Single best play of Gopher football history?

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dannygopher9100

dannygopher9100

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That is all. I don't have a opinion but that could change.
 

One of the most memorable plays I witnessed was the Duane Bennett "Immaculate Reception" against Michigan St. at the Halloween game in 2009. Weber was on fire that game, and he threw a pass 30-40 yards downfield that bounced off our TE's chest as he was falling down (McGarry if I remember right). Bennett happened to be in the right place, caught the ball in the air and ran it in for a TD. Not only was it an amazing play, it was the difference in the game.

That remains one of the most fun Gopher games in my lifetime. The crowd was electric that night.
 

John Galt said:
One of the most memorable plays I witnessed was the Duane Bennett "Immaculate Reception" against Michigan St. at the Halloween game in 2009. Weber was on fire that game, and he threw a pass 30-40 yards downfield that bounced off our TE's chest as he was falling down (McGarry if I remember right). Bennett happened to be in the right place, caught the ball in the air and ran it in for a TD. Not only was it an amazing play, it was the difference in the game.

That remains one of the most fun Gopher games in my lifetime. The crowd was electric that night.
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I'm positive there are more important historically, but the fumble return by Tripplett in the stadium opener is about as memorable as I can remember.
 

Darrell Thompson 97 yards from the line of scrimmage against Michigan
 

Gophs vs. USC and OJ ("haven't killed anyone yet") Simpson at the Brickhouse in '68. Was there in person as part of Band Days with my HS band from Houston, MN.
Gophers ran a trick play on a kickoff return. to quote from a Gopher website:

The Sept. 21, 1968 game at Memorial Stadium between the No. 16 Gophers and the second-ranked Trojans. Receiving a kickoff while trailing 16-13 with 7:56 remaining in the second half, the Gophers George Kemp tossed a cross-field lateral to senior John Wintermute, who scrambled 83 yards for the score to give Minnesota a 20-16 lead.

I can tell you that after that game, when my buddies and I were playing football in the city park, we would call for the "Gopher Play" on kickoff returns! I still remember that game vividly. Hard to believe it's been 47 years.
 


Billy Cockerham to Arland Bruce @ Penn St. 1999.

Set up Nystrom for the GW FG and put the Gophers back on the map.
 

Not the most important, but the one that came to mind:

2005 vs. Michigan: In a game that looked like it was going to overtime (tied 20-20), Gary Russell breaks one against Michigan at the Big House to set up the game-winning field goal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88nLh3qykbU
 

The one handed grab by Maxx on the sideline against Iowa that looked like a Leidner throw away.Unbelievable catch.

The 98 run TD by Thompson was right up there.
 

Ole said:
I'm positive there are more important historically, but the fumble return by Tripplett in the stadium opener is about as memorable as I can remember.
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I have to go with this one as well. The energy in the stadium when that happened was incredible and I'll never forget it.
 



With more than 65,464 fans packed into Minnesota’s Memorial Stadium, McNamara led the Gophers to a 22-20 win and a 7-1 record in coach Murray Warmath’s first season in Minneapolis. The game’s highlight came in the first half with the score tied at 7-7. McNamara received an Iowa kickoff at Minnesota’s 11-yard line and made an 89-yard touchdown run that deserves a place among the most determined efforts in program history.

McNamara shook off Iowa tacklers, refusing to go down to the ground. Warmath said in his biography, The Autumn Warrior, that McNamara’s run was indeed the stuff of legends. “It was the finest example of brilliance and desire I have ever seen,” the coach praised.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/run-made-mcnamara-u-legend/
 

Off the top of my head, some of the biggest plays/sequences since I've been a fan...

*Cockerham to Bruce / Nystrom's FG to win in Happy Valley (99)
*Tripplett's return in the Bank opener against Air Force (09)
*Russell's run in the Big House (05)
*Ridiculous catch by Aaron Hosack setting up the Rhys Lloyd FG to beat Wiscy (03)
*Maroney's juke on 4th and 2, setting up another game winning Lloyd FG to beat Oregon in the Sun Bowl (03)
*Weber to Bennett deflected pass against Sparty (09)
*Strip by Boddy-Calhoun at the goal line to preserve victory in Lincoln (14)
*Marqueis TD on on 4th down to beat Iowa (11)
*Cupito hitting Payne back of the end zone on 4th down in OT to extend game against Purdue (05)
 

I liked the kicks by Lloyd to beat Wisconsin in '03, Nystrom to beat PSU in '99. The fumble recovery TD in the stadium opener was insane as well.
 


Oops, I went negative.

Thompson's 97 yard run is my pick.
 



Zeppelin Gopher said:
Off the top of my head, some of the biggest plays/sequences since I've been a fan...

*Cockerham to Bruce / Nystrom's FG to win in Happy Valley (99)
*Tripplett's return in the Bank opener against Air Force (09)
*Russell's run in the Big House (05)
*Ridiculous catch by Aaron Hosack setting up the Rhys Lloyd FG to beat Wiscy (03)
*Maroney's juke on 4th and 2, setting up another game winning Lloyd FG to beat Oregon in the Sun Bowl (03)
*Weber to Bennett deflected pass against Sparty (09)
*Strip by Boddy-Calhoun at the goal line to preserve victory in Lincoln (14)
*Marqueis TD on on 4th down to beat Iowa (11)
*Cupito hitting Payne back of the end zone on 4th down in OT to extend game against Purdue (05)
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That's a good list.

My very first memorable TD was against Iowa 1984 when Gary Couch scored a 4th quarter TD to upset the Hawks at the dome. But my favorite Gopher play of all time was Rickey Foggie's scramble and run against Michigan at the Big House in 1986 which set up Lohmiller's game winning field goal.
 

Ski U Mah Gopher said:
Billy Cockerham to Arland Bruce @ Penn St. 1999.

Set up Nystrom for the GW FG and put the Gophers back on the map.
Click to expand...

+1

This is the first play(s) that come to my mind every time this subject is brought up, and was the start of my die hard Gopher fandom.
 

Briean Boddy taking the ball away against Nebraska. To physically beat Nebraska was unthinkable just two years ago. Greatest play of all time except for...

Bruce Smith running 80 yards to beat Tommy Harmon and the Wolverines!
 

To balance off tikited's hilarious Harris gaff, I'll post the one. Note: watch the right side TE (McGarry's double block). Gray's play was awesome, but the blocking TE cannot be overlooked.

 

Tom Brown defensive play against Iowa in 1960. Iowa had third down on Gopher 5. Brown pancaked center into quarterbback into fullback(all three flattened) for fivve yard loss. Brown was All-American and Heisman runner-up in 1960.
 

I am going to bring out a defensive play.

Back in the early 60's, the days of Sandy Stephens, et al.

Don't remember the opponent, but opponent was marching for go ahead TD.

Pass play toward the endzone. Just in front of the goal line, Stephens jumped up, made a one handed interception, fell on his back in the endzone for a touchback. We won. :cool02:

Those Murray Warmath teams were really something.
 

I believe the Sandy Stephens was against Michigan in 1961. Preserved a 23-20 Gopher win.
 

Great answers so far. One of the recent ones that I can remember includes the Michael Carter pick six from a couple years back.

 



Zeppelin Gopher said:
Off the top of my head, some of the biggest plays/sequences since I've been a fan...

*Cockerham to Bruce / Nystrom's FG to win in Happy Valley (99)
*Tripplett's return in the Bank opener against Air Force (09)
*Russell's run in the Big House (05)
*Ridiculous catch by Aaron Hosack setting up the Rhys Lloyd FG to beat Wiscy (03)
*Maroney's juke on 4th and 2, setting up another game winning Lloyd FG to beat Oregon in the Sun Bowl (03)
*Weber to Bennett deflected pass against Sparty (09)
*Strip by Boddy-Calhoun at the goal line to preserve victory in Lincoln (14)
*Marqueis TD on on 4th down to beat Iowa (11)
*Cupito hitting Payne back of the end zone on 4th down in OT to extend game against Purdue (05)
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Nice list of recent highlights.

DT going 97 yards was gorgeous in a way that transcended the game.
 

There would need to be a "Tier I" of plays of relatively equal value. Some of my favorites would include:
1) vs Pitt, 1934, Buck lateral pass for the winning TD from Lund
2) vs Notre Dame 1927, Nagurski forcing the ND fumble in the snow that led to the tying score
3) vs Northwestern 1940, the famous "Talking Play"
4) vs Iowa 1960, Hagberg's long TD run
5) vs Michigan 1977, Marion Barber TD run
6) vs Michigan 1986, Foggie's long scramble to set up winning FG
7) vs Penn State 1999, Arland Bruce catch setting up winning FG
8) vs Wisconsin 2003, Lloyd's winning FG
9) vs Michigan 2005, Russell's long run to set up winning FG
10) vs Nebraska 2014, stripping the ball at the goal line to save the game

and a few more. Whew! That was fun!
 

How about the blocked field goal with no time remaining that allowed us to beat our rivals from North Dakota State by a score of 10-9 in 2006?
 

None of us were alive then (I don't think!), but the extra point against Michigan in 1903 in the Little Brown Jug game.

Everyone probably knows the score was 6-6, but what you may not know is that back then TD's were worth 5 points and extra points were the most critical play of the game. You used to punt the ball from the endzone out, IF your team got the ball, then you kicked from where they recovered the ball. So of course there was always a balance of how far to punt, as if you punted too far, you wouldn't make the following kick, but the shorter the kick, the more likely the other team gets it...

That play created probably the greatest trophy in college football.
 


Ski U Mah Gopher said:
Billy Cockerham to Arland Bruce @ Penn St. 1999.

Set up Nystrom for the GW FG and put the Gophers back on the map.
Click to expand...

Yup, gets my vote too. At least for the last 30 years.
The play has to be in a win or it is just a really good play.
Maxx catch last year ranks right up there, especially since it was against the Hawks.
 

Lakeville Goldy said:
None of us were alive then (I don't think!), but the extra point against Michigan in 1903 in the Little Brown Jug game.

Everyone probably knows the score was 6-6, but what you may not know is that back then TD's were worth 5 points and extra points were the most critical play of the game. You used to punt the ball from the endzone out, IF your team got the ball, then you kicked from where they recovered the ball. So of course there was always a balance of how far to punt, as if you punted too far, you wouldn't make the following kick, but the shorter the kick, the more likely the other team gets it...

That play created probably the greatest trophy in college football.
Click to expand...

I had no idea that those were the rules of the game back then. I vaguely remember touchdowns being worth 5 points, but I've never heard of punting out of your own endzone as part of a PAT, and I'm guessing I'm not the only one. Good post!

Definitely not the greatest play of all time, but I remember getting pretty jacked seeing Aaron Hill run in a pick six to take a 7-3 lead against Wisconsin at TCF in 2013.
 

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