hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
I suppose I could make a poll, but that's not really my speed. But, since Rob's article on the "PSU-10-Years-Later" and accompanying thread, it got me wondering.
I was at the MSU game in 1985, the Michigan game in 1985, and the Cap One/Citrus Bowl in 2005. We have also witnessed several other walk-off/near-walkoff victories during the Fry/Ferentz Era.
I guess my question is multiple, and one stipulation: do NOT discuss walk-off losses unless you like getting kicked in the nuts continually!
1) What walk-off wins really stick in your memory, even if they weren't done with "zeroes" on the scoreboard clock?
2) Do you prefer walk-off TDs, FGs, or maybe even a defensive stop type of walk-off?
3) Do you view OT wins the same way you view regulation walk-off wins?
Personally, I love any walk-off win, but the one highlight I really like more than most is the Chuck Hartlieb-to-Marv Cook TD against O$U in 1987. Something about the desperation of it all, what with it being 4th-and-forever (I always forget, whether it was actually 4th-and-goal). It was practically a given that the Hawks were going to lose. Instead, they pull it off, and Earle Bruce ends up losing his job before the Michigan game. The other that really "chills" me is the Koehn FG against Pitt in 2015. 57. Freaking. Yards. I worry about walk-off FGs from 30 yards, but Koehn goes out and blasts one from WAY WAY out. Unbelievable.
I guess, in the end, there IS something about a walk-off TD, whether it actually occurs with all zeroes, or just no appreciable time, left on the scoreboard clock. The 1985 MSU and 2002 Purdue games had the defense actually preserving those victories to some degree. And of course, the Cap One was almost surreal. I sure didn't expect us to get a TD. Then again, I forgot the clock started after the false-start penalty was called when Tate spiked the ball. And the aforementioned O$U game actually had about six seconds left, IIRC.
Some defensive walk-offs for consideration: Wisconsin in 2003 and Minnesota in 2004. Both of those came down to one-final-play for each opponent. Wiscy was driving in terrible weather, and couldn't score at the the end. The Minny game was a missed FG, which "miss" was made possible because of Greenway stuffing Marion Barber III when the Gophers were trying to get good position for Rhys Vaughan to make the winning kick..
For OT walkoffs, the 2006 Syracuse game, aka The Stand, was pretty cool. Except, of course, we should never have been in that position. The 2007 and 2012 MSU wins in OT were also good, but both came in what would be crappy to--at best--very mediocre (2007) seasons. The 2000 OT against PSU was pretty awesome because it seemed to "launch" the KF Era in a manner of speaking. It showed that the program wasn't tanking further, but possibly improving. 2013 against NW was awesome, but mainly because of the Rudock-to-CJ Fed TD we scored before stopping NW on their possession. But again, given the nature of college OT, ALL wins in OT are, technically, "walk-off" of some sort.
Fire away!
I was at the MSU game in 1985, the Michigan game in 1985, and the Cap One/Citrus Bowl in 2005. We have also witnessed several other walk-off/near-walkoff victories during the Fry/Ferentz Era.
I guess my question is multiple, and one stipulation: do NOT discuss walk-off losses unless you like getting kicked in the nuts continually!
1) What walk-off wins really stick in your memory, even if they weren't done with "zeroes" on the scoreboard clock?
2) Do you prefer walk-off TDs, FGs, or maybe even a defensive stop type of walk-off?
3) Do you view OT wins the same way you view regulation walk-off wins?
Personally, I love any walk-off win, but the one highlight I really like more than most is the Chuck Hartlieb-to-Marv Cook TD against O$U in 1987. Something about the desperation of it all, what with it being 4th-and-forever (I always forget, whether it was actually 4th-and-goal). It was practically a given that the Hawks were going to lose. Instead, they pull it off, and Earle Bruce ends up losing his job before the Michigan game. The other that really "chills" me is the Koehn FG against Pitt in 2015. 57. Freaking. Yards. I worry about walk-off FGs from 30 yards, but Koehn goes out and blasts one from WAY WAY out. Unbelievable.
I guess, in the end, there IS something about a walk-off TD, whether it actually occurs with all zeroes, or just no appreciable time, left on the scoreboard clock. The 1985 MSU and 2002 Purdue games had the defense actually preserving those victories to some degree. And of course, the Cap One was almost surreal. I sure didn't expect us to get a TD. Then again, I forgot the clock started after the false-start penalty was called when Tate spiked the ball. And the aforementioned O$U game actually had about six seconds left, IIRC.
Some defensive walk-offs for consideration: Wisconsin in 2003 and Minnesota in 2004. Both of those came down to one-final-play for each opponent. Wiscy was driving in terrible weather, and couldn't score at the the end. The Minny game was a missed FG, which "miss" was made possible because of Greenway stuffing Marion Barber III when the Gophers were trying to get good position for Rhys Vaughan to make the winning kick..
For OT walkoffs, the 2006 Syracuse game, aka The Stand, was pretty cool. Except, of course, we should never have been in that position. The 2007 and 2012 MSU wins in OT were also good, but both came in what would be crappy to--at best--very mediocre (2007) seasons. The 2000 OT against PSU was pretty awesome because it seemed to "launch" the KF Era in a manner of speaking. It showed that the program wasn't tanking further, but possibly improving. 2013 against NW was awesome, but mainly because of the Rudock-to-CJ Fed TD we scored before stopping NW on their possession. But again, given the nature of college OT, ALL wins in OT are, technically, "walk-off" of some sort.
Fire away!
But I digress.
