The Greatest College Football Comebacks of All Time (that didn't have a great finish) Please e-mail your descriptions of great comebacks to dwilson@cae.wisc.edu. Please do not include any games that would qualify for the "Greatest Finishes" list. 1963 USC vs. Wisconsin, Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, 1963 This game is considered one of college football's greatest. With #1 USC ahead of #2 Wisconsin 42-14 at the start of the fourth quarter, USC fans think the game is over and start chanting "We want the Packers". Ron VanderKelen then rallies the Badgers for 23 points amassing the current Rose Bowl record of 401 passing yards going 33 of 48. His primary receiver was current UW athletic director Pat Richter. An onside kick recovered by the Trojans with 1 minute left stops the rally with the eventual National Champions hanging on for a 5 point victory (USC 42 Wisc. 37). David Michie 1972 Auburn vs. Alabama, Dec. 2, 1972 The 1972 Auburn Tigers performed one of the most miraculous comebacks of all time during the Iron Bowl against Alabama. On December 2, 1972, the second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide brought a 10-0 record into Legion Field to meet the ninth-ranked Tigers, who were 8-1. With 5:30 remaining in the game, Alabama held a seemingly insurmountable 16-3 lead. The Tigers came roaring back for one of the best finishes in Auburn-Alabama history. Auburn's Bill Newton blocked two Alabama punts and David Langer ran both in for touchdowns as Auburn came back to win 17-16. The game has been nicknamed the "Punt Bama Punt" game. AUtiger567@aol.com (Brian Patterson) 1974 USC vs. Notre Dame, Nov. 30, 1974 Notre Dame had a 24-0 lead just a minute before the end of the first half. USC scored just before halftime (and missed the conversion) to make the score 24-6 at the half. Coach McKay is quoted as having said during halftime something like "Gentlemen, if you block like you should, Anothony Davis will carry the second-half kickoff back for a score, and we'll go on from there. Let's go!!" USC's Anthony Davis took the second half kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown, and the comeback was on. The Trojans scored 55 unanswered points in only 17 minutes!!! The Trojans won the game 55-24. Father Theodore Hesburgh, the Notre Dame president, congratulated Coach John McKay after the game, then added, "That wasn't a very nice thing for a Catholic to do." Replied McKay: "Father, that serves you right for hiring a Presbyterian (Coach Ara Parseghian)." Neither team was a "cream puff". USC went on to win the Rose Bowl and the UPI and MacArthur Bowl National Championships, and Notre Dame went on to ruin Alabama's National Championship hopes in the Orange Bowl. hptaylor@gps.caltech.edu (Hugh Taylor) woodylives69@earthlink.net (Billy Mccloud) 1984 Salisbury vs. Randolph Macon, 1984 Salisbury State (now Salisbury University NCAA Division III) was down 33 to nothing in the first quarter came back to win 34-33. LarkinW AT lake DOT k12 DOT fl DOT us (Larkin, William S) 1991 Weber St. at Nevada, 1991 This is the greatest comeback in the history of football. It took place in Reno, Nevada back in 1991 the final year before Nevada went into I-A. The starting quaterback for Nevada was Fred Gatlin. Weber St. totally dismantled the Wolf Pack in the first half getting a 42-7 halftime lead for Weber St. Seeing there was no chance at winning the game, back up quaterback Chris Vargas was put into the game and led the greatest comeback of all time. The Wolfpack with Vargas at the helm, came back from the 35 point defecit and defeated Weber St. 56-49 in the greatest comeback in football history. Unrryan@aol.com (Ryan Souza) 1992 Clemson at Virginia, Oct. 10, 1992 Clemson is down 28-0 with under 2-minutes left in the first half. Clemson coach Ken Hatfield puts in back-up Louis Soloman at QB. He marches the offence to a touchdown with total disreguard for coach Hatfield's play selection...then proceeds to lead the tigers to a 29-28 victory as they stun the home crowd who mostly left at the half. rgladde@CLEMSON.EDU 1994 Louisiana State at Auburn, Sep. 17, 1994 Perhaps not the best game, but certainly one of the most most amazing comebacks I've ever witnessed would be 1994 Auburn vs. LSU game. With just over 12 minutes left in the 4th quarter, LSU lead 23 - 9. Then, Auburn came up with 3 fourth quarter interception returns for touchdowns and some how won the game AU 30 - LSU 26. The Auburn offense was unable to score a single touchdown while the defense scored 4. In fact, The Auburn offense had a mere 18 yards total offense in the entire second half and just over 150 for the game. But, the defense stepped up and forced 8 turnovers to save the game and the then 14 game winning streak. Brad Jeffcoat Florida at Florida State, Nov. 26, 1994 Florida State is behind 31-3 at the beginning of the 4th quarter against UF at Doak Campbell Stadium. Zach Crockett pounds up the middle to score the Noles' first TD of the game to start the 4th qtr. Spurrier's offense stalls against the courageous FSU defense. Danny Kannell leads the team down the field. He throws a strike to the corner of the end-zone to Andre Cooper to make it 31-17. UF's offense goes nowhere again and the Noles take over. Warrick Dunn heads down the field on many of Danny Kannell's swing-passes. On a boot-leg play Kannell puts it in the end-zone for his first ever rushing TD to put the score at 31-24 with time winding down. On the next drive for UF, James Colzie intercepts a Danny Wuerful pass at mid-field. The Seminole crowd is on fire!!! The Gator defense is worn down and can't stop the Noles. Rock Preston runs the ball into the end-zone to tie the game up at 31-31 with about 2 minutes left in the game. The Gators get one last chance to save face but can't get past the FSU defense. The Noles take over but time runs out. Although it ended in a tie, the Noles felt victorious by overcoming a 28 point defecit in about 13 minutes against a higher ranked and favored team. The game was settled a month later in the Sugar Bowl. FSU won the game 23-17. Michael J Collins