College football’s 150th anniversary: The 150 best moments that stood the test of time
By Zach Bigalke
93. Backyard Brawl on the Air (1921)
West Virginia and Pittsburgh had only been squaring off for the previous 16 years when they got together for the 1921 Backyard Brawl at Forbes Field. Pitt was 1-1 entering the contest after a season-opening win against Geneva College and a 6-0 defeat at Lafayette. The visiting Mountaineers were 2-1 after taking down West Virginia Wesleyan and Cincinnati by a combined score of 84-3 in their first two games.
The two teams played close throughout the contest. Pitt scored first in the second quarter, and the Mountaineers responded on the ensuing drive. That was all the scoring that transpired until the final frame of the rivalry showdown when Pitt ran away with the battle. George Hill returned a kickoff 92 yards late in the game to pull the visitors within a single score at the final whistle, but the hosts ultimately prevailed.
What made this contest especially notable was the commentary by KDKA radio voice Harold W. Arlin. KDKA’s coverage of the game marked the first time college football appeared over the radio airwaves, spawning a golden era of the sport’s growth.
92. Princeton and Chicago Play for National Audience (1922)
One year after Pitt and West Virginia rang in the radio era of college football with the first regional broadcast of a game, Princeton and Chicago broke new ground for the sport when their showdown from Stagg Field was broadcast live to a national audience. For the first time, an entire country was transfixed in real-time by a college football game.
The game was a great choice for the landmark event, as the Maroons and Tigers entered the contest with unbeaten records. Chicago had outscored Georgia, Northwestern, and Purdue by a combined 47-7 through their first three wins. Princeton, meanwhile, boasted four shutout victories over Johns Hopkins, Virginia, Colgate, and Maryland as they traveled for the first time in 1922.
John Webster Thomas scored three rushing touchdowns for the hosts, but it was not enough to take down Princeton. Down 18-7 in the fourth quarter, the visiting Tigers scored on a 40-yard fumble return by Howdy Gray and then got another touchdown. A late goal-line stand kept Thomas from scoring a fourth touchdown and bolstered Princeton’s credentials in a national championship season.
91. Chippewas Get Second Chance (2016)
On its own, the Hail Mary from Cooper Rush to Jesse Kroll, followed by the lateral from Kroll to Corey Willis for the winning touchdown, was unbelievable. Even without the controversy that led to the play, it would remain an iconic moment.
But there was controversy before the final play. Oklahoma State thought it had ended the game when Mason Rudolph ran down the clock and threw a pass out of bounds. The referees correctly flagged the Cowboys for intentional grounding, but incorrectly gave Central Michigan an untimed down on the change of possession.
Technically the play never should have happened. But it did and exposed the mess within the rulebook and gave college football fans one of the most memorable finishes ever on the gridiron.