Memorable Football Moments | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

Memorable Football Moments

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I got as giddy as a little kid on Christmas day when I saw the JFP question of the week. If you missed it, the question was: What is the most memorable football moment in your lifetime?

For me, narrowing it down to just one moment is nearly impossible.

Of course, you could go with the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl. Or several different Egg Bowl moments, or a few Ole Miss games when Eli Manning was leading the Rebels.

Former Southern Miss quarterback Brett Favre rejuvenating the Green Bay Packers and rewriting the NFL passing records is a good choice. Fans old enough to remember won't ever forget USM running back Sammy Windor's leap against Ole Miss in 1980 in the Golden Eagles 28-22 win.

I still remember the 1993 Florida State/Notre Dame game as one of the most memorable moments: the top-ranked Seminoles visiting the second-ranked Fighting Irish in a late-season game between two undefeated squads.

How could you forget about Florida State's multiple wide right game-enders against Miami? For years, the Seminoles saw their national title hopes disappear with a missed field goal.

Florida fans still have nightmares of the night Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Tommy Frazier was hit by all 11 Gator defenders on a 75-yard touchdown run. The Cornhuskers crushed the Gators 62-24 for Tom Osborne's second national championship.

Other memories spring to mind, such as the great Peyton Manning going 0-for in his college career against Florida and losing the 1997 Heisman Trophy to Charles Woodson. Or games such as Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno's seventh and last meeting in the 2006 Orange Bowl.

Who could forget Boise State reaching deep into their bag of tricks against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl? The Broncos ran a hook and lateral play, a halfback pass and even pulled out the old Statue of Liberty play.

Boise State running back Ian Johnson, who scored the winning point on the game's final play, proposed to his girlfriend on live TV after the game. She said yes.

During the 1990s, Florida State and Florida fans enjoyed inconic matchups between the two teams. Perhaps the most memorable game was the 1994 game that became known as the "The Choke at the Doak," where Florida blew a 31-3 lead and finished with a 31-31 tie against the Seminoles.

The two teams would meet in the Sugar Bowl in a rematch. That game became known as "The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter," in which Florida State won 23-17.

Finally, who could forget one of the most memorable moments—and biggest upset—in college football history? Fans in the "Big House" will never forget what happened on the opening weekend of college football in 2007.

Two blocked field goals helped Appalachian State shock the Michigan Wolverines and the rest of the college football world. The Mountaineers' 34-32 win was one of the greatest games in college football history.

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