3 games for the ages

[Stallion]

its all relative-I was at both games- but I'll easily still stick with the 1982 SMU Tech game which included 7 lead changes(including ties) including the last 4 scores which came with 10:04, 4:05, :17, and :04 left in the game including the greatest and most dramatic play in SMU history(OK Bob Finley's 4th Q bomb in 1935 probably ties for first)on an improbable 91 yard trick play literally on SMU's last play of the game to perserve SMU's undefeated season and shot at the Cotton Bowl. In the SMU Texas game as I remember McIlhenny's pitch to James I think on the first play of the second quarter was one the few great offensive plays of the game-and there was no doubt James would take it the distance from the minute he caught the pitch as the Red Sea litterally opened up before him. Remember we are talking about a Fred Akers offense not the most enlightened offensive gameplanner. The fact that McIver was called on late in the game showed just how inept Texas was on offense that day. As I remember SMU held Texas to between 200-250 yards and therefore the game didn't have the offensive fireworks that the SMU Tech game had. The unbelievable spectacle on the Jones field turf after Leach ran back the kickoff is the single most memorable recollection that I have of SMU athletics. Too bad more SMU fans didn't have the opportunity to witness it. It truly was a Miracle on Fourth Street-and miracles like that come around once in a lifetime.

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 03-17-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 03-17-2003).]

[Pony Fan]

Stallion, I agree with you on this game. After I posted the three games up the list here, I thought about this game as well and thought it may have been the most exciting SMU game I have ever seen, to go from being mad at Tech for going for a tie to Leach running it in for a win.

[ponyte]

It would appear that the definition of a great game is based on its entertainment value and not upon its import. As that seems to be the criteria, I would recommend the 1953 SMU-Rice game as a great one.

SMU beat undefeated Rice in the last game of the season at the Cotton bowl. This game features 2 goal line stances by the Ponies one late in the game. SMU won late in the game with a long improbable run from inside the SMU 5 to inside the Rice 5 very late in the 4th quarter.

SMU stuffed the great Dickey Neagle in that game.

Jerry Norton had a great evening punting and rushing including rushing on 4th down from the punter position.

Four down conversions, 2 goal line stances and a late run for over 90 yards to set up the winning TD. Shutting down a great rusher and beating an undefeated foe. Not a bad game.

[Arkpony]

The Tech Game was agreat one. I recall listening to the game on radio and was despondent as it appeared the game would end a tie. I told my 10 year old son "Well, We will have to run the kickoff back for a touchdown to win this one" and BINGO!

I have the video of that kickoff return and never get tired of watching it. The Tech team and coaches thought the game was over with the kickoff and were crowding out on the field asLeach starts down the sideline. Tech coaches are frantically trying to get the TEch players back behind the sidelines as Leach streeaks down the field towards them! Incredible footage and the mob scene in the end zone!

[MrMustang1965]

Arkpony: is there any way that I can get a copy/dub of that video from you? I've never seen it! I'd love to have it in my collection of SMU memorabilia. Thanks!

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"Winning ain't everything...but it's a lot more fun than the alternative!" S.M.U. SPIRIT: IT STARTS NOW!

[MUSTANGFOREVER69]

Stallion and the rest, I agree about the '82 SMU/Tech game, but for greatest excitement (at least in other games I watched), I'd have to rank the '68 Astro/Bluebonnet Bowl 28-27 win over OU w/ Heisman Trophy Winner Steve Owens and the '66 last minute win over A&M in our SWC Championship Year when Jerry Levias caught the last second TD pass from Ines Perez to win the game. Jerry had gotten knocked unconcious on the play before where he made the catch to keep the game alive. He stayed in the game to make the winning catch on national TV even though he was dazed from the hit on the last play, and he doesn't even remember making the last catch today. That win was exciting - but there were quite a few that year where we either came back or held on to win in the last minute, including the Baylor game and the UT game. All great memories - just like in my Freshman year in '65, watching us tie nationally ranked Purdue w/ Bob Griese at QB. Their lineman on both sides of the ball outweighed our guys by 75-100 lbs/man. But we outplayed them. And, even though it was a tie, it was a tremendous upset.

[Stallion]

They were both great games but the Inez Perez to Jerry LeVias catch in the corner of the endzone was in the first game of the 1967 game and was nationally televised. you could add in about 3 other games that involved Jerry LeVias because he was such a clutch player. The 1966 SMU/Baylor comeback led by LeVias was great too-I think that was the same day lowly Texas Tech upset Arkansas to pave the way for SMU to have a chance at the Cotton Bowl.

[BornRed&Blue]

Oh my oh my - how I loved reading all these posts, since I was at so many of those games.
To MrMustang1965 - ditto on the Bluebonnet Bowl, after watching Jerry Levias all season, it was great for the rest of the country to see him beat Oklahoma, sent those Sooners packin' back up hwy.75
To Stallion - oh my gosh, I WAS THERE, along with tons of obnoxious Mojo fans from Midland/Odessa or wherever that were all rooting for Tech, until the last minute of the game. If you listen closely, when SMU is behind, you might still hear a fan in the stands yell "give it to Bobby Leach" in hopes of a repeat of that famous play.
To ponyte - Louie Kelcher is a gem of a person, biggest little finger in the world!, I was a freshman that year, embroidered the score of that game on a shirt for my best friend Aggie ! ! UT/SMU 80 -with 7 inlaws being Texas grads, the win over Texas was the sweetest of all.
To PX & No Cal Pony - 82 Arkansas, never loved a tie so much as that one, kept Arkansas out of the Cotton ! but traveling up that "pig trail" to Fayettville is a memory I could forget. 83 Arkansas, it wasn't just rain, a tornado touched down in Beeville, close suburb of Little Rock, one "hog fan" tried to convince me that the sound I was hearing was the "callin' of the hogs", WRONG, it was a Civil Defense Siren warning us to get out of that stadium ! ! !

Let's keep building memories, goin' to games, and lovin' the ponies.

[Pegasus]

How about the 1986 A&M game? The aggies won
39 to 35, but it was a very exciting game!
And the week before we had lost to the horns 27 to 24, on a last second field goal in Austin.

[EastStang]

One other game that I saw mentioned elsewhere was the SMU-Navy game in 1963 when the Ponies upset Roger Staubach's team.

[No Quarter]

I saw the following three, and they are my best.

1949 Notre Dame. I wonder how many on this board saw the retrospective article in Texas Football a few years ago. I also wonder how many people have claimed they were there - probably more than the capacity of the Cotton Bowl that day!

1963 Navy. The choice that night was SMU and Navy or HP - Garland. Always glad we went to the Cotton Bowl. Kudos to Garland though, they went on to win the first of back to back state championships.

1989 Connecticut. Perhaps none of the glory associated with some other games, but a GREAT day for SMU.

And I'll never forget two I saw on TV:

Bluebonnet Bowl against Oklahoma, and Cotton Bowk against Pittsburg.

[MrMustang1965]

No Quarter: I was at the '63 SMU v. Navy game. There was another historic match-up that same day also in the Cotton Bowl. The annual O.U. v. U.T. match-up. I believe U.T. was ranked #1 at the time, too. Many of the Sooners & Longhorns stayed to see SMU v. Navy because of the hype surrounding Roger 'the dodger' Staubach.

I was also at the AstroBluebonnet Bowl in Houston at the Astrodome. That could be the most exciting football game I ever saw...up until Sam Houston State v. Northern Arizona in 2001 with SMU transfer QB Josh McCown leading the Bearkats to victory and a post-season playoff game against Montana in Bozeman, MT.

And I was also at The Miracle on Mockingbird! They don't call me Mr. Mustang (1965) for nothing!

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"Winning ain't everything...but it's a lot more fun than the alternative!" S.M.U. SPIRIT: IT STARTS NOW!

[This message has been edited by MrMustang1965 (edited 03-20-2003).]