Unforgettable Finishes: College Football's Greatest Plays

College football is a sport known for its traditions, rivalries, and, most of all, its unpredictable nature. Games can turn on a dime, and sometimes, a single play can etch itself into the annals of history. These are the plays that fans remember for generations, the ones that define seasons and careers. This article delves into some of the most iconic and unforgettable plays in college football history.

Hail Mary Heroes and Last-Second Miracles

Doug Flutie's Hail Mary (Boston College vs. Miami, 1984)

More than three decades later, Doug Flutie's Hail Mary still ranks as not only the greatest play in Boston College football history but as one of the top plays in all of college football history. Trailing 45-41 to the No. 1-ranked Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl, the Eagles had one final chance. The 5-foot-9 Flutie dropped back, scrambled to his right, and heaved a 48-yard bomb with time expired. The ball sailed over the fingertips of the three Miami defenders and into the arms of Gerard Phelan, giving BC a 47-45 victory. Due in large part to this dramatic moment, Flutie won the Heisman Trophy that season.

The "Miracle in Michigan" (Colorado vs. Michigan, 1994)

On the game's final play, Colorado found itself down five with the ball on its own 36-yard line. Kordell Stewart uncorked a 73-yard bomb, which was deflected by a Michigan defender into the hands of diving receiver Michael Westbrook, who clung to the ball to give the Buffaloes an improbable 27-26 victory. Trailing 26-21 with six seconds left, Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart heaved the ball more than 70 yards into the end zone, where receiver Michael Westbrook caught the pass for the go-ahead TD in a 27-26 win at Michigan.

BYU's "Miracle Bowl" (BYU vs. SMU, 1980)

It wasn't just Jim McMahon's incredible 41-yard game-winning Hail Mary touchdown pass to tight end Clay Brown with no time remaining, but the entire final three minutes. BYU was trailing 45-25 when it scored a TD, recovered the onside kick, scored again, and then failed to convert a second onside kick. But the Cougars' defense held tough and forced a punt with 16 seconds left. McMahon then found Brown between three SMU defenders to cap one of the greatest comebacks in college football history, securing a 46-45 win. Jim McMahon capped a frenzied fourth-quarter rally -- one in which BYU scored 21 points in the final 2:33 of play.

Southern Miss's Last Second Luck (Southern Miss vs. Louisville)

With his team at its own 21-yard line with six seconds left to play, Brett Favre avoided a Louisville defender and scrambled to his right. He then threw a Hail Mary pass that was deflected and then bounced off of Southern Miss receiver Michael Jackson's helmet. The ball fell into the hands of receiver Darryl Tillman, who scored the winning TD as time expired. The ol' gunslinger struck an epic moment long before he became a great American sports icon.

The Kick Six and Other Special Teams Mayhem

"Kick Six" (Auburn vs. Alabama)

With one second left in regulation and the game tied at 28, Alabama's field goal attempt fell short. Auburn's Chris Davis caught the ball in the end zone and returned the missed field goal 109 yards for the winning touchdown. The play helped Auburn knock off the top-ranked and two-time defending national champions from Alabama, while at the same time acting as a springboard for Auburn's place in the final BCS national championship game.

"The Blocked Kick" (Georgia Tech vs. Florida State)

A week after "Miracle in Michigan II", Georgia Tech got into the wild, insane finish action in its showdown with Florida State. With the score tied at 16, Georgia Tech blocked Roberto Aguayo's 56-yard potential game-winning kick, and then returned said blocked kick for the game-winning touchdown as time expired. It was Georgia Tech defensive back Lance Austin who picked up the loose ball and out-raced the Seminoles on his way to the end zone.

Michigan State's Improbable Victory (Michigan vs. Michigan State)

Michigan led Michigan State, 23-21, with 10 seconds left in the game. With the victory seemingly in hand, Wolverines punter Blake O'Neill bobbled a low snap and, with his back to the line of scrimmage, attempted a kick. But he was hit and the ball popped right into the extended hands of Michigan State's Jalen Watts-Jackson, who broke a few tackles en route to the end zone. It was a most improbable way for the Spartans to remain undefeated and keep their CFB Playoff hopes alive.

Bill Newton's Blocked Kick(s) (Auburn vs. Alabama, 1972)

Alabama was up 16-3 and only five minutes away from a 11-0 start and a chance to play for the national championship. But Auburn's Bill Newton blocked a punt, which bounced to teammate David Langner who took it for a 25-yard touchdown with 5:30 remaining. Auburn held on defense and with three minutes remaining and forced Alabama to punt. Once again, Newton blocked the kick, Langner picked it up and ran for the score, giving the Tigers a 17-16 win.

Trickery and Audacity: When the Underdog Bites Back

The "Statue of Liberty" (Boise State vs. Oklahoma, 2007)

The little-guy-who-could Boise State Broncos were in a dogfight with the big-boy Oklahoma Sooners on a New Year's Day evening in the desert. Then, Boise State decided to get weird. Of course, there was that beautifully executed Statue of Liberty play on a two-point conversion try to win it in the end (not to mention the sideline proposal immediately thereafter, as the player who got the winning score -- Ian Johnson -- proposed to a Boise State cheerleader). Before that winning play, there was a hook-and-lateral play on a fourth-and-18 situation that went for the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The touchdown play before the Statue of Liberty play came out of a form of what would become known as the "Wildcat" (it was all the rage back in 2007). It was a fourth-and-2 situation. Quarterback Jared Zabransky went into motion and wide receiver Vinny Perretta -- who was lined up at running back -- took the snap. Perretta rolled to his right and shot-putted a pass into the end zone, where tight end Derek Schouman, who was lined up at wide receiver, caught the pass for a touchdown. A strong case can be made that this is the greatest college football game of all time.

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Defining Moments of Individual Brilliance

Vince Young's Run (Texas vs. USC, 2006)

On fourth down with the national title on the line, Vince Young, scrambled eight-yards untouched into the end zone for the last of his three rushing TD's to give Texas a 41-38 lead with 19 seconds remaining to complete an improbable comeback. Young literally put the Longhorns on his back and carried them to the title.

Tommie Frazier's Run (Nebraska vs. Florida, 1996)

In the Cornhuskers 62-24 Fiesta Bowl win, QB Tommie Frazier left several Gators in his tracks for an amazing 75-yard touchdown run. "How many tackles can one make break?" exclaims the announcer.

Seneca Wallace's Run (Iowa State, 2002)

Iowa State QB Seneca Wallace showed off his elusive ability, zig-zagging through defenders with the help of a crushing block by Michael Wagner for a ridiculously long 12-yard TD run that covered nearly 100 yards to give the Cyclones a 10-3 lead in the third quarter.

Joe Adams' Punt Return (Arkansas vs. Tennessee, 2011)

Arguably the most memorable moment of the 2011 season came when Arkansas wide-receiver Joe Adams fielded a punt at his own 40-yard line, retreated 11 yards, shook off seven tackle attempts and weaved through the Volunteers’ coverage unit on his way to an incredible 60-yard touchdown return.

Controversial Calls and Chaotic Climaxes

"The Play" (California vs. Stanford, 1982)

No walk-off moment is as mayhem-filling as this one. "We don't know who won the game. Oh, and some poor trombonist got trampled during the frenzied fray. (Seriously, nobody on the Stanford band thought to tackle the Cal player storming into the end zone? The thing that stands out about this game-winning play above all the others is the band. On-field access is a bit more restricted nowadays than it was back in 1982. Can you imagine a full-scale marching band getting into the middle of the action in a game-ending play in today's game? You've seen it many times: John Elway leads the Cardinal down the field to take a 20-19 lead with four seconds left. But on the ensuing kickoff, Cal completed five lateral passes (one of which was very close to being illegal) and survived several near tackles before the Bears' Kevin Moen found himself with the ball and nobody standing between him and the final 26 yards to the endzone … except the Stanford Marching Band. No problem for Moen, who ran through the band on his way to the endzone and a 25-20 Cal win. What is simply known as “The Play” included an improbable game-winning kick return. Stanford had the lead with four seconds to go, when the Bears completed five lateral passes around the Cardinal marching band prematurely celebrating on the field.

Miami vs. Duke (2015)Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk led the Blue Devils to a late drive against Miami, which resulted in a 1-yard rushing touchdown. With six seconds remaining Miami came back with one of the luckiest kickoffs in college football history, on a play that lasted an impressive 49 seconds, Miami lateraled eight times, going back to their own 3-yard line before reversing the field, down the sideline to score. The play was immediately put under review, and after the Canes rushed the field from the benches the officials called a block in the back on Miami that would have resulted in a 10-yard penalty and wiping out the touchdown. They also reviewed whether a Miami player was down during the play.

Luck and Resilience

Ole Miss. vs. Alabama, 2015

Trying to make it two in a row against Alabama the tide turned in the Rebels’ favor during a freak play in the 3rd quarter. Starting with a high snap that Ole Miss QB, Chad Kelly, was able to reel in, his pass ricocheted off intended receiver Laquon Treadwell, then bounced off the Alabama defensive backs covering him finally descending into the waiting hands of another Rebel receiver, Quincy Adeboyejo for the unlikely completion.

Upsets and Underdog Victories

Appalachian State vs. Michigan, 2007

Appalachian State stunned the football world, beating then-ranked No. 5 Michigan 34-32 at "The Big House." Many consider this to be the greatest upset in college football history and is the first thing that comes to mind for most fans when you talk about the Mountaineers.

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