SMU/Tech 1982

[ponyboy]

No. 28 on the All Time Finish List
SMU 34 ... Texas Tech 27, November 13, 1982
At the time: No. 2 SMU was in its heyday with the Pony Express on a 13-game winning streak and a 9-0 record led by Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Texas Tech wasn't doing too much with a 4-5 record, but had beaten SMU six straight times.
The setup: An blocked punt led to a 16-yard James touchdown giving the Mustangs a 24-10 lead late in the third quarter, but Texas Tech was able to bounce back on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Buzz Tatom. One 71-yard Anthony Hutchinson touchdown run later and the Red Raiders tied it up. After an SMU field goal, Hutchinson was able to make a big fourth down play leading Tech to a march down to the Mustang 11 as the clock was running down. In came Ricky Gann for a 28-yard field goal and a 27-27 tie with :17 to play. With no overtime, the Mustang winning streak appeared to be over.
The ending: Worried about a kickoff return for a touchdown, Texas Tech decided to squib it to run down time. SMU head coach Bobby Collins was prepared and sent in defensive back Blane Smith to field the kick and throw it across the field to receiver Bobby Leach who would, in theory, have a wall of blockers to run behind. Smith was in position, but he had a hard time fielding the ball bobbling it before chucking it backwards to Leach a split-second before being blasted by Red Raiders. Leach grabbed it off the turf on the nine and didn't have anyone in front of him going 91 yards for the touchdown and the 34-27 win.
How they ended up: Following the "Miracle on Fourth Avenue", the Mustangs tied Arkansas 17-17 barely missing a win on a short 52-yard field goal attempt. Even so, they still won the SWC title and a spot in the Cotton Bowl beating Pittsburgh and Dan Marino 7-3 to finish 11-0-1 and second in both polls. Texas Tech lost to Houston 24-7 to finish 4-7.

[jtstang]

Greatest game Stallion ever saw.

[RGV Pony]

At the moment the game happened...awesome, wow, hell yeah...I think a lot of people tend to forge that Miracle Man's run staved off a tie, not a loss.

A week later, kind of anticlimactic.