College football’s 150th anniversary: The 150 best moments that stood the test of time
By Zach Bigalke
66. Chicago Downs Stanford in Prototype for Bowl Games (1894)
On Christmas Day 1894, Amos Alonzo Stagg’s Chicago squad took the field in San Francisco to square off against Stanford. The showdown, between a Maroons side, that had already gone 13-5-1 in the regular season and a Stanford team that went 3-2 (not including an intrasquad scrimmage that Stanford’s first-team players won over Stanford’s second-team unit), served as a precursor to the bowl season that now dominates the end-of-year festivities.
In the first half, Stanford and Chicago held one another scoreless at the Haight Street Grounds. Near the end of the half, a contested fourth-down play at the goal line was ruled as no score by the referee, ruining Chicago’s best shot at points. After quarterback Frank Hering confronted the umpire about the officiating and was punched by the official for his dissent, a scrum broke out between both teams before the intermission.
Coming out of the break, Chicago proved themselves the better team of the duo. Maroons fullback Clarence Hirschberger ripped off a 70-yard touchdown run in the second half for the third of Chicago’s four touchdowns as they ran away with a 24-4 win in the first intersectional postseason contest in college football history.
65. Archie Griffin Sets Consecutive 100-Yard Games Record (1975)
When you are the only college football player in history to win the Heisman Trophy twice, it stands to reason that you probably did some amazing things on the gridiron. Archie Griffin, the great Ohio State running back, still holds the record for the most consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards, showcasing a talent level that was paired with durability.
The record-breaking day came on November 15, 1975, in the penultimate regular-season game of Griffin’s senior year. Facing off against Minnesota, the Buckeyes star ran for 124 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Griffin added two receptions for 48 yards for good measure as the Buckeyes took down the Golden Gophers 38-6 in Minneapolis.
That game put Griffin at 30 consecutive 100-yard rushing performances, topping the previous record. The following week, Griffin extended his record in a 21-14 win over Michigan as Ohio State claimed the Big Ten title for a fourth straight season. The combined efforts earned Griffin his second Heisman Trophy and sent the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl.
64. Harvard Ends 31-Game Penn Winning Streak (1898)
As they waited for Penn to arrive for their 1898 duel, Harvard was riding a four-game losing streak against the Quakers. The Crimson were undefeated, with a squad seeking the school’s first national championship since 1890. But Harvard also had to contend with the fact that Penn had won 31 straight games dating back to 1896 when they lost to Lafayette.
The defending national champions arrived in Cambridge having shut out nine of their last 10 opponents. Under head coach George Washington Woodruff, the Quakers had evolved into one of the nation’s most feared football powerhouses.
Yet it was the Crimson that came out on top, holding Penn scoreless en route to a 10-0 victory. The Quakers, after getting shut out for the only time in 1898, went on to defeat Carlisle and Cornell in their final games of the year to finish 12-1. Harvard downed Brown and Yale to take care of business and earn the national championship.