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

72. Ricky Williams Breaks Rushing Record in Style (1998)

For 22 years, Tony Dorsett boasted the NCAA career rushing record. The Pitt star ran for 6,082 yards over the course of his Panthers career, and despite the wealth of rushing talent that played college football in the run-happy 1980s nobody could replicate his results on the gridiron. Eventually, though, records are made to be broken, and it fell to Texas star Ricky Williams to break the mark.

During his Heisman-winning senior season, Williams put himself in position to pass Dorsett in the annual rivalry game against Texas A&M. Needing 63 yards to pass Dorsett’s record when the game started, Williams piled up 52 yards on his first 13 carries of the contest at home against the Aggies.

Williams lined up once again in the backfield as Texas set up for a first-down play at their own 40 with 1:57 remaining in the first quarter. Taking the handoff, Williams burst through the line and shook off several tacklers. Getting great blocks from his teammates, the Longhorns rusher went all the way to the endzone to break the record win style with a 60-yard touchdown burst.

71. Clockgate (2001)

Rivalry games are great for stirring up controversy, and there have been some great ones over the years. One of the most fascinating controversies in college football history swirls around the 2001 meeting between Michigan and Michigan State in East Lansing. The Spartans scored on the final play to defeat the Wolverines, but how they got to that point is what remains a part of college football lore.

Michigan came into the contest ranked No. 6 in the country and boasting a 6-1 record. The Spartans were unranked at 4-2, hoping to put a wrench into the best-laid plans in front of the home crowd. Michigan State kept the game close, passing the lead back and forth with the visitors. Late in the fourth quarter, though, the Wolverines pulled ahead on a 20-yard John Navarre touchdown pass that looked to seal the victory. After a couple of drives stalled for each team, Michigan punted away to the Spartans with 2:28 remaining.

Michigan State worked downfield, getting to within two yards of the goal line on a scramble by quarterback Jeff Smoker. Tackled inbounds, he ran to the line to spike the ball. One second remained on the scoreboard, though Michigan fans contend that the home scoreboard operator intentionally stopped the clock early to allow the Spartans one final play. Smoker found T.J. Duckett for the winning score on the next play, and reviews of the tape have exonerated the scoreboard operator from any bias in performing his duties.

70. HBCUs Bring College Football to Asia (1976)

Football was first introduced to Japan in the aftermath of World War II, as American servicemen brought the game with them during the process of reconstruction. Thus it was fitting that the first college football game played outside the Western Hemisphere took place in Tokyo when a pair of historical black colleges and universities headed across the Pacific for a September 1976 showdown in what was billed as the Pioneer Bowl.

Morgan State and Grambling State were selected to represent the MEAC and SWAC respectively in the landmark contest at Korakuen Stadium. Both sides boasted a wealth of professional-level talent and promised to offer a thrilling spectacle despite the fact Grambling had lost its first two games of the season.

Future Super Bowl-winning quarterback Doug Williams guided the Tigers to a huge win over Morgan State, snapping their losing streak in style with a 42-16 pasting of the Bears. Grambling went on to win every one of its remaining games. A year later, the Tigers returned to Tokyo at the end of the season and secured a 35-32 win over Temple in the inaugural Mirage Bowl.