College football has captivated audiences for over a century with several historic and unforgettable moments. One way to celebrate this fantastic sport is to keep these incidents fresh in our memory. This list isn’t just about jaw-dropping gameplays; instead, for more depth, we’ve added moments that have helped define college football as we know it today.
Runaway! Vince Young’s Go-Ahead Touchdown Against Undefeated USC
On January 4, 2006, Vince Young led Texas to a thrilling victory in the Rose Bowl against USC, who were on a 34-game winning streak. With 19 seconds left, the dual-threat quarterback threw for 267 yards. Then, he ran for 200 more to etch his decisive eight-yard touchdown run in NFL history.
“The Stand”
No moment defines the Sugar Bowl’s intensity than Alabama’s goal-line stand in their 1979 victory over Penn State. On third down, Alabama’s Curtis McGriff and Rich Wingo stopped Matt Suhey. On fourth down, Barry Krauss halted Mike Guman just shy of the goal line. Their heroics secured Alabama’s win and Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s fifth national championship.
Ted Ginn Jr. Catches the Opening Kickoff and Runs to a Touchdown
Although Florida entered the 2007 BCS National Championship Game with a dreadful speed advantage, Ohio State turned the tables right after the start. After the 92-yard strike, Ted Ginn Jr took the ball out of the air, cut right, and sprinted 93 yards for a touchdown. You don’t see that often!
When the Fiesta Bowl Became a Major Player
In 1987, the Fiesta Bowl went from a lower-tier bowl to a national sensation by hosting a match-up between No. 1 Miami and No. 2 Penn State. As both teams were independents, Fiesta signed them with $2 million payouts. Then, they moved the game from New Year’s Day to January 2 to get the nation’s undivided attention.
Auburn’s Kick Six
You don’t see college football games with wild endings as this 2013 Iron Bowl match-up between top-ranked Alabama and fourth-ranked Auburn. Auburn’s Chris Davis returned the opponent’s missed field goal 109 yards to score a touchdown as time expired, securing a 34-28 victory. Besides winning the game, Davis’ “Kick Six” heroics earned him first-team All-American honors that same year.
Flutie’s Hail Mary
In a match now referred to as the “Miracle in Miami,” Doug Flutie stunned The NFL after he hurled the ball 64 yards in the air. Gerard Phelan caught his “Hail Mary” pass in the end zone as time expired to give the tenth-placed Eagles a 47-45 win. Deservedly, Flutie became the first quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy after 13 years.
Runaway! The Day Tommie Frazier Broke Seven Tackles
Tommie Frazier’s impressive display in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl during his team’s 62-24 victory over the Gators is forever iconic. The Nebraska quarterback secured back-to-back national championships for the Huskers with a legendary 75-yard touchdown run. As 40,000 Nebraska fans watched with double the number listening, Kent Pavelka exclaimed, “Holy cow! He’s going to go! Touchdown, Tommie Frazier!”
The November 1970 Marshall Plane Crash
While most memorable NFL moments are joyous, this incident leaves a sour taste. On November 14, 1970, all 37 players of Marshall University lost their lives in the Flight 932 plane crash when returning from a game in North Carolina. Marshall holds an annual memorial ceremony for those who passed in the deadliest sports-related air tragedy in US history.
When Fans Saw Three Field Goal Attempts Within 76 Seconds
With 1:16 left, Nebraska’s Byron Bennett made a 27-yard field goal, giving his team a 16-15 lead over Florida State. Then, Scott Bentley made a 22-yarder to put FSU in an 18-16 lead. The third field goal attempt was a 45-yard Nebraska shot that went wide left, giving FSU its first national title.
USC Fields the First Fully Integrated Team in College Football
For the first time in college football history, USC had a fully integrated roster, including quarterback Jimmy Jones and tailback Clarence Davis. Like a well-scripted movie, all of USC’s six touchdowns were scored by black players. Alabama’s 21-42 loss altered SEC football and reduced segregation in college football, especially across the Deep South.
President Roosevelt Helping Reduce College Football Brutality
American football was a lethal sport until President Theodore Roosevelt intervened after a particularly rough 1905 season that claimed about 18 young lives. He summoned college football leaders, including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, to the White House to promote fair play and reduce roughness. They formed the intercollegiate conference, which became the forerunner of the present-day NCAA.
Irish Snap OU Strings of Games
On November 16, 1957, unranked Notre Dame faced No. 2 Oklahoma, heavy favorites on a 47-game winning streak. Neither scored in the tightly contested match until Notre Dame’s Dick Lynch got the game’s lone touchdown, with Bob Williams sealing the victory. They ended OU’s historic streak, handing them their first shutout loss in 123 games.
The Army-Navy Game After JFK’s Assassination on November 22, 1963
President Kennedy’s assassination threw the nation into mourning, prompting debate over whether football should proceed amidst the tragedy. However, First Lady Jacqueline and press secretary Pierre Salinger requested the match go on. The game was played on December 7, the 22nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Navy won 21-15, with Heisman winner Roger Staubach leading the charge.
Michael Vick’s 55-Yard Run – “You Can’t Stop Me Now”
During the 1999 season, Vick led a last-minute game-winning drive against West Virginia in the annual Black Diamond Trophy game. The NFL community will never forget the quarterback’s outrageous 55-yard run to touchdown. He outran the entire defense, breaking several tackles. Many say that play prepared him for a deserved Comeback Player of the Year award in 2010.
The Last Flight of Knute Rockne
After legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne tragically passed away in a 1931 plane crash near Bazaar, Kansas, President Herbert Hoover tagged it as “a national loss.” Rockne, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, led Notre Dame to 105 wins and three national championships, notably with the famed “Four Horsemen” backfield in 1924.
15 Memorable College Football Moments That Will Remain In Our Hearts