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Huzzah for foot-balling!
College football is a unique and proud institution. Every facet of this hallowed sport stands for what is good and true about America: the tradition, the loyalty, and of course, the cheating.
The trick play is an institution as old as sport itself. For as long as there have been rules, competitive sportsmen have been bending them. Although no true sportsman would really cheat, all true sportsmen have, on occasion, taken advantage of an opponent’s trusting nature or slow wit by using the trick play.
A trick play, or gadget play, is not only the last resort of a losing team, but often serves as inspiration to the tricksters themselves, or a method by which to confuse or intimidate the opposing team. Occasionally, the trick play may even serve as nothing more than a way to rub it in to a losing rival or entertain bored fans during a blowout, like the hot dog gun.
No sport has embraced the trick play as part of its identity and lore as much as college football. Many of the most memorable moments in the history of America’s greatest sport involve a trick play of one kind or another. Much like baseball’s balk, when a fan witnesses a trick play executed against his favorite team, his reaction is one of anger and disbelief—How can that be legal? Where’s the flag? Yet when his team deftly executes a well-timed trick play, Stuart Studentsection laughs at the stupidity of the opposing team and its coaching staff, while he slaps himself on the back for being smart enough to choose to root for his boys (usually a Florida team).
With this in mind, I present to the Phat Phree Sports Section readers the greatest trick plays in the history of college football, in no particular order except for the last one, which is Number One.
The Old Statue of Liberty — This play is the withering, senile, incontinent grand-daddy of tricks plays, dating to at least 1916, when a Los Angeles Times article ran the following story:
“POMONA, Nov. 25 – Older than the pyramids of Cheops, even so old that it was new, the time-honored Statue of Liberty play, famed in gridiron circles nearly a quarter of a century ago, was responsible for the defeat of the San Bernardino High School football team on the Pomona High School field this afternoon.”
In this play, the quarterback feigns a pass, only to have a tailback or receiver snatch the ball from his hand as he rears back. Based on my thorough internet research, the most recent use of this play in the college game occurred in the 2003 Virginia Tech - West Virginia game, a game sometimes known as “The Hatfields versus the McCoys.” Played on Walton’s Mountain in the time-honored "Overalls vs. Skins" format, this battle of the toothless hillbillies featured West Virginia pulling off the Statue of Liberty three times in the first half! The Mountaineers won 28 to 7, and all without indoor plumbing.
Watch out for that rusty trombone, guy.
(SIDE JOKE: What does a twelve-year-old virgin in West Virginia say the first time she has sex? A.) Get off me daddy, you're crushing my cigarettes! B.) Trick question—there are no twelve-year-old virgins in West Virginia! C.) Bad dog! D.) I don't know, I'll tell you in twenty-five seconds!)
The Hook & Lateral — Often incorrectly referred to as the “Hook and Ladder”, this is a classic smoke-and-mirrors number. One receiver runs about ten yards out and hooks back to receive a pass, while a trailing receiver keeps running at full speed. The quarterback then passes to the hooking receiver, who, in one motion, catches the ball and laterals it to the hard-charging second receiver who should just then be passing by. When run with precise timing, the first catch lures in the defense, which is then knocked back on its heels as Wheels Malloy, (assuming that’s his name), catches the lateral and heads to the end zone.
This play was run by Georgia against Alabama in 1965 for a sixty-yard touchdown, capped by a two-point conversion for the victory. I invite commenters to relate a more recent running of this play in the college game.
Flea Flicker — This is another ancient trick play. The QB pitches to the tailback, runs back to receive a hand-off or a pitch from the same running back, and then throw a pass to the a receiver, all of whom should then be open as a barn door.
Legend has it that the Flea Flicker was invented by legendary Illinois coach Bob Zuppke while coaching for Oak Park High School in Chicago in the early ‘20s... as was the sexual maneuver known as the Gorilla Mask. Coincidence?
The Play — The Play is so well known that I’ll spare the reader another over zealous description of the details, but basically the play was a multiple-lateral kickoff return that took place during the last four seconds of the 1982 Stanford - Cal game. Sports writers are on this play’s jock like Tara Reid on five guys in the bathroom at the Maxim Super Bowl party, and typically write about the Play in the following fashion:
Miami, everyone hates you.
Cal’s Kevin Moen received a squib kick from Stanford’s kicker Mark Harmon, (who I think later starred in Summer School), and pitched it to President Reagan, who pitched to the Archangel Gabriel, who levitated down the field under a halo of cherubs and daffodils before lateraling to Jesus, who Stanford fans believe was clearly down when he pitched it to The Easter Bunny, who rode a chariot made of Salma Hayek’s tits into the overeager Stanford band, which was dancing 'The Robot' naked in the end zone, killing a trombone player and his infant daughter and giving Cal the upset victory. Chocolate and beer then poured from the sky, and Playboy Playmates made out with every guy at the game.
If you don’t give shit about this game...consider yourself to be much like anyone in the country who doesn’t live in Berkeley or Palo Alto.
The Fumblerooski — Without a doubt the ballsiest trick play in the history of trick plays took place during one of the greatest college football games ever played, the 1984 Orange Bowl. At the half, Nebraska’s “Scoring Explosion” '83 team was down 17-0. To the shock and glee of the Big Red Nation, early in the third quarter the normally white-bread Tom Osborne called for the ‘Rooski. Turner Gill “fumbled” a snap from center, dropping it to the turf, where it was retrieved by All-American offensive lineman and BAMF Dean Steinhukler, who rumbled in for the touchdown like a Suburban with its brakes cut and on steroids. Nebraska would eventually bring the game to within one point, but rather than settle for a tie and likely a #2 in the AP ranking, Osborne—who was obviously on acid during this game, Dock Ellis style—called for a two-point conversion to win. In a moment burned into the memories of Nebraska fans everywhere, wide-open Nebraska tailback Jeff Smith dropped Gill’s pass in the end zone. Nebraska lost the game, and would have to wait eleven more years to win the National Championship (My uncle Frank still tears up with rage when he tells the story of this play). Had this type of shit been pulled in South America, Smith would no doubt have later been murdered by his own fans outside a nightclub. But this is America, so he was merely banished to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Fumblerooski is the greatest trick play ever, if for no other reason than the fact that it was later banned by the NCAA because, “it was just too fucking awesome.” True.
UVa used this play with 22 seconds left to upset #20 Georgia Tech 39-38 in 2001.
groh is a god
hook and lateral
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Posted: 9/1/2005 8:53:24 AM
UVa pulled off a hook and lateral in 2001 against Georgia Tech with 22 seconds left. They ended up winning the game 39-38 as a result. It was incredible.
JP
Typo
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Posted: 9/1/2005 10:08:04 AM
Just to save some commenting ink, I notice and realize that I misspelled Dean Stein-KUH-ler's name. I am ashamed.
YoMama
Hmmm
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Posted: 9/1/2005 10:37:36 AM
How about the halfback option pass? And while it's not college, the Music City Miracle, which is quite literally the most successful single-use gadget play of all time, really deserved some sort of honorable mention.
I don't know about college, but the Dolphins used the Hook and Lateral during their amazing and ridiculous defeat of the New England Patriots last season as the Pats marched towards the SuperBowl.
BLB
OB
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Posted: 9/1/2005 10:47:26 AM
84' Orange Bowl -- as a FYI-- Smith didnt drop the ball bud, Ken Calhoun tipped it and it hit Smith in the Helmet. There was nothing he could do. Also, had Nebraska settle for the tie, they would have been #1, not #2. They were the only undefeated team that year.
JP
BLB
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Posted: 9/1/2005 10:58:28 AM
Good points. I maintain Jeff Smith could and should have caught that pass. (My memory may be faulty since I was 7). You are right that NU was undefeated and would likely have remained #1 with a tie, but may have split the title. This further demonstrates my theory that Osborne was on acid. But the fact that he risked it all for the win than settle for a tie was a great move. No guts no glory.
dave
corrections
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Posted: 9/1/2005 11:05:54 AM
the hook and ladder is almost always run with the running back coming out of the backfield for the lateral. And the flea flicker is a handoff (a QB pitching the ball and running backwards to have the ball pitched back to him would take much longer than any play from scrimmage.)
DT
Throw Back
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Posted: 9/1/2005 12:20:53 PM
What about the Quarterback throwback where the QB throws, pitches or hands it off and then goes on to recieve the pass himself. A Lah Chucky Woodson to Brian Griese.
Bumbaclot
Annexation
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Posted: 9/1/2005 12:43:18 PM
The Annexation of Puerto Rico is the best trick play ever!
GO LITTLE GIANTS!!!
Captain Bullshit
Agree with DT
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Posted: 9/1/2005 12:47:23 PM
I agree that is a geat play but how about Stanton doing it against your wolverloser last year. go green go white
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