Big Game (football)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The "Big Game" is the annual football game between Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley (known simply as "California" or "Cal"), held in November. The first Big Game was held in March 19, 1892 on San Francisco's Haight Street grounds when Stanford beat Cal 14-10. It is the tenth longest rivalry in NCAA Division 1A football. Through 2005, Stanford leads the series record at 54-43-11 (wins-losses-ties; 49-40-10 if you do not include rugby games from 1906 to 1914). California has won the past four games (2002-2005), but Stanford won the previous seven meetings (1995-2001). The location of the game alternates between the two schools each year. In even numbered years, the game is played at Berkeley, in odd numbered years, at Stanford.
It is the biggest college football event in the Bay Area, and has a rich history. Future U.S. President Herbert Hoover was the Stanford team manager for the first Big Game. The first-ever card stunts were performed at the halftime of the 1910 Big Game. Since 1933, the victor of the game has been granted possession of the Stanford Axe. If the game ended in a tie, the Axe stayed on the side that already possessed it; however, college football games can no longer end in ties. The Axe is a key part of the rich history, having been stolen on several occasions by both sides.
In the week before the game, both schools celebrate the occasion with rallies, reunions and luncheons. Cal students hold a traditional pep rally and bonfire at the Greek Theatre on the eve of the game, while Stanford students stage the Gaieties, a theatrical production that both celebrates and pokes fun at the rivalry. The week also includes various other athletic events including The Big Splash (water polo) and The Big Freeze (ice hockey). The overall athletic rivalry between the schools has been solidifed into The Lexus Gauntlet, an annual award given to the school winning the most rivalries and championships under a point system.
Big Game has produced several cliffhangers, where the outcome of the game was decided on the final play. In 1972, a Vince Ferragamo touchdown pass to Steve Sweeney resulted in a last second Cal victory, while Mike Langford nailed a 50 yard field goal on the final play for a 22-20 Stanford triumph in 1974. Stanford's Tuan Van Le blocked a 21 yard Cal field goal attempt to preserve a 19-19 tie in 1988. In 1990, Stanford snatched victory in the final 12 seconds by scoring a touchdown, recovering an onside kick, and kicking a field goal. In 2000 Stanford's Casey Moore caught the winning touchdown on the final play of the first-ever Big Game to go into overtime.
However, the conclusion of the 85th Big Game on November 20, 1982 would go down as perhaps the greatest play in college football history. In what is now known simply as The Play, four Cal players lateraled the ball five times on a kickoff return with four seconds left on the clock. The final ballcarrier ran for a touchdown through the Stanford Band, which had run onto the field to celebrate prematurely (although the game clock had run out of time, the final play was allowed to be completed). The Play is often recounted with KGO radio announcer Joe Starkey's emotional call of The Play, which he hailed as "the most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!" The legitimacy of The Play has remained controversial among some Stanford fans. To this day, the final score in the official record shows Cal winning by a score of 25-20, whereas in many Stanford publications it is recorded as Stanford 20, Cal 19.
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