![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
So this weekend was a super sweet highlight reel of fantastic finishes and high drama. Michigan upsetting Penn State on a last second play. Wisconsin upsetting Minnesota on a crazy fumbled and blocked punt. Virginia upsetting Florida State. And of course the epic Notre Dame - USC clash.
This is how I can be a fan of both TV shows and sports. They both have story lines, high drama, and some dramatic conflict.
USC-Notre Dame was definitely among the most exciting regular season games I've ever seen over the last twenty some years of watching. So I'll dip into the bag and talk about five more of the most memorable to me. I'll outright admit to my East Coast bias and limit the list to games featuring at least one team from the (current) Atlantic Coast Conference - because that was generally who I got on my TV. With credit for summaries to Collegefootballnews.com:
Miami, Florida
November 10, 1984
Maryland 42, Miami 30
Led by Bernie Kosar, the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes took a 31-0 lead into halftime. Maryland's quarterback, Stan Gelbaugh, was yanked in favor of perennial backup Frank Reich - who proceeded to lead Maryland to on a 42-3 scoring run. Miami got a late touchdown to close the gap to 42-40, but Maryland hung on to secure the greatest comeback victory in Division I-A football history.
In 1992, Reich would make another memory, coming off the bench to sub in for an injured Jim Kelly to lead Buffalo from down 35-3 to a 41-38 comeback victory over the Houston Oilers - thus holding the records for the biggest comeback wins in both College and the Pros.
Charlottesville, Virginia
October 26, 1995
Virginia 33, Florida State 28
Undefeated Florida State was ranked number one in the nation. Not only undefeated on the season, FSU had defeated it’s opponents by an average of 56-18. At 29-0 since 1992, FSU was undefeated in four years of conference play.
UVa entered the fourth quarter with a 33-21 lead, before FSU embarked on a furious comeback charge to preserve their unbeaten record. And if Warrick Dunn had gotten one more inch on a direct snap from the UVa six yard line with four seconds left, FSU still would have been…
Tallahassee, Florida
November 16, 1991
Miami 17, Florida State 16
Wide right! Or, as it would later be known… Wide Right I.
Pretty much every year, FSU finished in the Top 3 – but never finished number one. Why? Because pretty much every year, they lost to Miami. And this was probably the most painful.
I remember watching it then, and seeing it on ESPN Classic last year – and am still amazed by the collection of talent both teams put on the field. Particularly Miami’s linebackers – Jesse Armstead, Michael Barrow, and Darrin Smith – all of whom were NFL pro-bowlers – and whose performance kept FSU out of the end zone and settling for field goals.
Including a last second 34 yarder that went just wide right. In 1990, it would have been good, but a 1991 rule change narrowed the posts. One year later, FSU would lose again when another last second chip-shot field goal went wide-right. Neither FSU nor Miami would lose another game that year, and Miami shared the National Title with Washington.
Charlottesville, Virginia
November 3, 1990
Georgia Tech 41, Virginia 38
Maybe the biggest game in ACC history… probably the most dramatic in my memory.
Undefeated (8-0) UVa entered the game ranked number one in the country, and in the midst of the best season in school history – having earlier ended the schools winless (0-29) record against powerhouse Clemson. Despite an unbeaten record, Georgia Tech entered the game a pretty much forgotten team (at least by me) mostly because of an inexplicable 13-13 tie with winless North Carolina.
UVa took the lead behind Shawn Moore and Herman Moore, but GaTech came back, took the lead, and forced UVa to kick a tying field goal after a fourth quarter goal-line stand. Scott Sisson capped the win with a last second 38-yard field goal.
UVa would fall apart, losing to Maryland and Virginia Tech. Georgia Tech would wax Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl en route to sharing the National Title with the Fifth Down Colorado Buffaloes.
And...
Miami, Florida
November 23, 1984
Boston College 47, Miami 45
Just two weeks after that horrible choke loss against Maryland, Jimmy Johnson’s Hurricanes hosted a Boston College team featuring Heisman hopeful Doug Flutie.
In a game for the ages, that featured dramatic wind and rain.
In a game for the ages, that featured pretty much no defense, whatsoever.
Miami’s Melvin Bratton ran for 4 scores, and Bernie Kosar threw for 447 yards and two touchdowns, including what looked like a game winner with just 28 seconds left.
BC had time for one last play at from their own 37. Where that total lack of defense came back into play… Miami’s secondary clearly assumed the teensy Flutie couldn’t possible throw the ball down the field and didn’t bother to cover BC’s Gerard Phelan – who slipped behind them into the end zone. To catch Flutie’s game winning heave.
Flutie won the Heisman. And Kosar, who won an improbable National title the year before over Nebraska (The best game I’ve ever seen) – and a great QB in his own right, would spend the rest of his career being remembered as on the losing end of every game of major significance he would ever play.
This is how I can be a fan of both TV shows and sports. They both have story lines, high drama, and some dramatic conflict.
USC-Notre Dame was definitely among the most exciting regular season games I've ever seen over the last twenty some years of watching. So I'll dip into the bag and talk about five more of the most memorable to me. I'll outright admit to my East Coast bias and limit the list to games featuring at least one team from the (current) Atlantic Coast Conference - because that was generally who I got on my TV. With credit for summaries to Collegefootballnews.com:
Miami, Florida
November 10, 1984
Maryland 42, Miami 30
Led by Bernie Kosar, the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes took a 31-0 lead into halftime. Maryland's quarterback, Stan Gelbaugh, was yanked in favor of perennial backup Frank Reich - who proceeded to lead Maryland to on a 42-3 scoring run. Miami got a late touchdown to close the gap to 42-40, but Maryland hung on to secure the greatest comeback victory in Division I-A football history.
In 1992, Reich would make another memory, coming off the bench to sub in for an injured Jim Kelly to lead Buffalo from down 35-3 to a 41-38 comeback victory over the Houston Oilers - thus holding the records for the biggest comeback wins in both College and the Pros.
Charlottesville, Virginia
October 26, 1995
Virginia 33, Florida State 28
Undefeated Florida State was ranked number one in the nation. Not only undefeated on the season, FSU had defeated it’s opponents by an average of 56-18. At 29-0 since 1992, FSU was undefeated in four years of conference play.
UVa entered the fourth quarter with a 33-21 lead, before FSU embarked on a furious comeback charge to preserve their unbeaten record. And if Warrick Dunn had gotten one more inch on a direct snap from the UVa six yard line with four seconds left, FSU still would have been…
Tallahassee, Florida
November 16, 1991
Miami 17, Florida State 16
Wide right! Or, as it would later be known… Wide Right I.
Pretty much every year, FSU finished in the Top 3 – but never finished number one. Why? Because pretty much every year, they lost to Miami. And this was probably the most painful.
I remember watching it then, and seeing it on ESPN Classic last year – and am still amazed by the collection of talent both teams put on the field. Particularly Miami’s linebackers – Jesse Armstead, Michael Barrow, and Darrin Smith – all of whom were NFL pro-bowlers – and whose performance kept FSU out of the end zone and settling for field goals.
Including a last second 34 yarder that went just wide right. In 1990, it would have been good, but a 1991 rule change narrowed the posts. One year later, FSU would lose again when another last second chip-shot field goal went wide-right. Neither FSU nor Miami would lose another game that year, and Miami shared the National Title with Washington.
Charlottesville, Virginia
November 3, 1990
Georgia Tech 41, Virginia 38
Maybe the biggest game in ACC history… probably the most dramatic in my memory.
Undefeated (8-0) UVa entered the game ranked number one in the country, and in the midst of the best season in school history – having earlier ended the schools winless (0-29) record against powerhouse Clemson. Despite an unbeaten record, Georgia Tech entered the game a pretty much forgotten team (at least by me) mostly because of an inexplicable 13-13 tie with winless North Carolina.
UVa took the lead behind Shawn Moore and Herman Moore, but GaTech came back, took the lead, and forced UVa to kick a tying field goal after a fourth quarter goal-line stand. Scott Sisson capped the win with a last second 38-yard field goal.
UVa would fall apart, losing to Maryland and Virginia Tech. Georgia Tech would wax Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl en route to sharing the National Title with the Fifth Down Colorado Buffaloes.
And...
Miami, Florida
November 23, 1984
Boston College 47, Miami 45
Just two weeks after that horrible choke loss against Maryland, Jimmy Johnson’s Hurricanes hosted a Boston College team featuring Heisman hopeful Doug Flutie.
In a game for the ages, that featured dramatic wind and rain.
In a game for the ages, that featured pretty much no defense, whatsoever.
Miami’s Melvin Bratton ran for 4 scores, and Bernie Kosar threw for 447 yards and two touchdowns, including what looked like a game winner with just 28 seconds left.
BC had time for one last play at from their own 37. Where that total lack of defense came back into play… Miami’s secondary clearly assumed the teensy Flutie couldn’t possible throw the ball down the field and didn’t bother to cover BC’s Gerard Phelan – who slipped behind them into the end zone. To catch Flutie’s game winning heave.
Flutie won the Heisman. And Kosar, who won an improbable National title the year before over Nebraska (The best game I’ve ever seen) – and a great QB in his own right, would spend the rest of his career being remembered as on the losing end of every game of major significance he would ever play.
no subject
no subject