Wednesday, November 29, 2006

"Oh, the band is out on the field!"

I was delighted this week to find the full, nearly 7-minute video of "The Play" on YouTube. I have watched it about five times now, remembering the surreal excitement when I saw it live on TV in 1982.
Cal and Stanford tangle Saturday in the 109th Big Game, but this upcoming game would find it difficult to match the bizarre finish of the 85th encounter between the Bay Area schools.
Remember...?
Trailing 19-17, Stanford faced a 4th and 17 at their own 13-yard line with 53 seconds left, but QB John Elway proceeded to lead them down the field to the 18-yard line of Cal. He called a timeout with 8 seconds remaining, then Mark Harmon kicked a 35-yard field goal to give the Cardinal a 20-19 lead.
That would have been a great finish to a college football game.
Only nobody told Cal it was finished.
Harmon kicked off from the 25-yard line (because of a celebration penalty on his field goal). Harmon squibbed the ball down to Kevin Moen at the Cal 46-yard line with 4 seconds remaining.
Moen lateraled the ball to Richard Rodgers.
Rodgers lateraled to Dwight Garner.
Garner lateraled back to Rodgers.
Rodgers lateraled to Mariet Ford.
Ford lateraled back to Moen, who stepped past a number of members of the Stanford band -- who had stormed onto the field thinking the game was over.
Finally, Moen ran into the end zone, crashing into trombone player Gary Tyrrell.
Golden Bears win, 25-20.
Cal broadcaster Joe Starkey with the call:
"Oh my God, the most amazing, sensational, traumatic, heartrending, exciting thrilling finish in the history of college football!"

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