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The stars come out for this look back into the greatest plays of all-time. 12) Nebraska's Dean Steinkuhler's Fumblerooskie in the '83 season Orange Bowl vs. Miami. It brought them back in the game by halftime, but they lost in the end 31-30...

College Football: The 12 Greatest Plays In History

by BabyTate (Senior Writer)

76

11073 reads

Rankings/List

July 18, 2008


The stars come out for this look back into the greatest plays of all-time.

12) Nebraska's Dean Steinkuhler's Fumblerooskie in the '83 season Orange Bowl vs. Miami. It brought them back in the game by halftime, but they lost in the end 31-30.

11) Florida State's Deion Sanders' called touchdown on a punt return to beat Clemson in 1988. This was the real Clemson of Danny Ford, but Deion made them pay 24-21.

10) Pop Warner's Hidden Ball Trick in 1902 vs. Harvard. The Carlisle Indians hid the ball under a loose-fitting uniform for a kickoff TD but eventually fell 12-11.

9) Colorado QB Kordell Stewart's Bomb to beat Michigan in 1994 on the final play, 27-26.

8) Lee Grosscup creates the Utah Shovel Pass in 1957 as the Utes come up short in a battle with Army 39-33. Coach Jack Curtice sites Pop Warner as inspiration.

7) Kentucky douses Coach Morris and celebrates victory over LSU just as Tigers score on game's final play to beat the Wildcats 33-30 in the 2002 Bluegrass Miracle.

6) The 1953 season's Cotton Bowl saw Alabama's Tommy Lewis leave the bench during play to tackle Rice's Dickie Maegle and prevent a 95-yard TD. Rice won 28-6.

5) The Lonesome End of Army, Bill Carpenter. Red Blaik invents an offense in 1958 where the receiver never comes to the huddle. Receives hand signals for play.

4) Boise State's Statue of Liberty brings down Oklahoma in the 2006 season's Fiesta Bowl.

3) Vince Dooley of Georgia uses an obscure Hook and Lateral to defeat defending national champion Alabama 18-17 in the first game of the 1965 season.

2) Doug Flutie's Hail Mary on the final play beats defending national champion Miami 47-45 in 1984 to win QB shootout with Bernie Kosar of the Hurricanes.

1) Cal beats Stanford 25-20 in 1982 using "The Play" in John Elway's final game, returning a kickoff through the Stanford band after several laterals.

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76 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Nic Gulas 11 months ago

    #6 is absolutely hilarious. There is film of that tackle at the Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa.

    Also, I have to throw in Tyrone Prothro's catch. I know it was against Southern Miss and in the first half and what not, but no one will ever make a catch like that again.

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    • Quantumt 11 months ago

      you are completely right Nic. I saw that catch live and i almost fell backward. That catch by far was the most incredible play i have ever seen. The closest play that is similar to that catch was the catch in the superbowl of last year. You gotta put this play on the list BabyTate!

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    • Quantumt 11 months ago

      oh and for those that didnt see the play here:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53imC4zojfc

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      I thought Prothro's catch was sensational. But, wasn't it really a great catch by a fine player more than an odd play like Tommy Lewis leaving the bench to tackle a man running for a touchdown? Prothro was a terrific player who made a terrific catch.

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    • Nic Gulas 11 months ago

      Well, if this list is about great plays, then I would put Prothro over Tommy Lewis. Thats great over odd on a list for greatest plays.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Tommy Lewis got on the Ed Sullivan Show for his efforts. Just think, if he'd had a guitar that night he would have predated Elvis!

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  2. L.J. Burgess 11 months ago

    Great list and I only know half and only saw three live.

    The 2006 Fiesta Bowl will always be my favorite so much so that bought the 30 minute version on iTunes.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Boise St ran the Statue Of Liberty and The Hook and Lateral to beat Oklahoma. Sooners weren't prepared for 1940s offense in that game.

      You know I had an honorable mention #13 of "Wrong Way" Roy Riegels of Cal in the 1928 season Rose Bowl game where Ga Tech won another national championship by virtue of his run, 8-7.

      Lot of young folks in here are talking about that Prothro catch for Alabama, I didn't want to tell them old timers used to see that catch and more each week when "The Catawba Claw" used to play for the Los Angeles Rams in 1964 and '65. That was a standard catch for him.

      Great having you check in LJ, always good to hear from your reasoned and seasoned viewpoint.

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    • Jeremy Turner 11 months ago

      I actually never got to fully see the end of the Oklahoma-Boise St. game...apparently our cable decided to go out right after the first quarter and I had to go on YouTube to see the end of the game. But I think that Boise St. knew they had nothing to lose in that game, and decided to pull out some good ol' fashioned hat trick plays.

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  3. Tim Pollock 11 months ago

    #7 was hilarious. Nothing like walking back to the locker room drenched...after a loss.

    Awesome list.

    Nic's comment made me think you should make a list of Worst Injuries of College Football. Prothro's broken ankle against FL was downright disgusting. There are several others from which to choose. Go to it, Tate!

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  4. rod wood 11 months ago

    Other plays for consideration:

    1 - OJ Simpson's 64-yard dash in the 1967 USC-UCLA game with the city, Pac-10 and national title all on the line. And, it also included a duel for the Heisman Trophy that year, eventually won by Beban for UCLA. I've heard it called the greatest display of power running and speed running from a running back on a single play. Most other commentators have it among their best of lists also.

    2 - Vince Young's final dash in the Rose Bowl against USC. This one deserves to be on the list because it truly had it all - on the game's biggest stage, not for a rivalry game but for the championship of the sport, on a 4th down play with the game within 20 seconds of ending and against ESPN's premature coronation of USC as the greatest team ever. Vince made a play for the ages. You take any of the factors I listed alone and Vince's dash would still be memorable but put it all together and you definitely have one of the best all-time. I'm a Trojan, but I still got to give props to Vince for an awesome game.

    rodwood

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Rod, I saw the 64 yard TD by OJ live. It was the greatest run by the greatest player I've ever seen in the best game of the year. It is the one play I always mention that when someone says what is the greatest play you ever saw. But, it was really a testimony to OJ's nearly limitless ability and not a strange or happenstance play like the 12 I've listed. These 12 are really once in a lifetime events where OJ, well, that 64 yard run was OJ being OJ.

      Vince Young & Texas beats Sou Cal in the Rose Bowl. Greatest game of the 21st century. Fantastic run by Young, who in college, appeared to be more than human much like Orange Juice in '67 & '68. But I do feel that it was Young being Young. Young is as far beyond ordinary humans in athletic skill, even the great Bush and Trojan team of '05, as Ali was from even the great Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston, & George Foreman.

      I'd say the difference in those two and the 12 I listed is that the 12 were quirks of fate where OJ and Vince were capable of doing those two runs anytime they were presented with the challenge. If you ask me to name three runs that stand out I'd say those two as well as Herschel Walker's (another creation that was more than human) TD torture run vs Tennessee in 1980. Those are three sensational superior humans doing what they did best, destroying ordinary humans in extraordinary conditions.

      Naturally Rod, I appreciate your excellent comments, completely understand where you're coming from, and always want your input.

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  5. Alex Chidester 11 months ago

    Fantastic. I love the "Utah Pass".

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  6. Joe G 11 months ago

    The 'Miracle At Michigan' is my favorite on that list. I still break into a huge smile when I see that.

    Glad to see the fumblerooskie on there too. Anybody watch the MSU/Notre Dame game this past season? Brian Hoyer pulled off a fumblerooskie, which resulted in a touchdown pass to Kellen Davis.

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  7. Mitch Harper 11 months ago

    Where's 1980 Holiday Bowl BYU vs. SMU??? A.K.A. Miracle Bowl

    McMahon to Clay Brown in the waning seconds to come back from 22 in 2 1/2 minutes? Your list is a joke. The McMahon Hail Mary tops Flutie. The only reason Flutie's is so well known is because it was on Thanksgiving Night on CBS, a national audience. And Lee Grosscup??? Pfff pathetic.

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  8. Donald Fincher 11 months ago

    If you're looking for "unusual" you might consider the famous "5th down play" between Colorado and Missouri in 1990.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      That's a great point Donald. It cost Ga Tech the outright national championship that season, they had to split it with Colorado.

      Thanks for that excellent comment.

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  9. Jay Urban 11 months ago

    I think that you are missing "the catch" by Nebraska's Matt Davison of a Shevin Wiggins deflection of a Scott Frost pass in 1997 against the Missouri Tigers in Columbia. Great play, the last in regulation, and a national championship on the line.

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  10. BabyTate 11 months ago

    Hey that's a good one also. Thanks for the input.

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  11. Drew Roberts 11 months ago

    Boise State's Statue of Liberty was great...but what about the 4th and 18 hook and lateral that made that OT play possible? Gotta be top ten.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      That's a great one but since we used Georgia's Hook and Lateral to defeat defending national champion Alabama in '65 we just went with the Statue of Liberty Boise State play.

      Thanks for the fine input!

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  12. Alan Bass 11 months ago

    ah nothing beats "the play" that is just classic

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  13. bo money 11 months ago

    What about Iowa/LSU 2005 Capital One Bowl!

    Last play touchdown on 55 yard passs.

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  14. Chris Snell 11 months ago

    How about the Devery Henderson's deflected reception to spoil Kentucky's upset over LSU?

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    • A Y 11 months ago

      You don't read real well do you....

      Must be from Louisianna....

      7) Kentucky douses Coach Morriss and celebrates victory over LSU just as Tigers score on game's final play to beat the Wildcats 33-30 in the 2002 Bluegrass Miracle

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Thank you A !

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  15. JOn Ladner 11 months ago

    While I was glad to see Dean Steinkuhler's fumblerooskie on the list, there is an inaccuracy in the information presented. Nebraska did not tie the scroe at halftime. The score at halftime was 17-14 in favor of Miami. Nebraska tied the scroe in the 3rd quarter after the recovery of a Miami fumble.

    Jon L.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      You are correct sir, the tie occured during the 3rd quarter but in the end, justice prevailed and the great Schnellenberger had his national title, 31-30.

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  1. Tyler Jones 11 months ago

    Good article and great memories, at least the ones i know or was alive for. I'll never forgat that Bluegrass Miracle. This would be an incredible list for the NFL, and probably a little harder to rank.

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  2. BabyTate 11 months ago

    No doubt Jim Marshall would be near the top of the list.

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  3. greg bushn 11 months ago

    I know this list is meant to be chronologically balanced but a few come to mind that should be there:

    1) Bama goalline stand against Penn State, 1979 Sugar Bowl.

    2) Buck to Lindsay Scott last second TD to beat Florida, 1980 UF-UGA.

    3) Marino last second TD to beat UGA, 1982 Sugar Bowl.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      No Greg, Bama's stand in the '78 season Sugar Bowl and Texas' stand against Alabama in the '64 season Orange Bowl are beyond any one play and deserve their own articles. Those are THE two greatest goal line stands of alltime, and if you wanna go for a trifecta, how about a great goal line stand that failed, Notre Dame stopping the unbeaten Sou Cal in '05 until Reggie Bush pushed Lienhart into the endzone in an illegal play at the end of the game.

      Belue to Scott is a great play. I have maintained for years that one play is the difference in Georgia winning a national title in '80 and all the great Bulldog teams that failed for one reason or another since then, they made it happen. So I give you 5 stars for that comment.

      The Marino pass in the 1981 season Sugar Bowl is one of the great plays of alltime as well. Remember what happened immediately after the score? Complete silence as the Bulldog faithful lost their oxygen from shock. You deserve another 5 stars for that input.

      Let me compliment you on all of those subjects. Outstanding.

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  4. Ron Johnson 11 months ago

    Good list. But I would like to include Tim Tebow's jump shot pass that looked more like a free throw than a touchdown pass. That play was a jaw dropper to everybody.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Even though Tebow has gone on to become the Sunshine Superman and win the Heisman Trophy I will always think of him throwing the jump pass when he comes to mind.

      An outstanding comment. Thank you.

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  5. mike b 11 months ago

    Nebraska's punt return in the game of the century against Oklahoma, as an OU fan, trust me that play is still way more painful than the Boise state game will ever be. that game was 1v2, theres no way that play is not in the top 5. It was the game winner from the game of the century

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      That wasn't anything. Johnny Rogers was so much better than those Oklahoma boys it was like he was playing with kids. The rest of us were more shocked that Nebraka hadn't put that game away in the 1st half.
      Besides, Jeff Kinney scored the winning touchdown for Nebraska when he manhandled those little Oklahoma boys down the field on the final drive of the game. Rogers' punt return was for Nebraska 1st score, not their last. Nebraska led 28-17 and should have put that game away but they were on the road and they wanted to put on a good show for the TV folks.

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  6. Kevin Hart 11 months ago

    Reggie Bush's run when he stopped on a dime on the sideline, and cut back for a TD was the best run I ever saw.

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  7. rod wood 11 months ago

    This may not be what you're looking for, but...

    I've always thought Charles Woodson's interception against the Spartans (I may be wrong here) where he went up and picked it off with one hand and then had enough to keep possession while dropping one foot in-bounds before going out himself. The ref on that play played it well with his own exuberant call of 1st down Michigan next to Woodson going out.

    A fun play to watch if you're a football fan.

    rodwood

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  8. Jeremy 11 months ago

    Mitch, if you read the article title, its top 12 plays. Not comebacks, moments or drives that game was amazing but it doesnt fall under this list.

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  9. Brandon roberson 11 months ago

    what about 1992 sugar bowl which saw George Teague run down the "fastest man in football" miami receiver Lamar Thomas from 15 yards away and strip it from behind and secure possession to stop a sure touchdown?

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    • Jeremy Turner 11 months ago

      I agree with that Brandon. It was amazing to see Teague run him down, strip the ball, then turn and run the other way. Also, in regards to the Standford/Cal play....I think I was watching something like the 50 Greatest Plays of All-time or something and they said that at Stanford, they have it down in the records that they won the game...not Cal.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Teague's rundown, one of the great moments in history. A classic for sure.

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  10. BabyTate 11 months ago

    Why do you suppose more people don't run the hidden ball trick? Would it be considered a personal foul under today's tiddly winks rules? I'd run it every kickoff till it was stopped.

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    • OrangeandTrue 11 months ago

      The "Hidden Ball Play" where the ball is placed under the jersey has since been ruled illegal. So that may be why it is no longer run.

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    • Rob Sansing 11 months ago

      auburn runs a crazy kick off return where 4 guys turn their backs to the defense and hand the ball off.
      tuberville calls it the "covey of quail". it's about as close as we are likely to get to a hidden ball. these days

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Ruled illegal?!? Bah! Humbug! One day these weepin' Mothers are gonna outlaw tackling.....

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  11. Gordon Churchill 11 months ago

    This may be a little obscure but here goes. Daryl "Moose" Johnston, Cowboys fullback, TV guy... Went to Syracuse and played on the team that went 11-0-1 in 1987. With the undefeated season on the line and a shot at a national championship hanging in the balance SU played one of the greatest games I have ever seen vs West Virginia. In the 4th quarter Moose took a handoff from the 20 or 30 (somewhere around there) straight up the middle on a quick trap, broke through the line, busted off a linebacker, shrugged off a DB and carried two more into the endzone. Maybe just another example of a great player being great but the best individual performance I have ever seen live in college football.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      You know Gordon, that is obscure but I love obscure. Given the opportunity, I'll always stay away from the most obvious.

      I don't remember that play but I remember that game. The Orangemen thought they had a shot at the natl title after that 1 point win over the Mounties. You know, the Syracuse-West Va rivalry was always heated because longtime Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder was a West Virginia alumus.

      The one thing McPherson's boys didn't count on was Pat Dye in the Sugar Bowl. That was the one where Auburn "Tied One For The Gipper". It kept Auburn from losing but the Syracuse fans were so upset with Pat Dye they sent him ties and called him Pat Tie Dye. Just as a casual observer of that Sugar Bowl game, Syracuse was the better team, Auburn was fortunate to get a tie. The War Eagle program had lost by 4 touchdowns to Florida State near the end of the season that year and when Syracuse stood up to them with a great running game and defense it was kinda Deja Vu and took the starch out of Auburn.

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  12. Dreadnaught 11 months ago

    Flutie flakes should be #1. Seeing him with his half shirt and mullett chuck that ball into the end zone was the best play ever. Note: this may be because I only listened to the Cal/Stanford play on the radio.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      C'mon, I've got it #2 alltime. It's like Elvis and The Beatles take your choice.

      Maybe we could say the Cal play is #1 alltime in the West and BC alltime in the East.

      You may not realize how close that Georgia Hook and Lateral is to being #2. Almost no one had ever seen that playcall before and it was debated as an illegal play for years by fans. You know how Alabama people won't let anything go, that was the Tide's ONLY regular season loss from November of 1963 till October of 1967, and it was by 1 point on a play from the Twilight Zone? Man, I know Bama folks who still talk about that one as Georgia cheatin'.

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  13. OrangeandTrue 11 months ago

    Interception by Karlos Dansby in the 2001 Peach Bowl.

    I think this is the video (can't view, I'm at work) youtube.com/watch?v=mSAXei4VD_E&feature=related

    Somethin like Dontarrious Thomas leaped out of bounds, caught the ball, and tossed it back to Karlos Dansby, for the interception. Or the other way around, can't remember.

    Auburn still lost the game 16-10 but it was an amazing play made by two linebackers.

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    • Rob Sansing 11 months ago

      dansby made the catch out of bounds, spun around in mid-air and lobbed the ball back to his teammate. absolutely the most graceful, athletic play I have ever seen on a football field.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      I remember that. Glad you brought that up. A great play for sure, thanks for the comment.

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  14. Rob Sansing 11 months ago

    great plays???
    the cal kickoff return has to be #1. then it gets kinda subjective.
    my #2 all-timer would be the lindsey scott touchdown that beat florida. a 91 yard td pass on 4th & 21!!
    plus larry munson's raucous encouragement ("go, lindsey, go") is unforgetable!!
    then as an auburn fan I would have to name about 20 big auburn plays, including one that should be on this list: the 2 blocked punts that beat alabama in 1972. down 16-0 with less than six minutes to go and pull the game out in literally unbelievable fashion.
    thanks for the list. a fun read.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      That Lindsey Scott catch was a near illegal play on the other side for holding on Florida. Can you imagine if it had ben wiped out by a whistle? Hopefully for Dooley they'd have an option to decline.

      We've discussed the Scott one earlier and it was certainly a great play but Georgia has the #3 alltime play from 1965 with the legandary Hook and Ladder(Lateral) to defeat Bear's defending national champion Red Elephants in the game that re-invented Georgia Bulldog football and showed the obscure 2nd year former Auburn quarterback Vince Dooley would be a player in bigtime football circles. A side note is that 2 weeks after defeating the mighty Tide, Georgia went to Ann Arbor and beat the defending Rose Bowl & Big10 champion Michigan Wolverines 15-7. No miracle needed. However, that would be the last time Georgia's football team would leave the old Confederacy until this fall when they go out to Arizona and take on Erickson's ASU Sun Devils in Tempe. That's right, it has been 43 years since Georgia has left the confines of Dixie. How they will fare, no one knows.

      One final note: After Georgia pulled off the shocking Hook to beat Alabama 18-17, the Tide went unbeaten the rest of the season and won the 1965 national championship.

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  15. Rob Sansing 11 months ago

    speaking of near illegal: bear always said the receiver who made the initial catch on the hook & lateral caught the ball with his knees on the ground.
    really enjoyed your comments. you didn't mention, however, the "punt bama punt" game!!!

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Rob, Bear said & we all said. I have a picture that shows the Georgia player with his knee on the ground when he made the lateral. But, we can't go back and make the call, the refs and everyone in the stands were just so shocked by this unbelievable 19th century play that it was allowed.

      Punt Bama? We've already got 2 of the top 6 with Bama!

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  1. Scott Taylor 11 months ago

    I always find it interesting how much more hype Flutie's pass gets over Stewart's... Stewart threw it 20 yards farther, the ball actually was tipped, and two of the top six teams in the country were playing each other. Just because Flutie is 5-6, it doesn't make that play more special.

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Stewart's play didn't matter as much as Flutie's, that's what it doesn't get the coverage. Fluitie's pass beat the defending National Champion on their home field in their final game of the year. He then won the Heisman Trophy. Just more a more important play by a more important player in a more important game and has nothing to do with the fact of how tall someone is.

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  2. ross stansbery 11 months ago

    i think that all of boise state's plays should be used for #4 it showed how badly out coached and the thing about flutie was that no one thought he was good enough to play college ball

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  3. Gray Ghost 11 months ago

    Great article! Well researched. Thanks for bringing back the memories! I live in Idaho now and let me tell you - the city of Boise still hasn't gotten over that win on the biggest stage in its history. They still play it on the TV screens in Walmart! What a great game!

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Say, thanks for the Idaho input. That was a great game. Beautiful school and excellent theatre arts in the Boise area. The whole country follows the Broncos.

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  4. Ryan Gaydos 11 months ago

    How bout the botched lateral play by Reggie Bush in the National Championship game against Texas. But I like #10, the hidden ball trick

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    • BabyTate 11 months ago

      Ryan, I'll tell ya, keep showing that beach shot with your picture so all of us old landlocked folks can remember what the summertime really looks like.

      We need to bring back the hidden ball trick. Someone said earlier Auburn uses a a faux version called the Covey.

      How about a play of nothing but Hook and Laterals?

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  5. Gary Skrzek 10 months ago

    Doug Flutie's Hale Mary is one of the greatest plays in college football. It came from a guy that everyone said was too short for quarterback and too small for any football position. He kept his team in the game and neck-&-neck on the score board. That level of ignorance is why nobody in the NFL took him seriously until he got his chance in Buffalo and started kicking everybody's ass. Ultimatly Buffalo screwed him over as well. Doug Flutie is no fluke and neither was his Hale Mary pass. His fame is due to his abilities, not because he was on national TV like the gentleman above said.

    I played ball in high school and college and I must say football is about intelligence, strategy and the ability to improvise, not just bulk and brute strength. There is a place for the small smart fox in football. Eventually the NFL will mature to the point where they lose the big-is-better mentality and judge players by performance and results.

    Coming back to Doug Flutie, Doug played in the Canadian Football league for many years. He started off with the Calgary Stampeders and ended up with the Toronto Argonauts. In that time he won 6 national championships and broke every passing and scoring record. That's why Buffalo grabbed him after his CFL contract was up. Doug Flutie is no fluke and neither was his hale mary pass. By the way, Joe Theismann was also recruted from the CFL. He also played for the Toronto Argonauts. You would be amazed how many of the top players in the NFL went to the CFL after college to get professional experience and extra training before going back to the NFL. 90% of the players in the CFL are American.

    Thanks
    Gary
    www.walleyeheaven.com

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  6. Tom Dunnavant 8 months ago

    #6 is just wrong. Obviously who ever wrote this failed to view the film and is too young to have seen the game on tv or to have seen what really happened.
    Yes Tommy Lewis did in fact come from the side line and he in fact make a great open field tackle.
    No, he did not come off the bench. Tommy Lewis, who is an Insurance agent in Huntsville, Al. was STANDING on the side line and had been actively playing throughout the game. He was filled with emotion as he entered the field of play and made the tackle.
    Over the years he has been the but of many jokes and false comments, like yours, that indicates he was bench warmer and he was not.
    While you and many others have pinned this epitaph on Tommy, he does not deserve it.

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