MIAMI - It was a gut-wrenching decision, the kind that no coach wants to have to make. The top ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers had just scored on a fourth down option run to cut their deficit in the Orange Bowl to 31-30, and now it was decision time for coach Tom Osborne.
With no overtime at that time, attempting a sure-thing extra point would have resulted in a tie, which would have almost certainly given Nebraska the national championship it was seeking. Nebraska entered the game 12-0, and with second ranked Texas losing earlier in the day and third-ranked Auburn winning unimpressively, it was unlikely either team would pass Nebraska in the polls if Nebraska tied Miami. On the other hand, Osborne didn't feel right winning the national championship on a tie. He felt like the title should be unquestioned, that there should never be an accusation that Nebraska backed into a championship.
Oddly enough, Osborne had been asked earlier in the week what he would do if this exact situation came up. "I hope it doesn't come up," he said. "I'll be crucified one way or another on that one." But it came up. It was decision time.
Perhaps his decision was affected by the momentum his Cornhuskers had gained. Trailing 31-17 entering the fourth quarter, the Cornhuskers scored once to cut the deficit to 31-24, then again when quarterback Turner Gill executed a perfect option run Jeff Smith to score from 24 yards out on fourth and eight. With the momentum on their side, it seemed like the Cornhuskers would be able to get those three yards they needed for the national championship.
So Osborne made the decision: go for it. They called a pass play, with Gill looking for Smith. Miami's Kenny Calhoun reached out and broke up the pass, preserving Miami's victory and causing heartbreak across Nebraska.
That one play established Miami's football dynasty. After holding on for the stunning victory, Miami leapfrogged #4 Illinois (which had lost the Rose Bowl 45-9), #3 Auburn, #2 Texas, and #1 Nebraska in the polls to win its first national championship and establish itself, almost immediately, as the team of the 1980s.
It would take Osborne 11 more seasons to win his first national championship with Nebraska. Though he would eventually win two more, his legacy will always be his decision to go for two in the Orange Bowl, not necessarily because the move failed, but because he had the guts to try it in the first place.
HONORABLE MENTION
January 2, 1982: MIAMI - The picture made Kellen Winslow a household name; it shows Winslow being dragged off the field of Miami's Orange Bowl by two teammates, too exhausted to be able to move on his own. It's the perfect image of what happened in the game that came to be known as the Epic in Miami. When the Chargers had a 24-0 lead after one quarter on a warm, humid night, the game looked like it would be anything but a classic. But the Dolphins charged back, tying the score in the third. Each team scored two more touchdowns to lead to a 38-38 tie as Miami lined up for the game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. Winslow blocked the kick to keep the season alive for the Chargers. San Diego missed a short field goal on the first possession of overtime before blocking another kick later in the period. Finally, the Chargers put one through the uprights, winning 41-38.
Showing posts with label Miami. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miami. Show all posts
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
November 23, 1984: Hail Flutie
MIAMI - The ball hung frozen in the Miami air. A mass of players waited in the end zone for it to come back to earth. The players were gathered at the goal line, not believing the ball would even get there. He was throwing the ball from the 37-yard-line, for God's sake, and it was into a 30 mph wind. There's no way, they were thinking, that the ball would get this far. Meanwhile, Gerard Phalen was in the middle of the end zone. He knew.
......
Flutie Flakes are either the best or the worst thing to happen to Doug Flutie. There's no in-between. For many people, especially people who weren't old enough to have watched the game betwen Boston College and Miami on November 23, 1984, Flutie Flakes have become his legacy. It's no surprise - the name rolls off the tongue, easy to remember. So is it a good thing that Flutie is largely remembered - at least by the younger generation - for a cereal that raised money for autism? Is it a good thing that he's finally remembered for something other than one single throw in 1984?
......
Flutie should have had a more memorable professional career, but he likely cost himself much of a chance by crossing the picket lines during the 1987 strike. Two years later, he was in Canada, becoming one of the most prolific passers in CFL history. He starred in exile for nearly a decade, winning three Grey Cups before coming back to the NFL in 1998. Still effective, but no longer a star, Flutie's second NFL tenure was nice, but didn't do much to make American football fans forget the throw he made in 1984.
......
The game was a classic in offensive force. Everybody knew the Hurricanes could score with anybody, but Boston College was keeping right up with them. It got to the point that in the fourth quarter, with Miami driving for yet another touchdown, Flutie went to the defensive coaches and implored them to let Miami score. They thought he was joking, but he wasn't; he knew they were going to score anyway, and he wanted to make sure he had enough time left to answer. The coaches didn't listen, and Flutie didn't get the ball back until there were 28 seconds left. The score was Miami 45, Boston College 41, and BC had 80 yards to go.
Three plays and 22 seconds later, the Eagles were at the Miami 48. Time for one last play. It was called 55 Flood Tip, but in reality, it was a Hail Mary. Appropriate for a Catholic school. Flutie took the snap and dropped back. Looking to buy more time, he dropped back further, stepping around a rusher and rolling to the right. With his receivers sufficiently far enough down field, he planted and fired, a frozen rope to the middle of the end zone.
And that's where Miami failed. Never believing Flutie would be able to throw it that far, the defenders had gathered by the goal line. They were there to knock down the throw, to not let BC try to tip the ball. Phalen was in the middle of the end zone, waiting for the aforementioned tip. Instead, the ball came straight to him, untouched, and he caught it as he went to the ground.
Flutie's legend was secured that day. He had beaten the defending champions on a miraculous play, and had done so in a nationally televised game on the day after Thanksgiving. He was a shoo-in for the Heisman Trophy later that year. In fact, the play had such lasting effects that Boston College received an influx of admission applications for the next several years, something school administrators called the Flutie Effect.
Flutie is a legend in Canada for his passing prowess, and is a well-known autism spokesperson because of his Flutie Flakes. But his legacy will always be the one pass he threw in Miami. For sports historians, Doug Flutie will always be 22 years old, and the ball will always hang frozen in the Miami air.
......
Flutie Flakes are either the best or the worst thing to happen to Doug Flutie. There's no in-between. For many people, especially people who weren't old enough to have watched the game betwen Boston College and Miami on November 23, 1984, Flutie Flakes have become his legacy. It's no surprise - the name rolls off the tongue, easy to remember. So is it a good thing that Flutie is largely remembered - at least by the younger generation - for a cereal that raised money for autism? Is it a good thing that he's finally remembered for something other than one single throw in 1984?
......
Flutie should have had a more memorable professional career, but he likely cost himself much of a chance by crossing the picket lines during the 1987 strike. Two years later, he was in Canada, becoming one of the most prolific passers in CFL history. He starred in exile for nearly a decade, winning three Grey Cups before coming back to the NFL in 1998. Still effective, but no longer a star, Flutie's second NFL tenure was nice, but didn't do much to make American football fans forget the throw he made in 1984.
......
The game was a classic in offensive force. Everybody knew the Hurricanes could score with anybody, but Boston College was keeping right up with them. It got to the point that in the fourth quarter, with Miami driving for yet another touchdown, Flutie went to the defensive coaches and implored them to let Miami score. They thought he was joking, but he wasn't; he knew they were going to score anyway, and he wanted to make sure he had enough time left to answer. The coaches didn't listen, and Flutie didn't get the ball back until there were 28 seconds left. The score was Miami 45, Boston College 41, and BC had 80 yards to go.
Three plays and 22 seconds later, the Eagles were at the Miami 48. Time for one last play. It was called 55 Flood Tip, but in reality, it was a Hail Mary. Appropriate for a Catholic school. Flutie took the snap and dropped back. Looking to buy more time, he dropped back further, stepping around a rusher and rolling to the right. With his receivers sufficiently far enough down field, he planted and fired, a frozen rope to the middle of the end zone.
And that's where Miami failed. Never believing Flutie would be able to throw it that far, the defenders had gathered by the goal line. They were there to knock down the throw, to not let BC try to tip the ball. Phalen was in the middle of the end zone, waiting for the aforementioned tip. Instead, the ball came straight to him, untouched, and he caught it as he went to the ground.
Flutie's legend was secured that day. He had beaten the defending champions on a miraculous play, and had done so in a nationally televised game on the day after Thanksgiving. He was a shoo-in for the Heisman Trophy later that year. In fact, the play had such lasting effects that Boston College received an influx of admission applications for the next several years, something school administrators called the Flutie Effect.
Flutie is a legend in Canada for his passing prowess, and is a well-known autism spokesperson because of his Flutie Flakes. But his legacy will always be the one pass he threw in Miami. For sports historians, Doug Flutie will always be 22 years old, and the ball will always hang frozen in the Miami air.
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