College football’s 150th anniversary: The 150 best moments that stood the test of time

84. O.J. Simpson Cements USC Win Against Bruins (1967)

Entering their 1967 rivalry showdown, UCLA was ranked No. 1 in both the AP and UPI polls after amassing a 7-0-1 record through the first eight games of the regular season. Their crosstown rival, USC, was ranked No. 4 by the AP and up at No. 2 by the coaches. The Trojans had previously been the top team in the country before suffering a shock 3-0 defeat at Oregon State.

At stake was not just city pride but also the AAWU championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl game. The winner would almost certainly earn the AP national championship, awarded at the end of the regular season. With the stakes so high, the Trojans and Bruins traded punches at the Coliseum in front of more than 90,000 fans.

UCLA’s Heisman-winning quarterback Gary Beban battled through bruised ribs to lead the Bruins to a 20-14 lead in the fourth quarter, but two blocked field goals and a blocked extra point proved critical. With 10:38 left in the contest, USC audibled from a pass to a run. O.J. Simpson took the handoff, darted toward the left sideline, and jetted 64 yards for the winning score.

83. Herschel Walker Trucks Bill Bates (1980)

When Herschel Walker first took the field for Georgia on September 6, 1980, he was already one of the most highly-sought recruits in the entire country. Most expected that Walker would achieve great things in college football, and likely in the pros as well. Few, though, expected that Walker would reveal that greatness so quickly out of the gate.

Suiting up against Tennessee, Walker was on the sideline for much of the first half against the Volunteers. After the Bulldogs had built up a 9-0 lead, head coach Vince Dooley told first-year offensive coordinator George Haffner to put Walker into the game. Shortly after the intermission, Walker would pay his head coach back for the trust with one of the greatest plays in college history.

Lining up at the Tennessee 16 late in the third quarter, Georgia was beating down on the goal line up 15-2 and looking to put the game out of reach. Haffner called for a sweep, and Walker took the pitch hungry for his first college touchdown. Waiting for him was Tennessee safety Bill Bates, who was bowled over upon contact. Like so many other times throughout his storied career, Walker was not going to be stopped on that play.

82. The Bluegrass Miracle (2002)

Everything indicated that Kentucky had secured victory at home against LSU when they squared off in their interdivisional showdown in 2002. When Taylor Begley kicked a go-ahead 29-yard field goal for the Wildcats with 11 seconds remaining, it appeared the SEC upset was complete. That made what transpired next all the more surprising and more memorable.

LSU received the ball back inside their own 10. Needing 91 yards to win and having mere seconds to cover the ground, quarterback Marcus Randall found Michael Clayton for a 17-yard completion. With two seconds left, the Tigers needed a miracle — from a quarterback not known for his arm strength.

Randall heaved the ball downfield on a play called “Dash Right 93 Berlin”. Flying through the air, the ball came down about 25 yards shy of the endzone. But the ball deflected off the hand of a Kentucky defender, popping into the hands of Tigers receiver Devery Henderson. Breaking a shoestring tackle, Henderson covered the final distance and stole the last-second touchdown on a play still remembered happily by LSU fans and dejectedly by Kentucky supporters.