This wacked out kick off took place in Cal's Memorial Stadium in Berkeley California. It is simply refered to as "The Play" by fans and Alumni. There are just no other words to discribe this one. It is the only known touchdown in football history that was scored while running through the other teams Marching Band! You read it right, the other teams marching band. Too funny.
Now this game was a rivalry game between Stanford University and the University of California, these two teams had faced each other in over 100 games in this rivalry.
This crazy kickoff play happened to occur in the 85th rivalry game on November 20, 1982. Standford University was ahead by only one point, with a score of 20 to 19 in the end of the fourth quarter. The game clock was down to 4 seconds remaining, there had been 75,662 fans in the stadium and most were headed for the exit gates, when Stanford player Mark Harmon, kicked off from their own 25 yard line just after getting a 15 yard pentalty due to excessive celebration, because of a field goal they had scored on.
Due to their field position and the fact that there was only 4 seconds left, a decision was made to kick a low-bouncing squib kick to avoid a possible runback, now this type of kick is usually performed because it is difficult to retrieve by the other team. the ball is also not kicked a great distance, which allows the opposing team a shorter distance in which to tackle the opposition.
Timing was everything, when this kick was being performed, the Stanford band, a legendary group of musicians known for its crazy, zany uniforms and performances, had begun to pour out onto the south end of the field which, well was Cal's end zone, because they believed that the game was over. What happened next goes down in the football history books.
University of California's, Kevin Moen caught the bouncing ball on his own 46 yard line and immediately ran forward 10 yards, where he was totally surrounded by Stanford University tacklers. But before he was tackled, Moen lateraled to team mate, Richard Rodgers. Now a lateral is a legal play in which the ball is passed or tossed backwards, however, it is not legal to pass forward on any type of a running play. Richard Rodgers then kept the ball briefly before tossing it back to running back Dwight Garner, who then, carried the ball to the Stanford 48 yard line. Garner was being tackled when he actually then tossed the ball back to Richard Rodgers, who inturn started running forward again and before he was tackled, he then quickly lateralled to Mariet Ford, who sidestepped tow tacklers and rushed to the Stanford 25 yard line.
Picture this, as Ford was being tackled and was falling to the ground, he swiftly tossed the ball up in the air, and backward, to Moen, the player who had originally fielded Harmon's kickoff, by this time, Moen and the players who remained were running through the Stanford band players coming on to the field. Moen tried to avoid the band members as best he could by dancing around them but could not avoid them all and smashed right through the Stanford trombone player who fell to the turf, Moen, still on his feet, quickly pushed his way to the end zone and scored the final touchdown. Flags were being thrown everywhere by the referee's, fans stunned, announcers yelling, amazed and stunned.
After everything was all said and done, Final score Cal 25 and Stanford 20. What a shocker!! thus, the Zaniest kickoff ever recorded.
Now this game was a rivalry game between Stanford University and the University of California, these two teams had faced each other in over 100 games in this rivalry.
This crazy kickoff play happened to occur in the 85th rivalry game on November 20, 1982. Standford University was ahead by only one point, with a score of 20 to 19 in the end of the fourth quarter. The game clock was down to 4 seconds remaining, there had been 75,662 fans in the stadium and most were headed for the exit gates, when Stanford player Mark Harmon, kicked off from their own 25 yard line just after getting a 15 yard pentalty due to excessive celebration, because of a field goal they had scored on.
Due to their field position and the fact that there was only 4 seconds left, a decision was made to kick a low-bouncing squib kick to avoid a possible runback, now this type of kick is usually performed because it is difficult to retrieve by the other team. the ball is also not kicked a great distance, which allows the opposing team a shorter distance in which to tackle the opposition.
Timing was everything, when this kick was being performed, the Stanford band, a legendary group of musicians known for its crazy, zany uniforms and performances, had begun to pour out onto the south end of the field which, well was Cal's end zone, because they believed that the game was over. What happened next goes down in the football history books.
University of California's, Kevin Moen caught the bouncing ball on his own 46 yard line and immediately ran forward 10 yards, where he was totally surrounded by Stanford University tacklers. But before he was tackled, Moen lateraled to team mate, Richard Rodgers. Now a lateral is a legal play in which the ball is passed or tossed backwards, however, it is not legal to pass forward on any type of a running play. Richard Rodgers then kept the ball briefly before tossing it back to running back Dwight Garner, who then, carried the ball to the Stanford 48 yard line. Garner was being tackled when he actually then tossed the ball back to Richard Rodgers, who inturn started running forward again and before he was tackled, he then quickly lateralled to Mariet Ford, who sidestepped tow tacklers and rushed to the Stanford 25 yard line.
Picture this, as Ford was being tackled and was falling to the ground, he swiftly tossed the ball up in the air, and backward, to Moen, the player who had originally fielded Harmon's kickoff, by this time, Moen and the players who remained were running through the Stanford band players coming on to the field. Moen tried to avoid the band members as best he could by dancing around them but could not avoid them all and smashed right through the Stanford trombone player who fell to the turf, Moen, still on his feet, quickly pushed his way to the end zone and scored the final touchdown. Flags were being thrown everywhere by the referee's, fans stunned, announcers yelling, amazed and stunned.
After everything was all said and done, Final score Cal 25 and Stanford 20. What a shocker!! thus, the Zaniest kickoff ever recorded.
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