Fortunately the 2015-’16 college football season is less than three weeks away.
I don’t know about any of you, but that duration still seems like an eternity to me. With that in mind, I’ll provide yet another list of seven random plays to get you fired up for college football season.
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7. Odell Beckham’s Amazing One-Handed Grab (2014 Outback Bowl, LSU vs. Iowa)
Let’s kick things off with a “did you see THAT?” moment.
Faced with a third and seven in the third quarter, Brandon Jennings fired deep downfield for Odell Beckham, who was fighting for position with an Iowa defensive back. Despite having only one hand available, Beckham managed to come up with an amazing one-handed catch.
Surprisingly, this spectacular grab won’t go down in history as Beckham’s greatest play. He’d make an even more impressive catch against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014.
6. Unorthodox Onside Kick (2013, Houston at Rice)
I started to call this one the anti-Carlton Banks kick.
For those of you that didn’t watch the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Banks was well-known for singing and dancing to Tom Jones’ classic, “It’s Not Unusual.”
There was nothing “usual” about this onside kick. Lining up in a regular onside kick formation, it looked like Rice kicker Chris Boswell was going to kick the ball to the top of the screen.
But, he didn’t. Pulling off the most unusual kick I’ve ever seen, Boswell wrapped his right leg around his left, tapping the ball to the bottom of the screen, where safety Paul Porras came up with the recovery.
How’s that for trickeration?
5. McNabb for the Win (1998, Virginia Tech at Syracuse)
There’s nothing like a buzzer beater to get you ready for the season.
It looked like the Hokies were going to pull this one out. After Syracuse ended up with a first and goal on the Tech 3, Corey Moore came up with a huge sack, which put the Orange all the way back on the 13. All the defense had to do was make a tackle short of the end zone, and the Hokies would escape the Carrier Dome with a “W.”
Donovan McNabb wouldn’t allow that to happen. On the final snap of the game, he rolled to the right side of the field, and fired a dart across the gridiron to Steve Brominski for the game-winning touchdown.
This catch was the biggest play of ‘Cuse’s season. The win over the Hokies put the Orange in control of their own destiny in the Big East race. McNabb and company would clinch the conference title a few weeks later with an impressive 66-13 win over Miami.
4. Young Runs for the Roses (2006 Rose Bowl, USC vs. Texas)
Vince Young was an excellent college quarterback. Whenever the ‘Horns needed him to make a play, he’d always deliver.
None of them were bigger than this one. With only 26 ticks on the clock, UT faced a fourth and five from the USC 9. The Trojans came with the blitz and appeared to have Young sacked.
But, he wasn’t going to be denied on this one. Realizing that no one was open, Young turned on the jets and outran the USC defense to the end zone to give the Longhorns the national championship.
3. Black Flash 41 Reverse Pass (2001, Oklahoma at Nebraska)
This was a great call by Frank Solich.
Leading defending national champion Oklahoma 13-10 in the fourth quarter, Solich realized that the Huskers needed another score to put the game out of reach. Rather than go conservative, he called Black Flash 41 Reverse Pass.
At first, this looked like an ordinary run play, as Eric Crouch handed the ball to Thunder Collins on what looked like a wingback trap. Collins then pitched it to Mike Stuntz on a reverse. However, rather than keep it, Stuntz fired a strike downfield to a wide open Crouch, who outran the stunned OU defense to the end zone.
This timely TD ended any hopes of a Sooner comeback and vaulted the Huskers to No. 1 in the next edition of the BCS standings.
2. Conlan’s interception (1987 Fiesta Bowl, Penn State vs. Miami)
This is one of the most famous interceptions college football history, as it literally helped crown a national champion.
Make no mistake about it: Penn State could not move the ball against Miami’s defense. The Cane front seven was simply too powerful, limiting the Lions to just 162 yards of total offense.
However, thanks to the heroics of Conlan, six yards was all that Penn State would need.
Early in the fourth quarter, Miami QB Vinny Testaverde lobbed a pass over the middle to Andre Brown. Conlan leapt in the air to make the pick — his second of the game — and returned the ball to the Miami 5-yard line.
D.J. Dozier would cross the goal line with the game-winning score two plays later.
1. Boise’s Halfback Pass (2007 Fiesta Bowl)
While the “Hook and Ladder” and the “Statue of Liberty” plays are the most famous, this one was the most important. After all, if Boise hadn’t converted, the game would have been over.
This was a head-scratching call by the Bronco staff. With the game on the line, I would have put the ball in the experienced hands of Jared Zabransky and taken my chances.
But, Boise didn’t. Vinny Perretta lined up in shotgun formation behind the center and sent Zabransky in motion to the left side of the field. Then, he took the snap, sprinted to the right, and tossed the ball over the head of an Oklahoma defender and into the trusty mitts of tight end Derek Schouman.
If a perfectly executed play to keep the season alive doesn’t fire you up for the season, nothing will.
