyes their first trip to the Rose Bowl in five years which they lost 20-17 to the USC Trojans.

Byars would return to Ohio State for his senior season but his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy would before the season even began as he broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot causing him to miss the first five games of the 1985 season.

Byars would return to the field only to reinjure his foot in his second game back which caused him to miss the rest of the regular season as the Buckeyes would be invited to play the BYU Cougars in the Citrus Bowl where he reaggravated the injury again.

Byars would recover from the injury to have a 13-year NFL career as he played for four different teams, with his longest tenure being with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1986-1992, as he would become a prolific pass catcher out of the backfield as he finished his career with 610 catches for 5,661 yards and 30 touchdowns to go along with his 3,109 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Seahawks Take Down Bucs in "Expansion Bowl"

Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn 11 of 27 passes for 167 yards and one touchdown in Seattle's win in the "Expansion Bowl".

 For the 1976 season, the National Football League introduced two new franchises in the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The two teams would meet for the first time during Week 6 of the 1976 NFL season in a game that was dubbed by the media as the "Expansion Bowl" as both teams were seeking their first ever NFL victory.

The Seahawks were led by head coach Jack Patera, who had spent the previous seven seasons as the defensive line coach of the Minnesota Vikings which featured the famous "Purple People Eaters" that led Minnesota to three Super Bowl appearances during Patera's time with the Vikings.

Despite his background in defense, Patera was having a difficult time in building the Seattle defense as the Seahawks gave up a combined 153 points over the team's first games or 31 points per game.

If the Seahawks were going to get into the win column, they most likely would need a big day from  quarterback Jim Zorn and his favorite target, rookie wide receiver Steve Largent.

On the other side were the Buccaneers, who were led by John McKay, who became the Tampa Bay head coach after a 16-year reign as tenure as the USC Trojans' head coach in which he led USC to four national championships.

While the Seahawks' problems in their first year were mainly on defense, the Buccaneers' issues were on offense as the unit led by future Florida Gators head coach Steve Spurrier had scored just 26 points over their first five games including three shutouts.

After the Seahawks went three-and-out to start the game, the Buccaneers would begin their first drive of the game at the 50-yard-line as a 18-yard pass from Spurrier to running back Louis Carter would be the longest play of Tampa Bay's eight-play, 29-yard drive that ended with a 38-yard field goal by Dave Green to give the Bucs a 3-0 lead.

Following an exchange of punts, the Seahawks took over at their 14-yard-line as Zorn completed a 26-yard pass to tight end Ron Howard to help Seattle drive to its 46-yard-line before lining up to punt the ball back to the Bucs early in the second quarter.

So it was bad on bad as the Buccaneers' putrid offense took on the Seahawks' horrific defense on a hot muggy afternoon in Tampa Bay, Florida.

However, punter Rick Engles took the snap in the punt formation and then ran it 13 yards that with a five-yard face mask penalty on the Bucs gave Seattle a 1st down at the Tampa Bay 36-yard-line.

On the very next play from scrimmage, Zorn hit wide receiver Steve Largent for a 30-yard completion to put the Seahawks at the Tampa Bay six-yard-line as after a one-yard run by Sherman Smith on 1st down, Seattle appeared to have a touchdown as Zorn connected with Largent in the end zone.

But a holding penalty on Seattle right tackle Gordon Jolley would nullify the touchdown and push them back 10 yards to the Tampa Bay 15-yard-line when Zorn was able to find wide receiver Sam McCullum for the touchdown which this time stood as the Seahawks took a 7-3 lead just 1:45 into the second quarter.

The Bucs would drive from their 20-yard-line to the Seattle 41-yard-line until a holding penalty would push them back into their own territory as they would punt the ball back to the Seahawks, who would take over at their four-yard-line.

The Tampa defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball at the Seattle 35-yard-line as the Bucs would move to the six-yard-line until another holding penalty pushed them back 10 yards as the drive would stall.

The Bucs lined to attempt a 36-yard field goal but Green's kick would be partially blocked by Seattle defensive back Lyle Blackwood to keep the score at 7-3 as the Seahawks would take over at their 20-yard-line for their next possession.

The drive would begin with a 24-yard pass from Zorn to McCullum followed by a seven-yard completion between the two to put Seattle in Tampa Bay territory as Smith carried the ball on the next two plays with the second carry being a 16-yard run to give the Seahawks a 1st down at the Bucs' 32-yard-line.

Zorn would then complete a 19-yard pass to Howard followed by a 11-yard pass to McCullum to put the Seahawks at the Tampa Bay two-yard-line where they would have a 1st & goal.

But a holding penalty would help slow the Seahawks down as they wound up settling for a 25-yard field goal by John Leypoldt which increased Seattle's lead to 10-3 as the two-minute warning hit.

Buccaneers quarterback Steve Spurrier completed 18 of 30 passes for 170 yards.

Tampa Bay would begin its ensuing possession at its 31-yard-line but a holding penalty to go along with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on McKay for arguing which push the Bucs back to their 12-yard-line as they would punt the back to the Seahawks with 57 seconds left in the first half.

A 16-yard punt return by Blackwood would put the Seahawks at the Tampa 30-yard-line as an eight-yard pass from Zorn to Smith would set up a 39-yard field goal by Leypoldt which increased Seattle's lead to 13-3 with only 18 seconds to go before halftime.

The Bucs would run out the clock to end the first half, trailing 13-3 after a first half which featured a combined 21 penalties in a flag fest that would continue throughout the second half.

The Bucs would begin the second half on offense at their 20-yard-line as another holding penalty and a quarterback sack by Seattle defensive tackle Richard Harris would force Tampa to go three-and-out as the Seahawks would get the ball back at the Tampa Bay 34-yard-line with an excellent chance to increase their lead.

However, the Seahawks could not take advantage of the opportunity as Zorn would be intercepted by Tampa Bay strong safety Mark Cotney on a pass intended for McCullum to give the Bucs the ball at their seven-yard-line.

Tampa Bay would pick up two 1st downs before punting the ball to the Seahawks, who took over at their 45-yard-line, when Smith fumbled the football as Buccaneers linebacker Richard Wood would recover the fumble to give the Bucs the ball back at their 46-yard-line.

The Bucs would drive down to the Seattle one-yard-line aided by a crucial penalty on the Seahawks as they were called for offsides that nullified a quarterback sack of Spurrier that would have set up a 3rd & long situation.

After two runs fail to get into the end zone, Spurrier would hand the ball off to Carter who was stopped at the line of scrimmage only for him to shovel the ball to wide receiver Morris Owens, who managed to get into the end zone for the first ever home touchdown in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history and cut the Seahawks' lead to 13-10 with 2:02 to go in the third quarter.

Following the Tampa Bay touchdown, the game turned into a defensive stalemate as neither team could mount a drive into the other's territory.

At one point, Patera took out Zorn and replaced him with Bill Munson for two Seahawks drives which resulted in two Seattle punts.

That all changed with 2:37 to go in regulation as a 30-yard punt return by Buccaneers cornerback Danny Reece gave Tampa Bay the ball at its own 47-yard-line as a six-yard run by Rod McNeil put the Bucs at the Seattle 47-yard-line.

However a holding penalty, the 19th penalty for the Bucs, pushed them back 10 yards to their 43-yard-line as Spurrier would complete a 13-yard pass to Owens, which was followed by an eight-yard run by Owens to give Tampa Bay a fresh set of downs at the Seahawks' 36-yard-line.

Spurrier then completed a 14-yard pass to tight end Bob Moore for a Tampa Bay 1st down at the Seattle 22-yard-line as Spurrier would throw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock with 1:18 to go in regulation.

A four-yard run by Owens and an incomplete pass later, the Bucs were faced with a 4th & 6 as McKay sent in the field goal unit to try and tie the game with 46 seconds to go.

But Green's 35-yard attempt would be blocked by Seahawks linebacker Mike "Mad Dog" Curtis, who famously played for the Baltimore Colts from 1965-1975, as the ball wound up in the hands of Seattle free safety Dave Brown, who took a late hit from Buccaneers tight Fred Pagac for Tampa Bay's 20th and final penalty.

Linebacker Mike "Mad Dog Curtis" would block the Buccaneers attempt a game-tying field goal.

Zorn would then take two knees to run out the clock as the Seahawks had come away with their first victory in team history, a 13-10 game that featured a combined 35 penalties.

It would be well over a year before the Buccaneers would taste victory as the team lost its first 26 games in team history before scoring a 33-14 win over the New Orleans Saints in the penultimate game of the 1977 NFL season(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/nfl-old-school-game-of-week0-26-bucs.html).

As for the Seahawks, they would win one more game during the 1976 season, a 30-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons, to finish their inaugural season with a 2-12 record as the franchise would have its first winning season two years later with a 9-7 season in 1978.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Miami Stops 2-Point Conversion to Preserve Win over FSU

The rivalry between the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida State Seminoles really took off in the late 1980s and early 1990s as both teams ascended to national championship contenders as Miami won four national championships between 1983 + 1991 while Florida State finished 14 straight seasons ranked in the top 5 starting in 1987.

So when the two teams met in the 1980 season, it was not a big game on a national level as it was not shown on live television but that did not mean nothing on the line as the two teams prepared to face off for the 24th time since 1951.

Miami came into the game with a 3-0 record under head coach Howard Schellenberger, who was beginning his second season as the Miami head coach after two stints as the offensive coordinator of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, including being the OC during their undefeated 1972 season.

With sophomore quarterback Jim Kelly leading the offense, Schellenberger was hoping to get Miami to a bowl game in the second year of his five-year plan which at the end he believed Miami would win a national championship.

On the other side were the Seminoles, who also came into the game 3-0 but ranked #9 in the country as they began the 1980 season ranked #13 following a undefeated regular season in 1979 as FSU would lose the Orange Bowl game 24-7 to the Oklahoma Sooners to finish the season with a 11-1 record.

The Seminoles were led by head coach Bobby Bowden, who was in his fifth season as the Florida State head coach after leading FSU back from the doldrums after winning just one game during the 1973 + 74 seasons.

On the field, the Seminoles' strength was their defense, led by All-American nose tackle Ron Simmons and All-American defensive back Bobby Butler, that had given up just one touchdown over the first three games of the season.

The Seminoles hoped that their defense would lead the way to another victory over the Hurricanes as the Noles had won the previous two meetings.

  After both teams punted on their initial possessions of the game, the Hurricanes would get the ball at their 36-yard-line as Kelly would complete passes of 19 yards to tight end Andy Baratta and 19 yards to wide receiver Pat Walker to help set up a 47-yard field goal attempt by kicker Dan Miller.

But Miller's kick would sail wide left and no good to keep the game scoreless as the Seminoles would take over at their 20-yard-line.

The Canes would force the Seminoles to go three-and-out to get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as they advanced to their 41-yard-line when Kelly completed a seven-yard pass to running back Chris Hobbs only for him to fumble when he was hit by FSU linebacker Paul Piurowski as defensive tackle James Gilbert would recover the ball to give the Noles possession at the Miami 48-yard-line.

The two teams would trade punts until early in the second quarter when running back Michael Whiting lost the football after a 10-yard catch as Miami defensive back John Swain would make the recovery to give the Hurricanes the football at the Florida State 37-yard-line.

Miami seemed poised to cash in the turnover into points as they moved to the FSU 15-yard-line until fullback Gregory Anderson dropped a pitchout from Kelly as Seminoles defensive end Jarvis Coursey would fall on the football at the Florida State 22-yard-line.

The game was still scoreless when the Hurricanes took over at their 24-yard-line with 2:28 to go before halftime as three running plays for 26 yards put Miami at the 50-yard-line when Kelly threw a bomb intended for wide receiver Larry Brodsky, who collided with Florida State free safety Gary Henry as the pass went over Brodsky's head to fall incomplete.

However, Henry would be called for pass interference which in 1980 was a spot foul penalty meaning that the Hurricanes would get the ball at the Florida State one-yard-line where Kelly would sneak it for the touchdown for the only points of the first half as Miami would go into the halftime break up 7-0.

Jim Kelly completed 13 of 22 passes for 172 yards and ran for one touchdown.

Following an exchange of punts to start the second half, the Seminoles got the ball at their 41-yard-line when they drove into Miami territory for the first time in the game as quarterback Rick Stockstill completed four of six passes for 47 yards on a 10-play, 48-yard drive that culminated with a 26-yard field goal by Bill Capece to put Florida State on the scoreboard and cut the Hurricanes' lead to 7-3 midway through the second quarter.

The Hurricanes would start their next possession at their 20-yard-line as Kelly would complete passes of 22 yards to wide receiver Jim Joiner, 15 yards to Walker, and 11 yards to running back Mark Rush on a drive to the Florida State five-yard-line that would end with a 22-yard field goal by Miller to push the Miami lead back to seven points at 10-3 with 2:08 left in the third quarter.

Miami would get a golden opportunity to increase their lead when on the first play of the Seminoles' ensuing possession Stockstill would be picked off by Hurricanes linebacker Mike Scott Nichols to give Miami the ball at the FSU 30-yard-line.

The Hurricanes would only move two yards on three plays as they would call on Miller to kick a 45-yard field goal only for the kick to sail wide left and no good to keep the score at 10-3 as Florida State would begin their next possession at their 28-yard-line.

However, the Seminoles would turn it over on the first play from scrimmage as Stockstill would fumble the football following a sack by defensive end Mike Goedeker as Charles Cook would make the recovery to give Miami the ball at the Florida State 19-yard-line.

But for the second time in a row, the Hurricanes could not convert the turnover into points as Miller would miss another field goal attempt, this one from 35 yards out, as the game moved into the fourth quarter with Miami still ahead 10-3.

The two teams would trade punts until there was 4:32 to go in the fourth quarter when the Seminoles took over at their 45-yard-line with Florida State needing a touchdown.

After a seven-yard pass from Stockstill to wide receiver Hardis Johnson started the drive, the Seminoles would gain no yards on the next two plays to set up a do-or-die 4th & 3 when Stockstill completed a 11-yard pass to Dennis McKinnon to give Florida State a 1st down at the Miami 37-yard-line.

A holding penalty would push the Seminoles back 15 yards to their 48-yard-line to set up 1st & 25 as Stockstill would find Johnson for 17 yards which was followed by an one-yard pass to Whiting to make it 3rd & 7 when Stockstill connected with Johnson again, this time for 15 yards to put Florida State at the Miami 19-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Stockstill would complete an eight-yard pass to Whiting to give FSU a 3rd & 2 at the Miami 11-yard-line when Stockstill found a wide open Sam Childers in the end zone for the touchdown to bring the Seminoles to within a point at 10-9 with 39 seconds to go in the game.

Bowden now had a decision to make as the game would most likely end in a 10-10 tie if he sent in the kicking unit to make the extra point as there was no overtime in college football in 1980 or he could keep the offense on the field and go for a two-point conversion that would give Florida State a 11-10 lead.

Bowden decided to go for the win as Stockstill took the snap, dropped back and threw a pass intended for wide receiver Phil Williams, only for the ball to bounce off Miami nose tackle Jim Burt's helmet to fall incomplete and keep the score at 10-9 in favor of the Hurricanes.

Despite a bruised shoulder, FSU quarterback Rick Stockstill(11) completed 19 of 30 passes for 182 yards and threw one touchdown.

The Seminoles would attempt an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff but Miami would recover the kick as Kelly took two knees to run out the clock as the Hurricanes would come away with the 10-9 victory.

Florida State would recover from the Miami loss to upset the Nebraska Cornhuskers 18-14 in Lincoln one week later as the Seminoles would win the remaining games of the regular season to finish with a 10-1 record as they would earn a second straight invitation to play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the second year in a row.

The Seminoles would fall to the Sooners 18-17 as Oklahoma quarterback J.C. Watts threw a 11-yard touchdown pass to Steve Rhodes, then hit Forrest Valora with the two-point conversion with 1:33 to go in the game as Florida State would finish the season ranked #5 in both the AP and coaches poll with a 10-2 record.

As for Miami, they would lose their next three games before going a four-game winning streak to end the regular season as the Hurricanes would be invited to play Virginia Tech in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

Behind Kelly's 11-of-22 for 179 yards and one touchdown performance, the Hurricanes would knock off the Hokies 20-10 to finish the 1980 season with a 9-3 record as Miami would be ranked #18 in both the AP and Coaches polls.

Schellenberger would lead the Hurricanes to the national championship in 1983, the fifth season of his tenure as the Miami head coach.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Stafford Leads Lions Past Browns in Stunning QB Duel

Matthew Stafford is greeted by teammates as he nurses a separated shoulder following his heroics against the Browns in 2009.

When the Cleveland Browns traveled to Detroit to take on the Lions in Week 11 of the 2009 NFL season, almost everybody thought this game was going to be a snoozer as both teams entered the game with identical 1-8 records.

However, the Browns and Lions would participate in perhaps the best game of the 2009 regular season in a wild game with a combined 75 points and 912 yards of total offense with a remarkable finish that showed the grit and toughness of rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Stafford had been selected by the Lions with the #1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft after the Lions became the first team in NFL history lose all 16 games in a 16-game season and the first team to suffer a winless season since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Lions hoped the pick of Stafford to go along with wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who had been Detroit's best player for the 2008 season as he caught 78 passes for 1,331 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, as well as new head coach Jim Schwartz would spark a revival in Detroit as the Lions had not had a winning season since 2000 and had been absent from the postseason since 1999.

Stafford would lead the Lions to a win in their third game of the season, a 19-14 win over the Washington Redskins, before Detroit went on a six-game losing streak before their game with the Lions as Stafford threw five straight touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions.

On the other side of the field were the Browns who were having a difficult first season under head coach Eric Mangini as the Browns had won only one game up to this point, a dismal 6-3 win over the Buffalo Bills.

The biggest reason for the Browns' poor play was inconsistency at quarterback as the job as Brady Quinn started out the season as the Browns starting quarterback before being benched in the third game of the season in favor of Derek Anderson, who would lose the job four games later back to Quinn.

Quinn had struggled since being picked by the Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft as he had thrown just three touchdown passes since his arrival in Cleveland.

With the ineptitude that both starting quarterbacks had playing up to this point, the only thing that seemed interesting about this game was that Stafford would be wear a wireless microphone for NFL Films to help in the production of the highlights of this game.

When it was all said and done, NFL Films producer Steve Sabol would call Stafford's performance the most dramatic he had ever seen in 30 years.

The Browns took the ball to start the game as Quinn would complete four of five passes for 49 yards on a nine-play, 48-yard drive that ended with Phil Dawson kicking a 44-yard field goal to Cleveland a 3-0 lead.

The Lions would begin their first possession of the game at their 20-yard-line where it took them just one play to get into Cleveland territory as Stafford completed a short screen pass to running back Kevin Smith who turned into a 63-yard reception to put Detroit at the Browns' 17-yard-line.

However, the Lions would have to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Jason Hansen that would tie the game at three as the Browns would get start their ensuing possession at their 41-yard-line.

That is when Quinn went deep and hit Mohammad Massaquoi for a 59-yard touchdown to give the Browns a 10-3 lead with 8:56 left in the first quarter.

The Lions would go three-and-out on their next possession to give the ball back to the Browns who took over at their 28-yard-line as it took them six plays to drive to the Detroit 40-yard-line when Quinn threw deep again, this time connecting with Chansi Stuckey for the 40-yard touchdown to increase Cleveland's lead to 17-3.

Things would not improve for the Lions on their next offensive play from scrimmage as Stafford would be picked off by Cleveland cornerback Eric Wright, whose 47-yard return would give the Browns a 1st & goal at the Detroit six-yard-line.

After a two-yard run by Jamal Lewis on 1st down, Quinn would find Cribbs in the end zone for the four-yard touchdown to give the Browns a shocking 24-3 lead with 2:52 to go in the first quarter.

Brady Quinn had the best game of his NFL career as he threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns on 21-of-33 passes.

With the game seemingly getting out of hand early, the Lions needed to stop the bleeding as they would begin their ensuing possession at their 22-yard-line.

The drive would begin with a 30-yard pass from Stafford to tight end Brandon Pettigrew to put the Lions in Cleveland territory which was followed by a 11-yard run by Smith and then a 11-yard catch by Pettigrew to put the Lions at the Browns' 26-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Stafford would complete a short pass to running back Aaron Brown, who was able to turn it into a 26-yard touchdown that would cut the Browns' lead to 24-10 with 30 seconds to go in the first quarter.

The Lions' defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 39-yard line as Stafford would complete four of six passes for 58 yards on the seven-play, 61-yard drive that culminated with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Smith to make it an one-score game at 24-17 early in the second quarter.

The Browns would drive into Detroit territory again but ended up punting it back to the Lions who would take over at their six-yard-line as two offsides penalties helped Detroit move to their 25-yard-line when Stafford fired a bomb for Johnson who caught the ball around the Cleveland 25-yard-line and ran in untouched for the 75-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 24 with 5:01 left in the second quarter.

Having seen their 21-point lead evaporate, the Browns would drive from their 20-yard-line to the Lions' 29-yard-line when instead of kicking a field goal on 4th & 4, Cleveland went for the 1st down which they got when Quinn completed a seven-yard pass to Stuckey to give the Browns a fresh set of downs at the Detroit 22-yard-line.

Two plays later, the Browns would face a 3rd & 9 when Quinn lofted a pass for Jennings in the end zone who let a sure touchdown slip through his fingers to seemingly bring up a field goal attempt on 4th & 9.

But the Browns would run a fake field goal as the ball was snapped directly to the kicker, Dawson, who then completed a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Mike Furrey to give the Browns a 1st down at the Lions' 11-yard-line.

However with just six seconds left, the Browns would end up settling for the field goal as Dawson would make a 29-yarder to give Cleveland a 27-24 after a wild and crazy 30 minutes of play.

Following an exchange of punts to start the third quarter, the Lions would get the ball at their 16-yard-line as they would drive the field on the right arm of Stafford as he would complete six of seven passes for 67 yards on the 10-play, 84-yard drive which ended with an one-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Will Heller to give the Lions their first lead of the game at 31-27 with 2:47 left in the third quarter.

The Browns would go three-and-out on their next possession but would pin the Lions back at their two-yard-line as Cleveland would cut the Detroit lead to two points as Stafford was called for intentional grounding in the end zone which resulted in a safety for the Browns as they trim the Lions' lead to 31-29 with 41 seconds to go in the third quarter.

Both teams would go three-and-out on their ensuing possessions as the Browns would get the ball back at their 25-yard-line as they would hold the ball for nearly seven minutes as they drove 75 yards in 14 plays, culminating with a two-yard touchdown pass from Quinn to tight end Michael Gains to give the lead back to Cleveland.

The Browns would go for two after the touchdown which they got as Lewis would punch it in to give Cleveland a 37-31 lead with 5:44 to play in the game.

The Lions would begin their next possession at their 40-yard-line as Stafford would complete three passes for 20 yards to move Detroit into Cleveland territory until the rookie tried to hit Johnson in the end zone only for Browns strong safety Brodney Pool intercept the pass to give the Browns a chance to pick up some 1st downs to end the game as they took over at their 20-yard-line with 3:40 to play.

Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson caught seven passes for 161 yards and scored one touchdown.

Two runs by Lewis would pick up four yards to set up 3rd & 6 when Quinn found Stuckey for 13 yards and a 1st down at the Cleveland 37-yard-line as one more 1st down would probably end the game.

Another two runs by Lewis gained five yards would set up 3rd & 5 when Quinn could not connect with Massaquoi  as his pass fell incomplete which would force the Browns to punt the ball back to the Lions who would take over at their 12-yard-line with 1:46 to go in the game and no timeouts for Detroit, who needed a touchdown to win.

The drive would begin with Stafford completing his first three passes, two of them to Johnson for 30 yards to move the Lions to their 46-yard-line when Stafford spiked the ball to stop the clock with 43 seconds to go.

Following the spike, Stafford would find Pettigrew for 11 yards to put the Lions in Cleveland territory at the Browns' 43-yard-line as another spike would stop the clock with 27 seconds left.

After an incomplete pass on 2nd down, Stafford would hit Hiller for 11 yards for a 1st down at the Browns' 32-yard-line as another spike stopped the clock with eight seconds to go.

With a possible two chances at hitting a Hail Mary, Stafford would take the snap and then scramble the pocket to avoid the Cleveland pass rush as the clock counted down to zero until Stafford was able to get a pass away before taking a vicious hit from Browns defensive tackle CJ Mosley.

Stafford's pass would be picked off in the end zone by Pool to seemingly end the game and give the win for the Browns but in typical Cleveland fashion the rug would be pulled out from under them as defensive back Hank Poteat would be called for pass interference, giving the Lions one untimed play from the Browns' one-yard-line.

The Lions medical staff would run onto to the field to Stafford, who ended up separating his non-throwing shoulder, as backup Dante Culpepper came onto the field to assumingly be the quarterback for the Lions' untimed play.

But the Browns would call timeout to set up their defense, which allowed Stafford to reenter the game who told Schwartz that he could throw the ball if they needed him to.

Amazingly, Stafford would come back onto the field to take the snap from center and fire a pass to the back of the end zone for Pettegrew, who caught the ball and got both feet inbounds for the shocking touchdown to tie the game at 37 as Stafford went back to the sidelines as the shoulder had officially separated.

But the drama was not over as Hanson would come on to attempt an extra point if he somehow missed would send the game to overtime.

But Hanson would easily make the kick to give the Lions a remarkable 38-37 win thanks to Stafford's performance in which he completed 26 of 43 passes for 422 yards and threw five touchdowns.

While the loss dropped them to a 1-9 record, the Browns would end the season with a four-game winning streak to finish the season with a 5-11 record as Quinn would be traded in the offseason to the Denver Broncos while Mangini would be fired after another 5-11 season in 2010.

As for the Lions, their comeback win over the Browns would be the highlight of the season as they would not win another game to finish the season with a 2-14 record.

However, brighter days were ahead for the Lions as two years later they would make the playoffs with a 10-6 record, the first of three playoff appearances with Stafford as quarterback as he would become the Lions' all time passing leader with 45,109 yards in 12 seasons in Detroit.

Stafford would be traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 where in his first season he threw for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns to help led the Rams to their first Super Bowl in 22 years.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Ole Miss Defeats LSU Thanks to Tigers' Poor Clock Management

Ole Miss players hold the Magnolia Bowl trophy after their 2009 win over LSU.

 In 1972, the Ole Miss Rebels were defeated by the LSU Tigers 17-16 in a controversial finish where the Tigers got some home cooking as the potential last play which resulted in an incompletion seemed to take longer the four seconds that remained on the clock as LSU was given one last chance to win the game which they did when quarterback Bert Jones threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy LeDoux that with the extra point gave the Bayou Bengals the win.

Ole Miss fans were so incensed that someone decided to put a road sign at the Louisiana-Mississippi border that said "You are now entering Louisiana. Please set your clock back four seconds".'

Thirty seven years later, the Rebels would get a matter of revenge as the time would go against LSU as the two teams prepared to face off for the 98th time.

Ole Miss came into the game with a 7-3 record but unranked as the Rebels had been seen as a disappointment for the 2009 season as they began the season ranked #8 in the AP poll and #10 coaches poll.

A part of the reason for the disappointment was quarterback Jeven Snead, who had thrown 14 interceptions in the Rebels' first 10 games as the Rebels had seeked to improve from their 2008 season in which they went 9-4 and finished in the top 15 in both polls after their 47-34 upset win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Cotton Bowl.

Perhaps the bigger highlight of the 2008 season is when the Rebels traveled to Baton Rouge and easily dispatched the Tigers 31-13 for Ole Miss' first victory over LSU since 2002 when Eli Manning was the quarterback.

Led by head coach Houston Nutt and running back Dexter McCluster, the Rebels to knock off the Tigers in Oxford for the first time since 1998.

Meanwhile, LSU came into the game ranked #10 in the AP poll with an 8-2 record under head coach Les Miles, who was almost two years removed from leading LSU to the national championship as a win over the Rebels would boost the Tigers' chances to play in one of the BCS bowls(Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Orange)

Ole Miss would get the ball to start the game as the first play of the game was a backwards pass that went off the hands of McCluster and out of bounds, costing the Rebels eight yards to set up 2nd & 18 when McCluster took a handoff from Snead and ran 67 yards before being tackled at the LSU 31-yard-line.

The drive would stall as the Rebels picked up four yards on the next three plays as they would settle for a 45-yard field goal by Joshua Shene to give Ole Miss an early 3-0 lead.

The Tigers' first possession of the game would end in disaster as quarterback Jordan Jefferson would be intercepted by Rebels cornerback Cassius Vaughn, who would return the pick to the LSU nine-yard-line only to have an illegal block and an unsportsmanlike penalty on Vaughn push Ole Miss back to the Tigers' 34-yard-line.

The Rebels would settle for another field goal attempt, but this one was blocked by LSU defensive tackle Al Woods leading to cornerback Patrick Peterson scooping up the ball and running it back for a 53-yard touchdown to give LSU a 7-3 lead.

Ole Miss would begin its ensuing possession at their 30-yard-line as three straight running plays gained a total of 13 yards before Snead connected with wide receiver Markeith Summers for a 42-yard completion to give the Rebels a 1st down at the LSU 15-yard-line.

But once again the Rebels would settle for another field goal attempt which this time was successful as Shene would kick it through the uprights for a 25-yard field goal to cut the LSU lead to 7-6 with 3:37 left in the first quarter.

 The Tigers would get great field position to start their next drive as Ron Brooks returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to his 47-yard-line as LSU would drive 53 yards in eight plays with the drive culminating with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jefferson to Reuben Randle to increase LSU's lead to 14-6 with 11 seconds to go in the opening period.

The Rebels would lean on their running game for their next possession as McCluster and Brandon Bolden combined for eight carries for a total of 27 yards on a 12-play, 45-yard drive that ended with another Shene field goal, this one from 33 yards out to cut the Tigers' lead to 14-9 midway through the second quarter.

Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster would run for 148 yards on 24 carries and throw a 27-yard touchdown pass.

LSU would get the ball back at its 21-yard-line as a 13-yard run by Keiland Willams and a 31-yard pass from Jefferson to Terrance Tolliver put the Tigers back in Ole Miss territory at the Rebels' 35-yard-line.

However, the Tigers would pick up just three yards on the next three plays as they would settle for a 50-yard field goal by Josh Jasper which increased LSU's lead to 17-9 with 6:23 remaining in the second quarter.

Miles would try to catch the Rebels off-guard on the ensuing kickoff with a surprise onside kick but ended up backfiring on the Tigers as Peterson would recover the kick out of bounds resulting in a penalty and giving Ole Miss the ball at the LSU 47-yard-line.

Snead would then complete passes of 13 and 26 yards to Shay Hodge to put Ole Miss at the LSU eight-yard-line with a 1st & goal as a one-yard run by Bolden followed by a four-yard run by Snead set up 3rd & goal when Snead handed the ball to wide receiver Jesse Grandy for the three-yard touchdown.

The Rebels would go for two to try and tie the game but Snead's pass would fall incomplete to keep the score at 17-15 in favor of LSU with 4:40 left before halftime.

The Tigers seemed poised to increase their lead as they were able to drive to the Ole Miss 39-yard-line until Rebels defensive end Emmanuel Stephens sacked Jefferson on a 3rd & 6 to stall the drive and force LSU to punt the ball back to Ole Miss, who would run out the clock in the first half as the Rebels trailed 17-15.

The third quarter would be a defensive battle as both teams traded punts until early in the fourth quarter when the Rebels would take over at the LSU 44-yard-line as a 11-yard pass from Snead to Hodge and a six-yard run by McCluster would put Ole Miss at the Tigers' 27-yard-line.

That is when Snead handed the ball off to McCluster, who ran to his right side and fired a pass for Hodge who would make the catch for the 27-yard touchdown that with the extra point gave the Rebels a 22-17 lead with 13:33 to go in the fourth quarter.

After another LSU three-and-out, the Rebels got the ball back at their 35-yard-line as Ole Miss would hold the ball for eight and a half minutes as they drove 60 yards in 14 plays until Shene would kick a 23-yard field goal to increase the Rebels' lead to 25-17 with 3:42 left in the fourth quarter.

Following a 33-yard return by Trenton Holliday on the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers took over at their 34-yard-line needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the game and send in into overtime.

Jefferson would complete four of eight passes for 56 yards on the 10-play, 66-yard drive which was capped off with a 25-yard touchdown pass from the sophomore quarterback to Randle to bring LSU to within a two-point conversion of tying the game.

Jefferson would loft a pass for Tolliver in the left corner of the end zone which fell incomplete but drew a pass interference penalty on Vaughn to give LSU an extra chance at the two-point conversion where the Tigers tried the exact same play where Tolliver was unable to make the catch to keep the score at 25-23 in favor of Ole Miss with 1:17 to go in the game.

With two timeouts in their pocket and such little time, LSU lined up for an onside kick, where unlike earlier in the game, was successful as LaFell recovered the ball to give the Tigers a chance to drive and set up a potential game-winning field goal.

Taking over at his 42-yard-line, Jefferson would throw an incomplete pass on 1st down before connecting with LaFell for 26 yards to give LSU a 1st down at the Ole Miss 32-yard-line.

The Tigers were at the spot where Jasper had made a 50-yard field goal earlier in the game so it seemed logical that LSU would run the ball to get a few yards closer and make the kick easier.

However, on 1st down, Jefferson would throw an incomplete pass which was followed by a disastrous play on 2nd down as Stephens would drop the quarterback for a nine-yard-loss, knocking LSU out of field goal range and forcing them to call timeout with 32 seconds left.

Facing a 3rd & 19 at the Rebels' 41-yard-line, the Tigers tried to get back into field goal range but while Ridley would catch a screen pass from Jefferson, he would be tackled for a seven-yard-loss to push LSU back to the Ole Miss 48-yard-line where they would face a do-or-die 4th & 26.

Inexplicably, Miles would let 17 seconds run off the clock before calling his last timeout with nine seconds to go as the Tigers would have no choice but have Jefferson throw a Hail Mary pass.

Amazingly, the play worked as Jefferson's pass would be caught by Tolliver for a 43-yard completion to put the Tigers at the Ole Miss five-yard-line easily in field goal range with one second left.

But instead of sending in the field goal unit, Miles had Jefferson line up behind center to spike the ball at hopes of stopping the clock before it hit zero even though it takes two seconds for such a play to be excuted properly.

But Jefferson could not spike the ball in time as the Rebels escaped with the 25-23 win for their first win over LSU in front of their home fans since 1998.

LSU would rebound for the embarrassing defeat to knock off the Arkansas Razorbacks 33-30 in their regular season finale to earn a trip to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando where they would fall to the Penn State Nittany Lions 19-17 to finish the season with a 9-4 record and #17 ranking in both the final AP and coaches poll.

As for Ole Miss, they would lose to arch rival Mississippi State 41-27 in the annual "Egg Bowl" as the Rebels would be invited to play in the Cotton Bowl for the second year in a row, this time facing off with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, whom the Rebels defeated 21-7 to finish the season with a 9-4 record and #20 ranking in the final AP poll and #21 ranking in the final coaches poll.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Cardinals Rally From 23 Points Down to Shock 49ers

Roy Green raises his arms in celebration after his game-winning touchdown catch against the 49ers in 1988.

In Week 10 of the 1988 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers would play their first ever game in the state of the Arizona as they took on the Phoenix Cardinals(they changed the name to Arizona in 1994).

It would be an experience that the 49ers would like to forget while for the Cardinals it would be one of the greatest victories in team history.

 On March 15, 1988, the NFL voted to allow Brian Bidwell, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals, to move his team to Phoenix, Arizona as the Cardinals would play their home games at Sun Devil Stadium, home of the Arizona State Sun Devils, in Tempe which is about 10 miles away from downtown Phoenix.

For the Cardinals' inaugural season in Arizona, the team was led by head coach Gene Stallings, who was trying to get Phoenix to the postseason for the first time since 1982 and the first time in a non-strike shortned season since 1975.

At quarterback was Neil Lomax, an eight-year veteran who had thrown for a franchise record 4,614 yards in 1984 and 3,387 in 1987, which was tops in the NFL for most passing yards by a quarterback as his favorite targets were wide receivers Roy Green and J.T. Smith.

Following an 0-2 start to the season, the Cardinals would go on a four-game winning streak as Phoenix would improve its record to 5-4 entering their showdown with the 49ers.

While the Cardinals were just hoping to make it to the playoffs, the 49ers had dreams of making it back to the Super Bowl as San Francisco had won two Super Bowls earlier in the decade behind head coach Bill Walsh and quarterback Joe Montana.

However prior to the 1987 season, Walsh traded two NFL draft picks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for quarterback Steve Young, as the creator of the West Coast offense thought that Montana was on the tail end of his career especially after a serious back injury sidelined Montana for several weeks during the 1986 season.

For the 1988 season, Montana would start the game at quarterback but at certain times would be replaced by Young for a series of two, leading to confusion on who really was the 49ers' starting quarterback as San Francisco went 6-3 over the first nine games of the '88 season.

With Montana bothered by his back, Young would get the start for the 49ers' trip to Phoenix to take on the Cardinals as Young hoped to rely on running back Roger Craig and wide receiver Jerry Rice to lead San Francisco to victory.

The 49ers got the ball to start the game as they would use their running game to drive down the field with the biggest run being a 21-yard run by Young as San Francisco moved 53 yards in eight plays to set up a 42-yard field goal by Mike Cofer to give the 49ers an early 3-0 lead.

Neither team could mount a drive for the rest of the first quarter until the 49ers put together a 10-play, 70-yard drive that spilled over into the second quarter as fullback Tom Rathman accounted for 30 yards on the drive with a 16-yard reception and two runs for 14 yards, all leading up to a three-yard touchdown run by Craig to increase San Francisco's lead to 10-0 with 12:06 to go in the second quarter.

The Cardinals would start their next possession at their 27-yard-line as a four-yard run by Stump Mitchell and a quarterback sack by the 49ers' defensive lineman Michael Carter and Larry Roberts would force a 3rd & 14 situation when Lomax completed a 22-yard pass to J.T. Smith only for him to fumble after a hit by San Francisco strong safety Jeff Fuller.

Linebacker Keena Turner would make the recovery to give the 49ers the ball at the Cardinals' 44-yard-line where Young would complete a 14-yard pass to Rice which was followed by a 25-yard run by Craig would give San Francisco a 1st & goal at the Phoenix five-yard-line.

However, the Cardinals' defense would keep the 49ers out of the end zone as a quarterback sack by Phoenix defensive tackle Bob Clasby would stall the drive and force San Francisco to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Cofer which increased the 49ers' lead to 13-0 with 8:24 left in the second quarter.

49ers running back Roger Craig would run for 162 yards on 26 carries and score one touchdown.

The Cardinals would then have its best drive of the game thus far as they drove from their 20-yard-line to the San Francisco 46-yard-line thanks in large part to running back Earl Ferrell, who carried the ball on the first three plays of the drive, as he gained 25 yards on his three carries.

But it was Ferrell who would cough up the football after a hit by 49ers linebacker Mike Walter as free safety Ronnie Lott would make the recovery to give San Francisco the ball at their 38-yard-line.

The 49ers would go three-and-out as a holding penalty would wipe out an eight-yard run by Rice on 3rd & 1 which was followed by Young was running for 11 yards on 3rd & 11 only for an illegal block push the 49ers back another 10 yards to set up 3rd & 21 when Young was sacked once again by Clasby forcing San Francisco to punt the ball back to the Cardinals.

The Cardinals would once again move into San Francisco territory and once again Ferrell would fumble the football as Turner would make his second recovery of the first half to give the 49ers the ball at their 42-yard-line with 1:34 left before halftime.

The drive would begin with a 19-yard pass from Young to Rice which was followed by two runs by Craig for 12 yards and then a 15-yard pass from Young to Mike Wilson to give the 49ers a 1st down at the Cardinals' 12-yard-line.

But the 49ers could not put into the end zone as they ended up settling for another field goal by Cofer, this one from 30 yards out which increase their lead to 16-0 as the first half came to an end.

After the Cardinals went three-and-out on their opening possession of the second half, the 49ers would put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took over six minutes off the clock and did not end until Young threw a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brent Jones, the first touchdown of Jones' career, to increase San Francisco's lead to 23-0 with 7:20 left in the third quarter.

At this point you couldn't blame Phoenix fans for thinking the game was over but there was hope on the Cardinals sidelines that they could come back and win as one year earlier, the Cards scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to overcome a 25-point deficit and defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-28 in the largest fourth quarter comeback in NFL history.

Going to a no-huddle offense, the Cardinals would start their next possession at their 26-yard-line as Lomax would complete a 15-yard pass to Smith on the first play of the drive as three plays later, Phoenix was faced with a 4th & 1 when Stallings decided to keep the offense on the field and go for the 1st down which they got when Ferrell ran for two yards to give the Cardinals a fresh set of downs at the San Francisco 48-yard-line.

After Ferrell caught a pass for nine yards then ran for four more yards to give Phoenix a 1st down, Lomax would hit Green in the corner of the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown to put the Cardinals on the scoreboard as they cut the 49ers' lead to 23-7 with 3:39 to go in the third quarter.

The 49ers would hold the ball for the rest of the third quarter as they drove from their 25-yard-line to the Cardinals' 37-yard-line where they would face a 3rd & 5 as the fourth quarter began with an apparent 1st down as Young scrambled for eight yards, only for it to be nullified by a holding penalty to set up 3rd & 15 when Young was sacked by Phoenix linebacker Kevin Harvey, forcing San Francisco to punt the ball back to the Cardinals.

Taking over at their 34-yard-line, the Cardinals would drive down to the field on the right arm of Lomax as he would complete four straight passes for 52 yards to move Phoenix to the San Francisco seven-yard-line when on 2nd & 5, Green dropped a sure touchdown that ended up costing the Cardinals four points as they settled for a 24-yard field goal by Al Del Greco to cut the 49ers' lead to 23-10 with 10:51 to go in the fourth quarter.

Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax would 19 of 30 passes for 214 yards and threw three touchdowns passes in the second half alone.

Following a 49ers three-and-out, the Cardinals got the ball back at the 50-yard-line as a holding penalty would wipe out a 11-yard pass from Lomax to Ernie Jones on 3rd & 10 as Phoenix ended up punting the ball back to San Francisco, only to get a reprieve as a holding penalty on 49ers cornerback Eric Wright before the punt gave the Cardinals a 1st down at the San Francisco 45-yard-line.

However, the Cardinals would end up punting the ball to the 49ers anyway as San Francisco would begin its next possession at their nine-yard-line hoping to some run clock as Craig carried the ball on three straight plays, gaining nine yards to force another San Francisco punt as the Cardinals would once again take over possession at the 50-yard-line with 4:11 to play.

From there, Lomax would complete four straight passes to four different receivers for 48 yards to put the Cardinals at the 49ers' two-yard-line with a 1st & goal to go.

But two incomplete passes and a run by Ferrell that lost three yards would set up a do-or-die 4th & goal when Lomax found Jones for a five-yard touchdown to make it a 23-17 game with 2:17 left in the game.

Stallings decided against an onside kick as the Cardinals still had two timeouts plus the two-minute warning as the 49ers would take over at their 15-yard-line hoping to pick up a 1st down to put the game away.

Craig would run for seven yards on 1st down, then would lose one yard on 2nd down to set up 3rd & 4 when Young kept the ball on a bootleg around the left side as he would try to stretch the ball to pick up the 1st down while being pursued by Cardinals linebacker E.J. Junior.

Young and the 49ers that he picked up the 1st down but the referees spotted him short which was reviewed by the instant replay booth and upheld, forcing the 49ers to punt the ball back to the Cardinals, who took over at their 34-yard-line with 1:27 to play in the game and needing a touchdown to win.

The drive would begin with Lomax completing a nine-yard pass to Smith which was followed by a 14-yard pass to Jones to give the Cardinals a 1st down at the 49ers' 43-yard-line where Lomax would throw an incomplete pass to stop the clock.

Lomax would then hit Smith for nine yards before connecting with Jones for a 25-yard completion to put the Cardinals at the 49ers' nine-yard-line when Lomax threw a pass out of bounds to stop the clock with six seconds to go.

Having perhaps just one chance to get into the end zone, Lomax lofted a pass for Green in the back of the end zone, who would make the catch despite good coverage from 49ers defensive back Darryl Pollard to tie the game at 23 with three seconds to go.

The play would be reviewed and upheld as Al Del Greco would come on to kick the go-ahead extra point as the 49ers could not pull off a miracle on the ensuing kickoff as time expired with the Cardinals on top 24-23 to complete the second greatest comeback in team history.

The collapse against the Cardinals would not be the low point for the 49ers as they would fall to the Los Angeles Raiders 9-3 the following week to drop San Francisco's record to 6-5.

Walsh would then name Montana the starting quarterback for the rest of the season as the 49ers would go on a four-game winning streak to clinch the NFC West division title with a 10-6 record as San Francisco would beat the Minnesota Vikings 34-9 in the Divisional Round, then knocked off the Chicago Bears 28-3 in the NFC Championship Game to send the 49ers to their third Super Bowl in eight years.

In Super Bowl XXIII, Montana would lead the 49ers on 11-play, 92-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes of the game as his 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor would give San Francisco a 20-16 win and its third Lombardi Trophy in what would be Walsh's final game as the 49ers' head coach.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals seemed destined to return to the postseason especially after defeating the New York Giants 24-17 the following week to improve their record to 7-4 only to go on a five-game losing streak to end the season with a 7-9 record as Phoenix failed to earn a playoff spot.

The following season would be a tumultuous one for the Cardinals as Lomax missed the entire season because of an arthritic hip, which would lead to his retirement in 1990, while head coach Gene Stallings announced he would step down as head coach at the end of the season, only for general manager Larry Wilson to fire him and replace him with running backs coach Hank Kuhlmann.

The Cardinals would go 0-5 under Kuhlmann as they would finish the '89 season with a 5-11 record as it would they would have to wait until 1998 to finally earn a trip to the NFL postseason.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Wazzu Wins Apple Cup to Clinch 1st Trip to Rose Bowl in 67 Years

 

Washington State fans tear down the goal posts at Husky Stadium following the Cougars' win in the 1997 Apple Cup.

The mid-1990s saw a number of Big 10 and Pac 10 teams make unexpected runs to the Rose Bowl.

It all started with the Wisconsin Badgers, who ended a 31-year drought with their Big 10 championship season in 1993, followed by the Oregon Ducks in the Pac 10 who ended a 37-year drought with their Pac-10 championship season in 1994.

1995 saw the biggest shocker of them all when the Northwestern Wildcats, who had not had a winning season since 1971, made it to the Rose Bowl, followed by the Arizona State Sun Devils who won the Pac-10 in 1996 to play in the Grandaddy of Them All after a nine-year postseason absence.

For 1997, it was the Washington State Cougars' turn to shock the college football world as Wazzu entered its regular season finale with the Washington Huskies with a chance to earn a trip to play in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1930

The Cougars were led by head coach Mike Price, who was in his ninth season at Pullman as the Wazzu head coach after led the Cougars to bowl appearances in 1992 and 1994.

Wazzu was not expected to contend for the Pac-10 crown in 1997 as the Cougars were expected to finish seventh in the 10-team league.

But led by eventual Heisman Trophy finalist Ryan Leaf at quarterback, the Cougars jumped out to a 7-0 start as they climbed into the top 10 of the AP and coaches poll until a 44-31loss to Arizona State early in November ended Wazzu's chances of a undefeated season.

The Cougars recovered to win their next two games to improve their record to 9-1 as Leaf threw for 3,279 yards and 31 touchdowns during the first 10 games of the season as the Wazzu offense averaged 42.6 points per game with a wide receiving corps that was nicknamed the Fab Five and running back Michael Black, who needed just 13 yards to cross the 1,000 mark.

If the Cougars could defeat their intrastate rival in the "Apple Cup" and UCLA could beat USC, Washington State would be playing in the "Grandaddy of Them All" for the first time in 67 years.

Standing in the Cougars' way were the Washington Huskies, a team that had accustomed to playing in the Rose Bowl as the Huskies had made six appearances between 1977 and 1992, which included a share of the national title in 1991.

The Huskies made those appearances under head coach Don James, who had resigned prior to the 1993 season as it was revealed several Washington players had received improper benefits which led to the NCAA banning the Huskies from postseason play in 1993 and 1994.

James was replaced by his defensive coordinator, Jim Lambright, who was still the Huskies' head coach as the 1997 season began with many experts predicting that the Huskies would return to the Rose Bowl.

With an offense that featured quarterback Brock Huard, running back Rashaan Shehee, and wide receiver Jerome Pathon, the Huskies were neck + neck with the Cougars at the start of November was Washington stood atop the Pac-10 standings with a 7-1 overall record, their only loss being to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

But injuries, including one to Shehee, led to the Washington's downfall as they dropped their next two games to fall to 7-3 and eliminated from playing in Pasadena on New Year's Day as the Huskies looked to spoil their rivals' chances of playing in the Rose Bowl with a win in the Apple Cup.

Despite the game being played at Husky Stadium in Seattle, the Cougars entered the game confident as evident by wide receiver Chris Jackson, who during the week saying that the Cougars would hang 40 or 50 points on the Huskies.

The Cougars would get the ball to start the game and while going three-and-out was not the end of the world, a much bigger problem was developing as during the drive, Leaf got his throwing thumb stuck in the face mask of linebacker Jason Chorak, leading to a dislocation of Leaf's thumb.

Leaf would hide the injury as he kept his throwing hand in a hand warmer as the game would go along.

Cougars quarterback Ryan Leaf would complete 22 of 38 passes for 358 yards and throw two touchdown passes.

Following the Cougars three-and-out, the Huskies got the ball at their 29-yard-line as they would put together their longest drive of the season in terms of plays(14) and time of possession(7:53) as Huard would fire a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jerome Pathon to cap off the drive and give Washington a 7-0 lead.

The Cougars offense continued their slow start as they went three-and-out again on their next possession, only to get the ball back one play later as Huard threw a deep pass intended for wide receiver JaWarren Hooker, who tore his hamstring while running his route, leading to a easy interception by Cougars cornerback Adesola Moronkola to give Wazzu the ball at its 27-yard-line.

From there, the Cougars would drive 73 yards in 14 plays, which took over six minutes to complete as Leaf completed 4 of 5 passes for 47 yards on the drive with the biggest completion being a 24-yard pass to Shawn Tims on a 3rd & 9 at the Washington 44-yard-line.

All this would lead up to an eight-yard touchdown run by Black that with the extra point tied the game at seven with 12:53 to go in the second quarter.

The Huskies would turn it over again on their next possession as Huard would be intercepted again on another deep pass, this time by Cougars cornerback Ray Jackson, brother of Chris, to give Wazzu the ball at its 30-yard-line.

A 16-yard pass from Leaf to Tims to start the drive would give the Cougars a 1st down at their 46-yard-line as the next two plays lost three yards to set up a 3rd & 13 when Leaf threw a deep pass for Chris Jackson, who made the catch at the Washington 20-yard-line, then ran over Huskies free safety Tony Parrish to complete the 57-yard touchdown and give Wazzu a 14-7 lead with 9:24 left in the second quarter.

The Huskies seemed poised to tie the game as they would drive to the Cougars' 22-yard-line until Huard was picked off for the third time in the first half as Wazzu defensive end Shane Doyle hit Huard's elbow just as he was about to throw, causing a fluttering ball that was intercepted by free safety Lamont Thompson to end the Washington scoring threat.

Leaf would then complete passes of 15 yards to Kevin McKenzie, 22 yards to Shawn McWashington, and 29 yards to Tims on a 14-play, 86-yard drive that culminated with a 20-yard field goal by Rian Lindell that increased the Cougars' lead to 17-7 as the first half came to a close.

The Huskies would get the ball to start the second half only for it to end with another interception, this time as an Huard pass bounced off the hands of Pathon and into the hands of Thompson to give Wazzu the ball at the Washington 40-yard-line.

Methodically, the Cougars would drive to the Washington three-yard-line when Black tried to run into in for the touchdown until he was hit by Huskies linebacker Marques Hairston, causing a fumble that bounced into the end zone.

However, Cougars left tackle Rob Rainville was able to fall on the football in the end zone for the unlikely touchdown to cap off the 11-play, 40-yard drive and increase Wazzu's lead to 24-7.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the extra point on the Cougars would help give Washington great field position to start its next drive as Pathon returned the ensuing kickoff 26 yards to the Huskies' 54-yard-line.

From there, Huard complete a 23-yard pass to tight end Cam Cleeland, then hit Fred Coleman for a 38-yard touchdown to cut the Cougars' lead to 24-14, only 50 seconds after the Cougars' last touchdown.

The Cougars would begin their ensuing possession at their 24-yard-line but penalties would back them up to the five-yard-line when on a 3rd & 29, Leaf was picked off by Parrish, who would run it back for a 32-yard pick-six to bring the Huskies to within a field goal at 24-21 with 6:04 left in the third quarter.

With the momentum now in favor of the Huskies, the Cougars needed a score as they took over at their 20-yard-line where it took them four plays  to get to the 50-yard-line where Leaf threw a pass for Chris Jackson, who made the catch at the Washington 25-yard-line and then outran his defender to get into the end zone and push Wazzu's lead back to 10 points at 31-21 with 3:58 left in the third quarter.

Wide receiver Chris Jackson backed up his trash talk by catching eight passes for 185 yards and scoring two touchdowns.

The Huskies would respond with an eight-play, 66-yard drive that was capped off with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Huard to fullback Mike Reed to trim the Washington deficit back to a field goal at 31-28 with only 15 seconds left in the third quarter.

Wazzu would begin its next possession at their 34-yard-line with a 14-yard pass from Leaf to Chris Jackson, followed by a 38-yard run by Black would put the Cougars at the Huskies' 11-yard-line.

Two plays later, the Cougars were faced with a 3rd & 15 when Leaf threw a pass intended for Jackson which fell incomplete but drew a pass interference penalty on the Huskies cornerback Mel Miller to give Wazzu a 1st & goal at the Washington three-yard-line.

Two plays netted two yards to set up 3rd & goal from the one-yard-line where Leaf tried to sneak it in into the end zone as he would recover his own fumble in the end zone to increase the Cougars' lead to 38-28 with 13:14 left in the fourth quarter.

The Huskies looked to respond as they  moved to their 49-yard-line where on 3rd & 12, Huard completd a 22-yard pass to Pathon to give Washington a 1st down at the Cougars' 29-yard-line, only for it to be wiped out with a holding penalty which pushed the Huskies back to their 33-yard-line which would lead to a Washington punt.

The Cougars would then put together a 12-play, 62-yard drive that included Leaf completing two passes to Jackson for 28 yards on the drive that ended with a 29-yard field goal by Lindell that increased Wazzu's lead to 41-28 with 4:12 remaining in the game.

Huard would then throw his fifth interception of the game on the Huskies' ensuing drive as once again the ball bounced off the hands of Pathon and into the hands of Thompson, who tied a Pac-10 record for most interceptions by a freshman in one game with three.

Wazzu would punt the ball back to the Huskies who would drive 78 yards in six plays, culminating with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Huard to Pathon that cut the Cougars' lead to 41-35 with just nine seconds to go.

Any chance at a Washington miracle were dashed on the ensuing kickoff as McWashington recovered the onside kick, allowing Leaf to take a knee and run out the clock as the Cougars won the game 41-35 that tied with UCLA's 31-24 over USC, clinched Washington State the Pac-10 title and secured its spot in the Rose Bowl as Wazzu fans would come onto the field and tear down the goal posts at Husky Stadium.

The loss would drop Washington to #21 in the rankings as the Huskies accepted an invitation to play the Michigan State Spartans in the Aloha Bowl in Hawaii where Shehee returned for Washington as he ran for 193 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Huskies to a 51-23 victory.

The Huskies would move up to #18 in the final AP and coaches poll as they finished with a 8-4 record as Lambright would be fired the following season after Washington went 6-6.

As for the Cougars, they would meet the Michigan Wolverines in Pasadena on New Year's Day with the Wolverines eyeing at least a piece of the national championship if they won.

Trailing 21-16 with 29 seconds to go, Leaf led the Cougars from their seven-yard-line to the Michigan 26-yard-line where with two seconds left, Leaf would spike the ball to stop the clock, only for the clock to run out as the game came to a close despite Wazzu's pleas that one second was left when the ball was spiked as Michigan came away with the victory to finish #1 in the AP poll while the Nebraska Cornhuskers finished #1 in the coaches poll.

It would not take the Cougars very long to get back to the Rose Bowl as five years after their Cinderella run in 1997, Wazzu returned to the Rose Bowl as they shared the Pac-10 title with USC but earned the right to go to Pasadena based on the Cougars' overtime win over the Trojans during the season.

However, the Cougars would fall to the Oklahoma Sooners 34-14 in what would be Price's final game as Washington State head coach as he left to become the Alabama Crimson Tide head coach, only to resign before coaching a single game following an off the field scandal.