The Big Lead

Cal-Stanford's 'The Play' remains the most absurd moment in college football history, 42 years later

By Sam Westmoreland

Oct 19, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears mascot Oski stands on the sideline before the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears mascot Oski stands on the sideline before the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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The California Golden Bears are hosting the Stanford Cardinal this weekend, in a matchup against their most hated rival, and took to social media to remind us of the absolute absurdity that lurks in this game's history.

Called "The Big Game," this matchup is full of hatred on both sides, and has had some phenomenal endings, but as the Golden Bears reminded everyone, nothing will ever beat "The Play" in 1982's matchup.

For the uninitiated, allow me to educate you. 5-5 Stanford, led by John Elway, faced 6-4 Cal, hunting for bowl eligibility. It had been a scrappy, low-scoring game, and Cal led 19-17 late in the game. Elway led the Cardinal down the field, and they managed to kick what looked like a game-winning field goal with just four seconds left.

But the fates weren't done with this game yet. Cal lined up for the ensuing kickoff with only 10 men on the field, and Stanford kicked short to force the Golden Bears returner to run into defenders much quicker, ending the game.

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Returner Kevin Moen scooped up the ball, and finding nowhere to run, lateraled to Richard Rodgers. Rodgers' path forward was also blocked, and threw the ball to Dwight Garner. Garner gained five yards, but was surrounded by Stanford players, and was nearly tackled before flinging a backward pass to Rodgers.

And that's where everything was thrown into chaos.

Believing the game to be over, several Stanford players and the entire Stanford Band ran onto the field. Meanwhile, Rodgers streaked to the Stanford 45, before pitching to Mariet Ford. By this point, many of the 144 members of the Cardinal band were as much as 20 yards onto the field, as well as cheerleaders and at least 11 members of Stanford's football team who were not supposed to be on the field yet.

Ford wove his way downfield and got to the 27-yard-line, where he flung a blind pass over his shoulder as he was being tackled. That pass was caught by Moen, who was moving downfield with a full head of steam at this point. The defensive back dodged one Cardinal player and flattened a Stanford trombone player and scored what proved to be the wildest game-winning touchdown in football history.

Despite Stanford's furious protests, the touchdown stood, and a seminal moment in college football history was born.

Part of what makes this moment so incredible is that it could never happen today. Successful lateral plays are rare enough on their own, and when you add in the chaos en route to the end zone, it becomes an impossibility. Officials would blow the play dead, or make them re-kick the ball, or find some other way in which to ruin the moment. Or they'd go back and review the play and discover that Garner had been tackled, snuffing the moment before it had the chance to begin.

Instead, we can all take a moment and remember the wildest moment college football has ever had.

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