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Some of the best moments in sports involve a team pulling off a walk-off victory while putting a dagger into the heart of an opponent who endured the pain that comes with seeing victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. College football has produced more than a few of those endings, but there are some that really stand out.
These Are The Best Walk-Off Endings In College Football History
Buzzer beaters and walk-off home runs are cool, but there’s something special about a football game being decided on the very last play. It’s rarer, and they often happen in the most unexpected way.
This list features Hail Marys, trick plays, kick returns, and more. Football games can end in a ton of ways, but these stand alone as the best and most shocking.
Before we dive in, I’d like to give an honorable mention to Texas Tech beating Texas in 2008. Texas walked into Lubbock a perfect 8-0 and the number one team in the country. Down 33-32 after leading virtually the entire game, Michael Crabtree hauled in a sideline pass and ran it into the end zone to take the lead.
The only problem is there was one second left; the score would obviously prove to be the difference maker, but it doesn’t qualify for the list (Vanderbilt’s shocking fumble recovery to defeat NC State misses out for the same reason).
So without further ado, here are seven college football walk-offs that actually ended the game.
The 2018 National Championship
By far the most significant game on the list, the 2018 National Championship had it all.
Down 13-0 at halftime, Nick Saban made what proved to be one of the greatest coaching decisions of all time by subbing out starting QB Jalen Hurts for true freshman backup Tua Tagovailoa. The tide turned as the freshman threw two second-half passing touchdowns, forcing the game into overtime.
After Georgia kicked a field goal, Alabama knew a touchdown would end the game. It didn’t seem likely after Tua took a 16-yard sack on the first snap, but he bounced back with a game-winning bomb to another true freshman, Devonta Smith, to end the game and clinch a title.
The Kick Six
This time, Alabama is on the wrong side of history. The 2013 Iron Bowl was a big one; it featured No. 1-ranked Alabama and an Auburn team that came in at No. 4.
Tied 28-28 with one second left, the Tide got to the edge of field-goal range and decided to try a 57-yarder to win. Lifelong Alabama fan Chris Davis Jr. waited under the goalpost in case it came up short.
The kick did not have the leg; Davis ran it back 109 yards, and to everyone’s surprise, Auburn won the football game.
Michigan Has Trouble With The Snap
In 2015, the 12th-best team in the nation, the Michigan Wolverines, hosted their in-state rivals, Michigan State, who were ranked in the top 10. Michigan had them on the ropes, up 23-20 with nine seconds; they just needed to punt the ball away safely, and they would come away with the upset.
If you read my piece about the most embarrassing sports moments in recent history, you know how this ends. But for those who need a refresher, the Michigan punter dropped the snap, got hit, and the ball landed in the hands of MSU’s Jalen Watts-Jackson.
He then returned it all the way for a Spartan touchdown on what would be the last play of the game.
The Play
The ending of the 1982 Cal vs. Stanford rivalry game was so iconic it’s literally known as The Play. Cal was the home team, and they found themselves down by a point with four seconds left.
Stanford was kicking off, and all the Cardinal had to do was cover the kick to beat their rivals. Cal fielded the squib kick and immediately began lateraling the ball to keep their hopes alive.
Miraculously, the Golden Bears executed five perfect laterals to break free for the winning score with no time left. No one expected this, especially not Stanford’s band, which was on the field in celebration before the play was over.
Hail Flutie
Boston College was having a historic season in 1984. The Eagles were 9-2, with a win over No. 9-ranked Alabama under their belt.
Quarterback Doug Flutie was a Heisman candidate, but he was looking for a Heisman moment late in the season when BC traveled to play No. 12 Miami.
The game was a barn burner, with the score 42-39 with six seconds left. The ball was at around the 50-yard line, and Flutie was under center to start the play. He dropped all the way back to his own 35 before launching a pass into the end zone. Miraculously, receiver Gerard Phelan caught it, and the Eagles won on the last play.
The Miracle In Durham
Miami was a part of another last-play miracle 30 years later, but this time in their favor. The 2015 Miami Hurricanes traveled to Duke, where the Blue Devils found themselves in a rare spot: ranked.
The 6-1 Blue Devils had a lot to look forward to in their season, but the unranked Miami Hurricanes stood in their way. Duke scored with six seconds left to make it 27-24 and just needed to cover their kickoff to survive.
Miami proceeded to lateral the ball EIGHT times before ultimately breaking off one of the most improbable kickoff returns you will ever see, and winning the game 30-27.
The 2007 Fiesta Bowl
The 2007 Fiesta Bowl is widely considered one of the best games ever. Boise State and Oklahoma were both ranked in the top 10 entering their final game of the season.
Boise State held a 28-10 lead before OU rattled off 25 straight points and took the lead with a minute left. The Broncos then answered with a hook-and-ladder play to tie the game.
In overtime, the Sooners scored first, making it 42-35. Boise State scored a touchdown of their own but kept the offense on the field for the two-point conversion. On the do-or-die play, the Broncos dialed up the Statue of Liberty handoff that fooled OU and won them the game.