College Football: The Greatest Play in Each of the Top 50 Stadiums' History

Earlier in the week we looked at the greatest game in each of college football's top 50 stadiums' history. The idea was to supplement an earlier article that outlined the 50 greatest stadiums in college football with its greatest games. The hopes would be that after looking at the great stadiums, we could begin to discuss the great games in which they produced.

With that same ideology in mind, consider this Part III of the discussion. Here, we will consider the same 50 stadiums, only we will look at the single greatest individual play for each stadium.

These plays range from the most exciting, impossible individual efforts to the most important plays that ever took place under the lights of your favorite stadium.

Enjoy!

University Stadium: University of New Mexico

Date: December 20, 2008

The Play: Colorado State running back Gartrell Johnson would have one of the better bowl games not just of the 2008 season, but of all time. The senior back would break an FBS bowl record for most yards from scrimmage with 375. He would place second in bowl history with 275 yards rushing (P.J. Daniels' 307 in the 2004 Humanitarian Bowl is the record) and, most importantly, Colorado State would win their first bowl game since 2001.

The Rams needed every yard Johnson could muster. As it turns out, Colorado State actually trailed 28-20 entering the fourth quarter. They quickly got a one-yard plunge from Johnson to cut the lead to two. Later they added a long passing touchdown to take the lead, 33-28.

Finally, Johnson delivered the coup de grace. A 77-yard touchdown can be seen at 8:30 in the video, and it put the Rams up 40-28. They would go on to win 40-35.

Robertson Stadium: University of Houston

Date: October 27, 2011

The Play: Other than a brief stint in the 1940s, the Houston Cougars have only called Robertson Stadium home since 1998. Fortunately, that has been plenty of time for the Cougars to produce several memorable plays.

Many of those highlights belong to Case Keenum, the all-time leading passer in terms of yards and touchdowns. This past season, Keenum entered the game against Rice needing five touchdowns to break the all-time record. The way Keenum plays, it was a coin-flip on whether or not he would get it.

He would get the five necessary for the record...and add four more. In total, he threw for nine touchdowns!

I wish I could show you every Keenum touchdown pass, but for now, the nine will suffice. All are worthy of top plays.

Bulldog Stadium: Fresno State University

Date: December 18, 1982

The Play: This game was the runner-up in greatest game ever in Bulldog Stadium, but it may be the No. 1 YouTube highlight reel in terms of unintentional comedy.

Fresno State, playing at their home stadium, took on Bowling Green in the second California Bowl. Behind QB Jeff Tedford (now Cal coach), the Bulldogs fell behind 28-7.

Their first touchdown of the comeback came on a short reverse to Stephon Paige (5:38). Tedford would whiff on the block, but Paige would avoid the defender, hurdle Tedford and score.

The next drive would see Tedford deliver a strike to Paige on a post route for a 30-yard touchdown. Despite possibly injuring his knee, the Bulldog mascot would cheer him on (7:10). The Bulldogs would go for two and convert.

The Bulldogs would score once again on a short TD pass (9:00). This caused everyone to run on the field, despite the game being tied, but that was really no reason for the cops to intervene and separate the crowd. I also love the two kids in the stands at 9:19 doing some weird sort of handshake and, of course, the cannon.

The Bulldogs would win 29-28 and finish 11-1. Tedford would be the California Bowl MVP.

War Memorial Stadium: University of Wyoming

Date: October 29, 1966

The Play: It's great to see Wyoming back in a bowl game. After a combined 22-2 record in 1967 and 1968, the Cowboys fell on some hard times. Joe Tiller rejuvenated the program in 1996, but it came tumbling back down after he left for Purdue.

This season the Cowboys will be back in a bowl, thanks in no small part to efforts such as the one from Chris McNeill.

As you'll see at 1:34, McNeill would field a punt on a bounce, and despite having his momentum taking him backwards, is able to get to the sidelines and burn all of the Rebels defenders down the sideline for a 73-yard punt return.

Aloha Stadium: University of Hawaii

Date: December 25, 2003

The Play: As one would expect, the Houston Cougars and Hawaii Warriors put on an offensive display in the 2003 Hawaii Bowl. Timmy Chang came off the bench to presumably lead the Warriors to victory.

Hawaii led by seven with less than a minute left. A 29-yard field goal would all but ice it, but it sailed wide left. Still, the Warriors were up seven with less than a minute left, and Houston would need a miracle to tie.

With that, Houston QB Kevin Kolb would find Vincent Marshall for an 81-yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-11 (1:36). This tied the game at 34.

It would work out well for Hawaii, however. They would go on to win 54-48 in triple overtime.

Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium: West Virginia University

Date: November 20, 1993

The Play: A record crowd came out to Mountaineer Field to see WVU take on Miami in a Big East battle. West Virginia was undefeated, while Miami was 8-1 but undefeated in the Big East. The conference championship was on the line.

WVU trailed 14-10 halfway through the fourth. A long, impressive drive was capped off with this 20-yard run by Robert Walker. The extra point made it 17-14 WVU.

The Mountaineers would stop the Hurricanes and then seal the game with a 40-yard pass from Jake Kelchner.

WVU would climb to No. 2 in the rankings entering the Sugar Bowl. There they would lose to Florida, 41-7.

Brighthouse Network Stadium: University of Central Florida

Date: December 4, 2010

The Play: C-USA was once unique in that their conference championship game was/is played at a home venue of the team with the better record (Pac-12 has since adopted this). As a result, UCF was the beneficiary in 2010, as they took on SMU on their home field.

UCF's defense dominated SMU's potent attack, holding the Mustangs to just seven points.

It was Latavius Murray's third-quarter touchdown run, however, which put the game out of reach for good. You can see the run at 2:30 in the highlight reel.

Murray would be named C-USA Title Game MVP. Less than a month later, he would score the only touchdown in the Liberty Bowl against UGA, and be named Liberty Bowl MVP as well.

Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium: East Carolina University

Date: October 26, 1991

The Play: As the Rocky lyrics would indicate, ECU was flying high during the 1991 season, and despite Corso's proclamation, ECU would go on to win the Peach Bowl over N.C. State on New Year's Day.

To get there, the Pirates went 10-1, including a big win over Pitt in Greenville.

Jeff Blake would shine on the day for the Pirates. You can see two of his touchdown passes (sort of) in this highlight video. The first coming at 0:32, and the second coming at 0:36. The second one, combined with a two-point conversion, would ultimately give ECU a 24-23 win.

For an extra bonus, the attached video includes the game-winning touchdown against N.C. State in the Peach Bowl.

Vaught Hemingway Stadium: University of Mississippi

Date: November 22, 1992

The Play: Not one play, but a series of plays from the "Red Death" defense that gave the Rebels the win over rival Mississippi State.

Mississippi State would run 11 plays inside the 10-yard-line of Ole Miss in the last four minutes and fail to score.  Eleven!

First they threw an interception in the end zone on third down. Instead of taking a touchback, Ole Miss would bring the ball out to only the two-yard line. This seemed to be a big mistake as a few plays later, Ole Miss would fumble, giving the ball back to MSU on the five.

Undaunted, Ole Miss would stop Miss State on four plays. Only on the fourth play was pass interference called, giving the Bulldogs a first down at the Ole Miss two-yard line.

Once again the Rebels stiffened, and produced three consecutive negative-yardage plays. The final pass fell incomplete and Ole Miss hung on to win 17-10.

Coincidentally, this was the first Egg Bowl played in Oxford in 30 years. The two teams met in Jackson, Mississippi annually from 1973-1990 before resuming a home-and-home series. The 1991 contest was played in Starkville, and saw Mississippi State win 24-9.

Glass Bowl: University of Toledo

Date: September 20, 2003

The Play: Pitt came into the Glass Bowl ranked No. 9 in the nation. Toledo was 2-1 but remained heavy underdogs.

Pitt would build a 31-21 lead behind the efforts of Larry Fitzgerald, who caught 12 passes for 201 yards on the day. Unfortunately for Pitt fans, they wouldn't score again.

Toledo scored with just under seven minutes left to cut the lead to 31-28. Then, with seconds left, Bruce Gradkowski found Lance Moore in the back of the end zone to pull ahead 35-31. It was the second 80-yard-plus drive of the quarter for Gradkowski and the Rockets, and it gave Toledo the 35-31 upset.

Nippert Stadium: University of Cincinnati

Date: November 22, 2008

The Play: Tony Pike touchdown pass to Mardy Gilyard.

Cincinnati had never beaten Pitt (0-7). They had never won the Big East conference. Other than a 2002 C-USA title, they had not won a conference title since the 1964 Missouri Valley.

They had a chance to change all of that on a late November night in 2008. There was one small problem. QB Tony Pike was playing with a broken forearm.

It didn't seem to bother him much. Pike and the Bearcats were great, as they trounced Pitt 28-21 (the final score wasn't indicative of how much Cincy beat Pitt).

Here you can see Pike hook up with Mardy Gilyard. This put distance between the Cats and the Panthers, and would go a long way in leading Cincinnati to their first Big East title, their first win over Pitt and their first BCS bowl.

Spartan Stadium: Michigan State University

Date: November 3, 2001

The Play: A simple clock-stopping spike never carried so many implications and controversy.

MSU was driving the ball, down 24-20 to their in-state rival Michigan. They faced a 2nd-and-goal from the 5-yard-line with 17 seconds left and no timeouts. It figured that any play needed to be an incomplete pass, out-of-bounds or a touchdown.

QB Jeff Smoker scrambled to the right and was tackled in-bounds on the 1-yard-line with 12 seconds left. With the clock running, MSU rushed to get set and spike the ball to stop the clock. They were able to spike the ball with one second left.

Or did they?

It appears as if Smoker takes the snap with one second left, spikes the ball and that the clock stopped at one.

Michigan State would score on the next play with a pass to T.J. Duckett.

To this day, controversy surrounds if there should have been time left on the clock or if the clock expired. So much controversy that the game is now known as "clockgate."

Amon G. Carter Stadium: Texas Christian University

Date: October 3, 1981

The Play: TCU was suffering through a horrible stretch in the 1970s and early 1980s. They had not been to a bowl game since the 1965 Sun Bowl, and they did not win more than two games in a single season from 1974-1983.

One silver lining came in the 1981 game against rival Arkansas, a team that had beaten TCU 22 straight years. Lou Holtz brought a tough, nationally-ranked team into Fort Worth and many expected the game to be no contest. For most of the game, they were right.

Arkansas led 24-14 with just minutes remaining, but WR Stanley Washington was able to score two touchdowns in the final five minutes to upset Arkansas, 28-24. The second came on the heels of a 99-yard game-winning drive. (If anyone has video of this, please share.)

LaVell Edwards Stadium: Brigham Young University

Date: September 8, 1990

The Play: The Miami Hurricanes were the defending champions and the No. 1 team in the land. They traveled west and vertically to take on the BYU Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. What unfolded was a huge upset and one of the greatest games in BYU history.

Eventual Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer would lead the Cougars back from a 21-14 deficit to win the game. The deciding touchdown was magnificent, and is the recipient of the best play in LaVell Edwards Stadium history.

You can see it in the attached clip at 4:19. Detmer drops back and is able to avoid the rush. He takes one step back as two Hurricanes defenders are closing in on him. As a result, the Canes collide with each other. Detmer then scrambles out of the pocket, re-sets his feet and finds an open receiver in the end zone.

BYU would win 28-21. Detmer would win the Heisman. The Cougars would climb to No. 4 in the nation twice during the regular season. They would lose their final two games, including a loss to Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl, to finish 10-3.

Also, look at the hit Detmer takes at 0:43. Is it me, or was college football better when you could hit a quarterback and he didn't immediately turn around and hold his hand out for a flag? And better yet, wasn't football better when they didn't throw the flag on a play like this?

Rice Stadium: Rice University

Date: January 13, 1974

The Play: All of Larry Csonka's runs.

OK, this may be cheating a bit, as it isn't a college football game, but part of the lore of Rice Stadium is the fact that it hosted Super Bowl VIII between the Vikings and the Dolphins.

The Dolphins were able to dominate early, running 20 plays for 118 yards and 14 points in the first quarter alone.

This video, despite the commercial interruptions, is a pretty good diagram of Csonka and the other Dolphins' dominance over the Vikings.

The Dolphins would win their second straight Super Bowl. Csonka would win MVP honors, becoming the first running back to do so.

Rice Stadium remains to be only one of seven stadiums to host a Super Bowl and currently host a college football team. The other are the L.A. Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, the Superdome, Qualcomm, Raymond James and Sun Devil Stadium.

Boone Pickens Stadium: Oklahoma State University

Date: September 10, 1988

The Play: Barry Sanders no doubt owns the most exciting, memorable plays in Cowboys and Boone Pickens Stadium history. Trying to narrow it down to one is difficult, but what if we looked no further than the first play of the 1988 season?

That's right. Oklahoma State would have one of their most successful seasons in 1988 and Sanders would go on to win the Heisman Trophy. The Cowboys didn't wait long to get the ball rolling, as the opening kickoff of the season was returned 101 yards by Sanders.

How's that for starting the season off on the right foot?

Sanders would end up with 2,628 rushing yards, 3,249 total yards and 39 touchdowns. Many consider his 1988 season to be one of the greatest of all time.

Memorial Stadium: University of California

Date: November 20, 1982

The Play: "The Play."

No, that isn't a misprint, and I didn't accidentally write "the play" twice. This particular play has become so amazing, well-known and popular, that it is simply known as "the play."

Williams-Brice Stadium: University of South Carolina

Date: November 10, 1984

The Play: South Carolina had never won nine games in a season before. Entering the contest at 8-0 and ranked No. 5 in the nation, they had a chance to do something special. Additionally, they would be beating a good FSU team, ranked No. 11 in the nation.

South Carolina built a 17-7 halftime lead. They then created more separation immediately in the second half.

The opening kickoff was returned 99 yards by Raynard Brown. He looked stuffed at the 24-yard line, but was able to bounce it to the outside and let his speed take over.

I also love the cameo appearance by the Gamecocks mascot, Cocky, standing at the 15-yard line on the run back.

South Carolina would climb to No. 2 in the ranking before being upset by Navy. They would finish 10-2 after a loss to Oklahoma State in the Gator Bowl.

It was just the second season under the "man in black," head coach Joe Morrison. The program began a great turnaround under Morrison which continued throughout the 1980s. Unfortunately, Morrison would pass away at the age of 51 from heart failure while still coach of the Gamecocks.

Bobby Dodd Stadium: Georgia Tech

Date: October 13, 1990

The Play: A GT Goal-Line stand.

GT was 4-0 and just starting to make a name for themselves in the 1990 season, ranked No. 18. Clemson came to Atlanta ranked No. 15, and suddenly a major battle for the ACC was unfolding.

GT fell behind early but was able to come back, partially on the strength of their special teams unit. Ultimately, the game came down to the final seconds.

Clemson drove inside the 5-yard line but was stuffed by Tech's defense. The goal-line stand seen at 2:35 sealed a win for the Yellow Jackets, 21-19.

Georgia Tech would go on to defeat No. 1 Virginia in Charlottesville, and then defeat rival Georgia in Athens. After defeating Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl, the Ramblin' Wreck were voted co-National Champions along with Colorado.

I included a long version of the highlights because they're awesome. Classic old-school NFL Films-caliber highlights.

Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium: University of Oklahoma

Date: November 25, 1971

The Play: As an original "Game of the Century," this did not disappoint. The No. 1 Huskers were able to go to Norman and defeat the No. 2 Sooners in a close-fought game, 35-31.

The game will best be remembered for the play by Johnny Rodgers. His greatest effort would come in the first quarter on this punt return. Rodgers would break three tackles before busting up the middle and to the sidelines, finally using his speed to out-run every Sooner on the field.

Nebraska would win the national championship in 1971, but Rodgers would have to wait one year before taking home his Heisman.

Enjoy the commentary.

Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium: University of Texas

Date: November 27, 1998

The Play: Tony Dorsett's all-time rushing record stood for 22 years. With a change in rules that allowed players to leave early and with offenses moving to more a pass-heavy attack, it's a surprise it was ever broken. Certainly it would take a talented, well-conditioned football player to amass so many yards.

Enter Ricky Williams.

Williams entered the rivalry game against Texas A&M needing 63 yards to break Dorsett's record (6,032 yards). Dorsett was in attendance, and it wasn't a question of if Williams would break it, but when, and how.

It came in the first quarter. Already having totaled 52 yards in 14 minutes, Williams needed only 11 more to break the record.

He received the hand-off, and burst through for a 60-yard touchdown, shattering the record and giving the Longhorns an early 10-0 lead.

They would go on to win the game, 26-24. Williams would win the Heisman trophy.

War Memorial Stadium: University of Arkansas

Date: November 29, 2002

The Play: War Memorial Stadium traditionally plays host to one or two of Arkansas' bigger games of the season. In 2002, it played host to the game against rival LSU.

Arkansas took control of the ball down six with 34 seconds left. Worse yet, they were pinned all the way back on their own 19-yard line.

On the first play, QB Matt Jones completed a 50-yard pass to Richard Smith to get the Hogs down to the LSU 31. The next pass fell incomplete. After that, the miracle happened.

Jones found DeCori Birmingham in the back of the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown. The Hogs were penalized for excessive celebration, pushing the extra point attempt back to the 18-yard line. They barely made it, giving them a 21-20 win.

As rumor has it, as Coach Houston Nutt was drawing up plays for Jones preceding the eventual touchdown, Jones cut the coach off and simply said, "I got it."

The play has come to be known as "The Miracle on Markham" (War Memorial Stadium being located on Markham Street).

Jordan-Hare Stadium: Auburn University

Date: November 22, 2003

The Play: With all apologies to Damon Duval kicking off the No. 1 Gators in 2001, the award for best play in Jordan-Hare has to go to the Cadillac.

Auburn was closing out a disappointing season that saw them fall from preseason Top 10 to an unranked, 6-5 team. Alabama wasn't doing too much better, as a tough schedule and a loss to Northern Illinois had the Tide sitting at 4-7.

But hey, this is the Iron Bowl, right?

Auburn came in on the heels of two consecutive losses. Therefore, fans worried how the rest of their season would play out. Would they show resolve and beat their in-state rivals, or would they continue to fold?

Their questions were quickly answered. On the first play of the game, Cadillac Williams took the ball 80 yards to make it 7-0 Auburn.

The Tigers would go on to win, 28-23. They would beat Wisconsin in the Music City Bowl to finish 8-5.

Bryant-Denny Stadium: University of Alabama

Date: September 10, 2005

The Play: There may have been more memorable games, or more important plays, but I defy anyone to come up with a better individual play than the one seen here.

Tyrone Prothro produced an all-time highlight reel entrant with his catch against Southern Miss in 2005.

The Crimson Tide would go on to defeat Southern Miss 31-3. The Tide would finish the season 10-2 following a win over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. All wins would later be vacated.

Can't take away that catch, though.

Kinnick Stadium: University of Iowa

Date: October 19, 1985

The Play: No. 1 Iowa hosted No. 2 Michigan halfway through the 1985 season. The Big Ten figured to be on the line and the game certainly carried national implications. Oddly enough, it wasn't dubbed a "Game of the Century" (anti-midwest bias?).

Iowa took over at their own 22-yard line, trailing 10-9 with five minutes left. Heisman-hopeful QB Chuck Long drove the Hawkeyes down to the 12-yard line to set up a 30-yard field goal for Rob Houghtlin.

The kick was true, and the Hawkeyes won 12-10. Houghtlin accounted for all 12 points.

Iowa would lose in the Horseshoe, costing them a chance at a National Championship. Still, by virtue of a tiebreak, the Hawkeyes would win the Big Ten. They would lose to UCLA in the Rose Bowl, and finish ranked No. 10 in the nation.

Stanford Stadium: Stanford University

Date: November 28, 2009

The Play: Stanford hadn't beaten Notre Dame since 2001, and had to suffer through some really bad teams along the way. The seven-game losing streak in the series remains the longest of the series.

It's never too late to turn things around, however, and that is exactly what Stanford did in 2009. Emerging as a national threat, Stanford hosted a crumbling Irish team in the final regular-season game of the year.

The game turned into a shootout, with ND building an 11-point lead in the third quarter. Stanford used the talents of not only Andrew Luck, but Toby Gerhart as well to claw back.

Gerhart became the star of the night. His touchdown run in the third quarter cut the lead to four. He threw for a touchdown halfway through the fourth quarter to tie the game (0:40). Finally, he walked in from four yards out with less than a minute left to give Stanford the win.

Gerhart would go on to finish second in the Heisman voting behind Mark Ingram. Stanford would go on to lose to Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl. They have only lost twice since then.

Falcon Stadium: Air Force Academy

Date: October 5, 1985

The Play: Air Force owned Notre Dame in the early 1980s. 

You may want to re-read that statement again.

Air Force had won three straight against the Irish entering the 1985 contest. While the Irish were experiencing a down season and Air Force was undefeated, the Irish led on the road late in the game.

Notre Dame led 15-13 with less than six minutes to play. Worse yet for the Falcons, the Irish had the ball inside the Air Force 5-yard line. A touchdown would have all but ended the game.

Notre Dame RB Allen Pinkett was stopped for losses on first and second down. Then, Steve Beuerlein was called for intentional grounding, backing the Irish up to the 20-yard line.

They had no choice but to kick the field goal, making it a five-point game.

Instead, the kick was blocked by Terry Maki. A.J. Scott scooped the ball up and returned it for a touchdown. The defense held, and the Falcons went on to win, 21-15.

Air Force would climb to No. 4 in the nation before falling to fellow-WAC foe, BYU. The Falcons would beat Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl and finish 12-1, ranked No. 5.

(I don't have a clip of the block, but this Fisher DeBerry legacy film is enjoyable, and highlights Air Force's 1996 win in South Bend.)

Liberty Bowl: University of Memphis

Date: January 2, 2009

The Play: Kentucky couldn't do anything in the first half of the Liberty Bowl. They trailed ECU 16-3.

As Bob Davie says, the first drive for the Wildcats would be critical. As it turns out, they wouldn't even have a drive.

David Jones would return the kick 99 yards for a touchdown. The return was exactly what the doctor ordered for the Cats. It would spark a second-half comeback, and Kentucky would go on to win, 25-19.

Sun Bowl: University of Texas-El Paso

Date: December 25, 1987

The Play: The 1987 John Hancock Sun Bowl was a track meet between Oklahoma State and West Virginia. OSU had Mike Gundy, Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders while WVU had freshman quarterback Major Harris.

The game would be played on Christmas Day and, fittingly, on a snow-covered field.

Oklahoma State took the lead late with a Thomas touchdown, his fourth of the game. The score put the Cowboys up 35-27.

WVU would drive, however, and scored with only one minute left to cut the lead to 35-33. WVU was forced to go for two.

The Mountaineers looked dead to rights immediately on the play (53:10), but Major Harris was able to get rid of the ball. The pass was complete, but OSU swarmed to make the play and stop WVU at the 1-yard line. Oklahoma State would go on to win the game.

And yes, Musburger did the game. Who else did you expect on a snowy Christmas Day, 1987, in the West Texas town of El Paso? Santa Claus?

Legion Field: University of Alabama-Birmingham

Date: December 3, 1983

The Play: Auburn was ranked No. 3 and sniffing a national championship. Alabama was in their first year post-Bear Bryant, but still fielded the No. 19 team in the nation.

Auburn had already snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Tide the previous year (with a Bo Jackson touchdown), but every Iron Bowl is important, right?

This play seems so simple, which is actually what makes it so impressive. If you can tell me another time someone ran so effortlessly, so quickly, for a 70-yard touchdown, I'd like to hear it. The ease of it all is further emphasized by Keith Jackson's simple "good bye" call.

Auburn would win the Sugar Bowl, but despite the No. 1 and No. 2 team losing, they would not win the national championship. Miami would jump from No. 5 to win the national championship following their win over Nebraska.

Sun Devil Stadium: Arizona State University

Date: January 2, 1996

The Play: The 1995-96 National Championship would be decided in Tempe, Arizona. No. 1 Nebraska was/is considered by many to be the greatest team of all time. Florida was undefeated, ranked No. 2 and had upset on their minds (they were only three-point underdogs).

It wasn't to be. Nebraska thoroughly dominated the game, ultimately winning 62-24.

The play that stands out above all is Tommie Frazier's 75-yard touchdown run. Already leading 42-14 in the third quarter, Frazier kept the ball on an option play and proceeded to break numerous tackles en route to the end zone.

The play came to be emblematic of the Huskers domination in the mid 1990s.

Doak Campbell Stadium: Florida State University

Date: November 21, 1964

The Play: Prior the the 1964 season, the Seminoles had never beaten the Gators. This may sound downright shocking, but consider that FSU was an all-girls school up until 1948 (which caused many misogynistic chants towards the Seminoles once they did field a football team). All in all, the Noles were 0-5-1 against the Gators heading into the 1964 contest.

The Seminoles were finally able to break through and score an upset over the Gators in Doak Campbell. In fact, it was the first time the game was played at Doak; the first five meetings all took place in Gainesville.

A 55-yard touchdown pass to Fred Biletnikoff put the Seminoles up 7-0 in the second quarter. It would technically be all they needed, as they went on to win 16-7.

Biletnikoff would go on to be a six-time all-pro with the Oakland Raiders. The Fred Biletnikoff Award is given annually to the nation's top receiver.

Lane Stadium: Virginia Tech

Date: December 1, 2001

The Play: No. 1 Miami, considered by many to be the greatest team of all time, rolled into the "terrordome" that is known as Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech was ranked No. 14 in the nation and figured to provide a late-season threat to the Hurricanes.

Virginia Tech trailed 26-18 late in the fourth quarter. They were able to force a fourth down against the Canes, bringing the punt team out.

As is typical of "Beamer Ball," Eric Green burst through the line and blocked the punt. Brandon Manning would scoop up the ball and return it for the touchdown, cutting the lead to 26-24.

The celebration would be short-lived, however, as the Hokies would drop the two-point conversion. The Hokies would lose, 26-24.

Kyle Field: Texas A&M University

Date: November 26, 1999

The Play: The 1999 edition of the Texas A&M-Texas game took on greater meaning and significance than ever before. Not even a week earlier, the traditional Aggies Bonfire went wrong, killing 12 and injuring 27. Emotions were even higher than normal in Kyle Field that late November afternoon.

A&M would trail most of the game. Down 16-13 late in the fourth, they began to drive the length of the field in an effort to come back.

Facing a 2nd-and-11 from the Texas 21-yard line, QB Randy McCown found Matt Bumgardner on a fade route in the end zone. The Aggies would go up 20-16 and not relinquish the lead.

Folsom Field: University of Colorado

Date: November 23, 2001

The Play: Really, you can pick any offensive play from this game, call it the best in the history of Folsom Field and I don't think many would have a gripe. But, I will pick the first play from this highlight reel.

No. 2 Nebraska had dominated competition all season and figured to be a shoo-in for the national title game. They entered their final regular-season game against No. 14 Colorado, and were completely destroyed, 62-36.

The first touchdown set the tone for the entire game. Bobby Purify would run right up the middle, untouched, for a 40-yard touchdown.

Purify, Chris Brown (six touchdowns!) and Daniel Graham would have their way with the Huskers all game. As it turns out, Nebraska would not even win their division. Colorado would, and would go on to defeat Texas in the Big 12 championship game.

Try to ignore the idiotic commentary from the video. This is somehow the only highlight reel of the game out there.

Camp Randall Stadium: University of Wisconsin

Date: November 13, 1999

The Play: Earlier in the countdown we saw the record-breaking efforts of Ricky Williams. It's only fair then to include the record-breaking efforts of Ron Dayne just one year later.

Dayne needed 23 yards to eclipse the record and he got 32 on this play. 

He would go on to rush for over 200 yards in the Rose Bowl, and finished his career with 6,397 rushing yards, a mark that still stands.

Wisconsin would win their second consecutive Rose Bowl against Stanford. Dayne would win the Heisman Trophy.

Autzen Stadium: University of Oregon

Date: October 22, 1994

The Play: The Oregon Ducks had not been in the Rose Bowl since 1958. At 4-3 halfway through the season, no one expected that streak to end.

No. 9 Washington rolled into Autzen Stadium having played in consecutive Rose Bowl games. They had already beaten Ohio State and Miami, and were looking to return to Pasadena.

The Huskies trailed 24-20 late in the game, but were driving inside the Ducks' five-yard-line. It seemed inevitable that the Huskies would score and continue Ducks' frustrations.

Suddenly, Kenny Wheaton, a freshman, stepped in front of a Damon Huard pass and returned it 97 yards to seal the win.

The play changed the game, and the game changed the season. Oregon would win the rest of their games in the regular season and go on to face Penn State in the Rose Bowl.

Memorial Stadium (Death Valley): Clemson University

Date: September 17, 1988

The Play: Puntrooskie

A major showdown took place in early September, 1988. No. 10 FSU traveled to No. 3 Clemson in a game that carried major national implications.

The game was tied 21-21 with only a couple of minutes left. FSU was facing a 4th-and-long deep in its own territory. Rather than punt and give the Tigers good field position when they only needed a field goal, FSU decided to roll the dice.

The result: puntrooskie. The ball was snapped short and handed off to defensive back LeRoy Butler.

Butler would go down the sidelines all the way to the 5-yard line. A few plays later, FSU would kick the field goal and win, 24-21.

Husky Stadium: University of Washington

Date: November 16, 1985

The Play: Washington was a few years away from becoming truly great. USC was in a re-building year. Still, the two produced a great game in Seattle.

Washington trailed 17-13 late in the fourth quarter. Worse yet, USC was inside the Huskies' 5-yard line. A crucial fumble gave the ball back to the Huskies, and after that, take your pick for best play...

First you have Chris Chandler converting a 4th-and-2 from his own five. Then, Chandler would thread the needle for a 20-yard completion down the sidelines. Finally, the drive was capped off with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Moe Hill.

The 98-yard drive to win 20-17 remains one of the great drives and wins in Washington Huskies history.

Washington would go on to defeat Colorado in the Freedom Bowl.

Sanford Stadium: University of Georgia

Date: September 9, 1965

The Play: Alabama came into the season ranked No. 1 and were defending national champions. Georgia was in just their second season under coach Vince Dooley, and had yet to really make a name for themselves.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but 17 unanswered from the Tide put Alabama on top.

With only a few minutes left and trailing by seven deep in their own territory, the Dawgs had to come up with a miracle. They found it.

QB Kirby Moore found Pat Hodgson, who then flipped the ball to Bob Taylor, who ran for 73 yards and a Georgia touchdown. Georgia would add the two-point conversion, stop the Tide and win, 18-17.

Alabama wouldn't lose again, and won the National Championship in 1965.

You can buy a program from the game. In 1965, it cost 50 cents. Today, it's going for $100 on eBay.

Memorial Stadium: University of Nebraska

Date: October 27, 2001

The Play: Black 41 Flash Reverse.

Err, I mean...how about this...

No. 2 Nebraska hosted No. 3 Oklahoma in late October. A defensive struggle was expected, and it came to fruition.

Nebraska led 13-10 with six minutes left in the game, but Oklahoma seemed to be gaining momentum and field position. The traditional play didn't work very well all day for Nebraska, so they needed to draw up something special to hang on and win the game.

The play was Black 41 Flash Reverse.

The play went as a reverse and was thrown back to the quarterback, Eric Crouch. He hauled it in and beat the defenders down the sidelines to make it a 20-10 game. That would go down as the final.

The win was so big for the Huskers that they were not penalized later for losing to Colorado, and not even winning the Big 12 North division. Nebraska would go on to face Miami in the National Championship, where they lost.

Crouch would win the Heisman Trophy.

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium: University of Florida

Date: November 30, 1991

The Play: The Florida-FSU rivalry hadn't kicked into full swing quite yet, but it was just starting to get good in 1991. No. 3 FSU traveled to No. 5 Florida in the final week of the season. FSU's only loss was the previous week on "Wide Right I," while UF's only loss came early at the Carrier Dome.

The game turned out to be low-scoring. An early Errict Rhett touchdown put the Gators ahead 7-0, but both teams found it hard to put points on the board otherwise. Call it luck, call it skill, but the Gators struck gold in the third.

Shane Matthews was flushed out of the pocket and forced to scramble to his right. He launched up a prayer to Harrison Houston off his back foot. The ball sailed just over the fingertips of the defender into Houston's hands. He would do the rest, running it in for a 74-yard touchdown.

The play proved to be the deciding one. The Gators went ahead 14-3 on the play and hung on to win, 14-9.

Florida would climb to No. 3 in the rankings but ultimately lose to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.

Beaver Stadium: Penn State University

Date: October 29, 1994

The Play: Bobby Engram against Ohio State in 1994.

Ohio State fans may still be having nightmares of Penn State's performance against them in 1994. Ki-Jana Carter ran all over them, Kerry Collins sliced up the defense and Engram made a catch for the ages.

No. 1 Penn State hosted No. 21 Ohio State on Homecoming in Happy Valley. The two teams sat atop the Big Ten. The result was more lopsided than many expected with Penn State winning 63-14.

Engram's catch occurs at 3:45 of the highlight reel. In reality, the whole reel is a show by Penn State.

Penn State would go undefeated. Despite being ranked No. 1 at one point in the nation, they would not play for the National Championship. They would defeat Oregon in the Rose Bowl, while the pollsters would unanimously vote Nebraska No. 1.

Neyland Stadium: University of Tennessee

Date: September 19, 1998

The Play: The Vols and Gators hooked up in just the second week of the 1998 season. Florida was ranked No. 2, Tennessee No. 6. The SEC East title figured to be on the line early, and the game carried national title implications as well.

Coach Phillip Fulmer was criticized for his past performance against the Gators. He was 1-5 versus Florida, and 35-2 against the rest of the SEC.

The game was tied 17-17 after regulation. Tennessee received the ball first, and was only able to tack on a field goal.

Florida quickly picked up a first down, but then a quarterback rotation of Jesse Palmer and Doug Johnson produced three incomplete passes.

Spurrier decided to rush Collins Cooper out for the kick, despite having only one attempt on the season. Cooper pushed the ball wide left, and Tennessee escaped.

The win put Tennessee in the top five. They would not lose all season, and they won the National Championship.

Rose Bowl: University of California Los Angeles

Date: January 1, 2005

The Play: Did you know that only four players have won multiple Rose Bowl MVPs? QB Bob Schloredt of Washington in the early 1960s, USC RB Charles White in 1979 and 1980, Ron Dayne in the late 1990s and Vince Young.

Winning two MVPs takes the obvious skill of being the best player on the field in the biggest game of the year, but it also takes the luck of getting to two Rose Bowls in a short time span. Perhaps the Pac-10 and Big Ten players who have done it twice are to be expected, but Vince Young? A representative of a school that has been to two Rose Bowls, and he goes 2-for-2?

He certainly earned it. At this point, everyone knows about his heroics in the 2006 National Championship game against USC. What is forgotten to many, however, is his performance in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

Every play he made in the fourth quarter was absolutely incredible. He avoids a sack and scrambles 10 yards to cut the deficit to three points (4:03). He then leads the Horns down the field, and scores on his own again on a 24-yard rush (6:44).

Texas still wasn't in control yet. Down 37-35, Young led the Horns into field-goal position. The kick was good, and they won 38-37. Young won Rose Bowl MVP, and would add another to his collection the following season.

Los Angles Memorial Coliseum: University of Southern California

Date: November 18, 1967

The Play: Another game which was considered the "Game of the Century," and another game which lived up to the hype.

No. 2 USC "hosted" No. 1 UCLA in the Coliseum with the Pac-8 title, the Rose Bowl and the No. 1 ranking in the nation on the line. It was considered a matchup of titans, and a matchup of two Heisman Hopefuls, UCLA QB Gary Beban and USC RB O.J. Simpson.

Beban put the Bruins up 20-14 early in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to Dave Nuttall. The ensuing extra point was blocked, resulting in the six-point margin.

With around 10 minutes to play, facing 3rd-and-7 from its own 36-yard line, USC came out of the huddle with a pass-play called. When USC QB Toby Page saw the UCLA defense in a prevent, he audibled to a run play, 23 Blast.

Page handed the ball off to Simpson, and Simpson made a spectacular run for a 64-yard touchdown. The extra point was good and the Trojans would take the lead, 21-20. The score stood as the final.

Despite the heroics, Beban would go on to win the Heisman Trophy. Simpson would win it in 1968.

Enjoy it in ABC Color Slo-Mo! This was the only the second season in which ABC broadcasted games in color.

Tiger Stadium (Death Valley): Louisiana State University

Date:  October 31, 1959

The Play: Halloween night saw the No. 3-ranked Ole Miss Rebels travel to Death Valley to face the No. 1-ranked LSU Tigers. The two had as heated of a rivalry as anyone, as they both competed for the national title on an annual basis (LSU won the title in 1958).

Each team had allowed exactly one touchdown in their previous seven games, so points figured to be at a premium. This ideology came to fruition as the Rebels led 3-0 in the fourth quarter.

Ole Miss punted the ball to Billy Cannon, who initially appeared to be pinned deep inside his own territory. He fielded the ball at the 11-yard line, and broke seven tackles on his way to a 89-yard touchdown. The score put the Tigers up 7-3, and they would not relinquish the lead.

Cannon would go on to win the Heisman Trophy. LSU would face Ole Miss once more in the Sugar Bowl, with Ole Miss coming out victorious, 21-0.

Michigan Stadium: University of Michigan

Date: November 23, 1991

The Play: Michigan had already locked up the Big Ten title entering their final game against rival Ohio State. They still had an outside chance at the National Championship, but even that takes a backseat whenever the Wolverines square off with the Buckeyes.

Michigan led 17-3 and seemed to be in control of the game. Desmond Howard figured to be the Heisman Trophy front-runner, but cynics wanted to see what he would do against his rival. Any doubt of either was quickly quashed in the matter of seconds.

OSU would get off a deep punt, forcing Howard to field the ball at his own seven. Despite not receiving many blocks, Howard would go virtually untouched up the middle before breaking it to the sidelines, and easily outrunning every Buckeye.

To punctuate matters, Howard pulled out the now famous Heisman-pose. Somehow, Keith Jackson beat Howard to the punch with his legendary "Hello Heisman!" call.

The striking of the pose would become ubiquitous with Howard and would be copied for years to come, from Heisman hopefuls to kids messing around in their backyards.

Notre Dame Stadium: University of Notre Dame

Date: November 14, 1992

The Play: Early snow found its way to South Bend, Indiana for the showdown between two Top 25 teams, Notre Dame and Penn State. With Penn State headed to the Big Ten, it figured to be the final game in the series between the two programs (they renewed it for a couple of years later on).

Notre Dame trailed 16-9 with less than a minute in the game. QB Rick Mirer found Jerome Bettis for a two-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 16-15 (I love the guy in the orange hat who falls on his rear when celebrating with Bettis). As was the style at the time, Notre Dame decided to go for two.

Mirer dropped back to throw and initial coverage was good. He was flushed out of the pocket to the right, and pressure was bearing down on him. He had already back-pedaled 12 yards to the 15-yard line, when he threw off his back foot as he was hit. Nevertheless, he delivered a strike to the back corner of the end zone, where a diving Reggie Brooks reeled the ball in.

Notre Dame would beat USC the next week and followed it up with a win against Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl. They would finish the season ranked No. 4.

Ohio Stadium: Ohio State University

Date: November 23, 1974

The Play: Mike Lantry kicks the game-winning field goal...or does he?

Michigan and Ohio State met the final week of the 1974 season with the Big Ten title on the line. Ohio State led 12-10 with 16 seconds left when Michigan kicker Mike Lantry lined up to kick a game-winning field goal.

Lantry's kick appeared to sail right over the top of the left upright. The entire stadium held their breath to see the referee's ruling...no good.

Fans stormed the field, and in a possible attempt to destroy the evidence, tore down the goalpost. They had to be cleared off the field as there was still 16 seconds left, but the Buckeyes had won the Big Ten.

Archie Griffin would win the first of consecutive Heismans in 1974. Ohio State would lose to USC in the Rose Bowl.