Best ND play in last 30 years

[MAS]

In all seriousness...

Some strong contenders (may need help on a few details that have grown fuzzy):

-Harry O's 51-yarder to beat Michigan 1980.
-Reggie Brooks' "knockout" run vs. Michigan(?) 1992.
-Ivory Covington's (all 154 pounds of him) goal line stand vs. Army tight end 1995(?).
-Irv Smith carrying four defenders down the field 1992. I wanna say Indiana?
-Pick one catch made by Lake Dawson or Jeff S in any pressure situation.
-Reggie Brooks diving catch versus Penn St. in the snowstorm 1992.
-Stan Smagala int. versus USC 1988.
-Should have a Zorich and a Stonebreaker play in here somewhere, but no one play pops to mind.
-Rocket's "phantom clip" return versus Colorado 1990.

My pick: Rocket versus Colorado. Taking into account the context and what was riding on his return, the greatest play in the last 30 years. Also the dumbest call by an opposing coach to kick it to him. In a quest to be macho man, McCartney foolishly kicks to the one player who can take the national championship from his team.

Runner-up is Ivory Covington versus Army just for sheer willpower and the fact that the game was on the line.

 

[Famboo28]

Quinn to Samardzija against UCLA this year was a pretty big play...

 

[GREENJERSEYS'07]

reggie brooks knockout run.I remember that play very well.I made the comment to a few poeple before anyone knew what had happened that it looked like he got knocked out with hot dog still in my mouth.

 

[Pete]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uh3V9O6i8wM

Pat Terrell ND v. Miami 19988

 

[GREENJERSEYS'07]

anyone remember jarious jackson's on-side kick return in the army game?

ray zellars 60 yarder knocking someone down and jumping over someone else.

irv smith dragging several indiana guys 10 yards into the end zone.

rice's run against usc in '88

deke cooper's goal line hit on the boston college guy.

I think samardzija's catch last year in the purdue game will always be one of my favorites.It really set the tone for the rest of the year.

 

[MAS]

I mentioned the Irv Smith play. A great one, no doubt.

Forgot about the Zellars play, though.

Gotta have a Timmy Brown mention. I'm going with the punt return versus USC in '86. Set up the game-winning field goal in what really was the turning point of ND football in the eighties. There were several losses that year that were oh so close and the team finally broke through.

Honorable mention for Timmy Brown: chasing down the Texas A&M "12 man" goon who stole his towel in the 1988 Cotton Bowl. Naturally, Pusberger blamed Brown for the altercation, proving yet again, nothing good has ever come out of Hammond.

 

[nayers]

Arnaz Battle taking the 4 down pass to the house vs MSU just like they did against us the year before

 

[MAS]

Rampage Jackson avatar...cool. I'm afraid he's lost his edge, though.

 

[Pete]

anyone remember jarious jackson's on-side kick return in the army game?

ray zellars 60 yarder knocking someone down and jumping over someone else.

irv smith dragging several indiana guys 10 yards into the end zone.

rice's run against usc in '88

deke cooper's goal line hit on the boston college guy.

I think samardzija's catch last year in the purdue game will always be one of my favorites.It really set the tone for the rest of the year.

Ray Zellars against Purdue (I was at that game)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_z1Ho0wtpLI

Irv Smith vs. Indiana (Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_DEUN9LdMBA

Deke Cooper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn2eRF7hz4w&mode=related&search=

 

[Pete]

Arnaz Battle taking the 4 down pass to the house vs MSU just like they did against us the year before

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ9_Rl291m4

 

[tommy]

man watching all them plays gives me chills

 

[Pete]

In all seriousness...

Some strong contenders (may need help on a few details that have grown fuzzy):

-Harry O's 51-yarder to beat Michigan 1980.
-Reggie Brooks' "knockout" run vs. Michigan(?) 1992.
-Ivory Covington's (all 154 pounds of him) goal line stand vs. Army tight end 1995(?).
-Irv Smith carrying four defenders down the field 1992. I wanna say Indiana?
-Pick one catch made by Lake Dawson or Jeff S in any pressure situation.
-Reggie Brooks diving catch versus Penn St. in the snowstorm 1992.
-Stan Smagala int. versus USC 1988.
-Should have a Zorich and a Stonebreaker play in here somewhere, but no one play pops to mind.
-Rocket's "phantom clip" return versus Colorado 1990.

My pick: Rocket versus Colorado. Taking into account the context and what was riding on his return, the greatest play in the last 30 years. Also the dumbest call by an opposing coach to kick it to him. In a quest to be macho man, McCartney foolishly kicks to the one player who can take the national championship from his team.

Runner-up is Ivory Covington versus Army just for sheer willpower and the fact that the game was on the line.

Harry O
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5qiAEeudOs8

Reggie Brooks v. Michigan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnBHfr2_Ex8

Ivory Covington
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teO9oWwNSzc

 

[Pete]

Here's the Harry O kick with the Michigan guy doing the play-by-play. He says the score wrong three times.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WRlk0QB4pUY

 

[Mattmags]

my vote is for ivory covington's goal line stand. it won the game and it was like a David and Goliath type play. simply amazing

 

[mirertobrooks]

Rocket's second KO return vs Michigan in 1989. I believe Keith Jackson said "There he goes.....and he is..........gone."

 

[mirertobrooks]

Bettis 3rd TD run vs Florida in the '92 Sugar Bowl

 

[Pete]

Rocket's second KO return vs Michigan in 1989. I believe Keith Jackson said "There he goes.....and he is..........gone."

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-BPLUVeUu20 (Tony Roberts)

http://www.ndirishmusings.com/Videos/michigan2.mpeg (Keith Jackson)

 

[ACamp1900]

While I can't argue with the great ones you all mentioned... I will go a different route... Shark's catch against Pitt last year... WE all wondered where ND was headed and how Weis would fair... I still remember the huge confidence boast that single play personally gave me, and it's been all up hill from there... one of the most enjoyable games I ever watched

GO IRISH!!!

 

[Pete]

While I can't argue with the great ones you all mentioned... I will go a different route... Shark's catch against Pitt last year... WE all wondered where ND was headed and how Weis would fair... I still remember the huge confidence boast that single play personally gave me, and it's been all up hill from there... one of the most enjoyable games I ever watched

GO IRISH!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT0CZyG0fQY

 

[Vince Young]

Speaking of last year's Pitt game... how about Walker catching a short pass behind a convoy of blockers for that huge gain so early on? THAT was the instant I really started to believe.

But even bigger than that... PASS RIGHT! Still can't believe that one always gets forgotten in these discussions.

 

[Pete]

Speaking of last year's Pitt game... how about Walker catching a short pass behind a convoy of blockers for that huge gain so early on? THAT was the instant I really started to believe.

But even bigger than that... PASS RIGHT! Still can't believe that one always gets forgotten in these discussions.

Pass right
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8JTVelhxT0

DWalk screen-this was big, I remember thinking, great here we go again, after Pitt just marched down a scored. This put me at ease.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIjAV05e0xg

 

[ACamp1900]

Got to love K.Jackson's 'enthusiasm' during the Walker run... if that were a SC tailback or anyone from a Big Ten school you'd have heard about five Woh Nellie!!!'s

 

[CharlotteND]

I've been holding out on you guys. Some really cool stuff on there including the old ones. This was put together by the guys at BGS a while back.

http://bluwiki.com/go/BGS_video

 

[njuneardave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT0CZyG0fQY

I see Carlson celebrating with the Shark in the endzone on that play... i didn't know he was playing in the first game last year. Check it out... little did we know the acrobats that he would show us this year...

 

[sonomairishfan]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uh3V9O6i8wM

Pat Terrell ND v. Miami 19988

that is the biggest play by far. we won a NC with that play.

 

[irishtexan]

I would agree on Pat Terrell probably. The rocket had so many too that is really hard to pick just one. Also I think Zbikowski's punt return during the USC game was the biggest play I have seen in the last 4-5 years of ND football. Thay play did wonders for confidence in the team and it shook USC.