Featured Moment: Nov. 23, 1973

This report courtesy of the National Football Foundation.

Published by Bonesville on Nov. 16, 2013

FEATURED MOMENT

NOV. 23, 1973: In Norman, OK, No. 3 Oklahoma broke No. 10 Nebraska’s 58-game scoring streak in a 27-0 triumph. It was the Cornhuskers their first shutout since 1968 (a 47-0 loss to OU). The stout Sooner defense was anchored by the three Selmon brothers, Dewey, Lucious and Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon. Their efforts helped limit Nebraska to just one trip into OU territory, which resulted in a Sooner fumble recovery. Altogether, Oklahoma forced five turnovers and held the Cornhuskers to 74 yards rushing. Oklahoma quarterback Steve Davis rushed for 114 yards and three scores, including a 47-yard TD run. Hall of Famer Joe Washington (Oklahoma) had 107 yards rushing, and 2013 Hall of Fame inductee Rod Shoate also contributed to the Sooners' shutdown defense against their Big Eight rivals. Each team was headed by future Hall of Fame coaches: Tom Osborne (Nebraska) and Barry Switzer (Oklahoma).

OTHER NOTABLE DATES

NOV. 18, 1989: In College Park, MD, A dominating performance by Virginia quarterback Shawn Moore against Maryland gave the Cavaliers their first 10-win season in program history. Moore accounted for five Virginia touchdowns, three through the air and two on the ground in the 48-21 victory. Moore passed for 161 yards and rushed for a career-high 121 yards on 18 carries. Tailback Marcus Wilson also contributed to the offensive performance, gaining 95 yards rushing and scoring two touchdowns. The victory helped Virginia and Hall of Fame coach George Welsh (Navy, Virginia) claim a share of the leauge title, the school’s first Atlantic Cost Conference football crown.

NOV. 19, 1966: In East Lansing, MI, in a showdown dubbed the "Game of the Century" at the time, Hall of Fame coaches Ara Parseghian (Notre Dame) and Duffy Daugherty (Michigan State) led their teams to a 10-10 tie. The matchup featured five Hall of Fame players. The Fighting Irish were down 7-0 in the second quarter when Hall of Fame linebacker and 1966 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Jim Lynch intercepted a Spartans pass, but he lost the ball on a hit by Michigan State running back Clinton Jones. Michigan State recovered and converted a 47-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead. With the Spartans ahead 10-7 in the third quarter, Michigan State recovered a Fighting Irish fumble, which was nullified because Hall of Famer Bubba Smith (Michigan State) had jumped into the neutral zone before the snap. Notre Dame tied the game on the first play of the fourth quarter with a 28-yard field goal, and the game would end in knotted up as neither team took many chances the rest of the game. Both teams ended the year with a 9-0-1 record. The AP placed Notre Dame at No. 1 in its final poll, and the NFF awarded both schools a share of the MacArthur Bowl, marking the only time in history the NFF’s national championship trophy had been awarded to two schools.

NOV. 20, 1982: In Berkeley, CA, “The Play” took its place in football lore as one of the most bizarre and controversial endings in college football history. It seemed all over after Stanford’s Mark Harmon nailed a 55-yard field goal with four seconds remaining for a 20-19 Cardinal lead over California. The Golden Bears, desperate to score with time expiring, returned a kickoff, lateralling the ball five times through the Stanford defense to keep the play alive. The Stanford Band, assuming the Cardinal had won the game, had already stormed the field in celebration. The chaos created an opportunity for Cal player Kevin Moen to take the final lateral, navigate through the morass of musicians and find the end zone for a dramatic 25-20 win. Following the confusion, officials ruled “The Play” a touchdown.

NOV. 21, 1959: In Pittsburgh, Pitt’s backfield, dubbed the “C Boys” by publicist and 2011 FWAA Bert McGrane Award winner Beano Cook, led the Panthers to a 22-7 upset win over Hall of Fame coach Rip Engle’s Penn State Nittany Lions. Consisting of halfbacks Bob Clemens and Fred Cox and fullback Jim Cunningham, the “C Boys” rushed for 287 yards and scored two touchdowns in just their second game as a starting unit. After Pitt’s defense trapped Hall of Fame quarterback Richie Lucas (Penn State) for a safety, the Panthers scored a touchdown in nine plays on an Ivan Toncic quarterback keeper. Later, Clemens scored the first “C Boys” touchdown with a 34-yard run, and Cox scored the second, breaking off an 86-yard touchdown run that clinched the upset.

NOV. 22, 2003: In Athens, GA, kicker Billy Bennett connected on three field goals to become the SEC’s leader in career scoring and field goals in Georgia's 30-10 win over Kentucky. 2004 NFF National Scholar-Athlete David Greene threw for 289 yards while three different running backs added touchdowns as the Bulldogs kept their SEC Championship hopes alive. The Wildcats ran a fake field goal and a fake punt in the game, saving the two drives that would result in all of their points. Bennett’s record 409 career points would stand for eight seasons until it was broken by fellow Georgia alum Blair Walsh, though his 87 career field goals still remain a record. Although Georgia would lose the SEC Championship game to LSU, they went on to celebrate a win over Purdue in the Capital One Bowl.

NOV. 24, 2007: In Kansas City, MO, No. 2 Kansas and No. 3 Missouri squared off at Arrowhead Stadium Thanksgiving weekend for the annual Border War, closing out the 2007 regular season. With No. 1 Louisiana State falling in triple overtime to Arkansas the night before, the winner of the MU-KU matchup would be the nation’s new top team and would face Oklahoma the following weekend in the Big 12 Championship for a spot in the BCS National Championship. Missouri opened a 21-point lead before Kansas got on the board midway through the third quarter. The Jayhawks chipped away at the deficit, closing the gap to six after scoring a touchdown with 2:03 left to play. The Tigers were unable to do anything on the ensuing drive, putting the ball back in the hands of the Jayhawks. Missouri’s defense stood its ground and sacked KU quarterback and 2008 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Todd Reesing for a safety with 12 seconds left to secure the 36-28 win. Fellow NFF National-Scholar Athlete Chase Daniel (Missouri) went 40-49 passing for 361 yards and three touchdowns on the day, and Missouri claimed the top spot in the AP Poll for the first time since 1960.

The Bonesville staff contributed to this report.

11/22/2013 08:04 PM