*Please feel free to share your thoughts about any of the selections.
Football season officially begins August 5th in the NFL with the Hall of Fame Game between the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers in Canton, Ohio.
We will be doing a countdown (one per day) 3 different remarkable football related lists:
Greatest Ending in College Football #28:
No. 28 SMU 34 ... Texas Tech 27
November 13, 1982
At the time: No. 2 SMU was in its heyday with the Pony Express on a 13-game winning streak and a 9-0 record, led by Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Texas Tech wasn't doing too much with a 4-5 record but had beaten SMU six straight times.
The setup: A blocked punt led to a 16-yard James touchdown, giving the Mustangs a 24-10 lead late in the third quarter, but Texas Tech was able to bounce back on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Buzz Tatom. One 71-yard Anthony Hutchinson touchdown run later and the Red Raiders tied it up. After an SMU field goal, Hutchinson was able to make a big fourth-down play. leading Tech to a march down to the Mustang 11 as the clock was running down. In came Ricky Gann for a 28-yard field goal and a 27-27 tie with 17 seconds to play. With no overtime, the Mustang winning streak appeared to be over.
The ending: Worried about a kickoff return for a touchdown, Texas Tech decided to squib it to run down time. SMU head coach Bobby Collins was prepared and sent in defensive back Blane Smith to field the kick and throw it across the field to receiver Bobby Leach, who would, in theory, have a wall of blockers to run behind. Smith was in position, but he had a hard time fielding the ball, bobbling it before chucking it backwards to Leach a split-second before being blasted by the Red Raiders. Leach grabbed it off the turf on the nine and didn't have anyone in front of him, going 91 yards for the touchdown and the 34-27 win.
How they ended up: Following the "Miracle on Fourth Avenue", the Mustangs tied Arkansas 17-17, barely missing a win on a short 52-yard field goal attempt. Even so, they still won the SWC title and a spot in the Cotton Bowl, beating Pittsburgh and Dan Marino 7-3 to finish 11-0-1 and second in both polls. Texas Tech lost to Houston 24-7 to finish 4-7.
Also see today's:
28th Most Amazing Football Play
28th Greatest Super Bowl Moment
See yesterday's:
29th Greatest Super Bowl Moment
29th Greatest Ending in College Football
29th Most Amazing Football Play
They day of the Saints/Steelers game we will will announce the #1 for each catagory and I will personally give my selection on the Hall of Fame Game.