5 most important plays in Longhorn football history

To become one of the most prominent football programs in the country, you have to make the impossible a reality with great plays. The Texas Longhorns have had those in droves, courtesy of some of the greatest players and coaches to ever take part in college football.

As far as athletic feats, great plays occur on what has become a weekly basis. But the greatest ones are those that are made when the pressure is making your ears pop.

Those are the moments when the following great plays took place in the storied past of the Texas Longhorns. Some occurred in massive rivalry games, others in bowl games. But all had major implications on that team’s season and cemented its place in the program’s history.

Though you get one guess as to which one comes in at the top, please enjoy and share your thoughts on the snubs.

In my opinion here are the 5 Most Memorable Plays in Longhorn History:

So let’s start with #5

5. Nobis Drops Namath in the Orange Bowl (1/1/65) gEORGE sAUER’S AND eRNIE kOY SCORE LONG TOUCHDOWNS

The 1965 Orange Bowl was a dream matchup of Texas and Alabama, the nation’s last two national champions. The game also featured two of the best coaches of their time in Darrell Royal and Bear Bryant, with each having two of their favorite all-time players on their respective sides.

Something had to give in college football’s first prime-time game.

On a bum knee, Joe Namath led the champion Crimson Tide against the reigning champion Longhorns and superstar linebacker Tommy Nobis. In spite of a knee injury that forced him to the sideline in the first half, Namath had a game for the ages in putting his team in position to take the lead with seven minutes to play.

Inches from the goal line on 4th-and-2, Bryant called for a Namath dive into the end zone. But Nobis was able to burst through and wrap him up before Namath could cross the plane. The Longhorns then rode Nobis and the defense in preserving the 21-17 victory.

The play was arguably the greatest of Nobis’ career as the best defender in Texas history. Texas’ win over the “champion” Tide also led to 1965 being the final year that the national champion was crowned before the bowl season.

Most memorable plays in Texas Longhorns history.

4 . Ricky Runs Past Dorsett (11/27/98)

With 1:13 left in the first quarter, Williams followed bruising tackle Leonard Davis off the left side and broke three tackles for a 60-yard score. Williams finished the game with 259 yards on a career-high 44 carries, also breaking Napoleon McCallum’s all-purpose rushing record, and the Longhorns won the game, 26-24.

Williams’ run, and game, provided his “Heisman moment” for the season and vaulted Texas into the Cotton Bowl. Though both of his national records have since been broken, Williams remains Texas’ all-time rushing leader, and fans will never forget this record-breaking rumble

Most memorable plays in Texas Longhorn History.

#3 Phillips to Speyrer Against UCLA (10/3/70)

Making an appearance on the list is Darrell Royal’s 1970 team. The Longhorns needed a miracle against UCLA to extend their 22-game winning streak. They got it with 12 seconds left.

Coming in, Tommy Prothro’s No. 12 Bruins were 22-point underdogs and played like they had something to prove. They forced a turnover on Texas’ opening drive and made life miserable for quarterback Eddie Phillips throughout the game.

Down 17-13 on their final drive, the Longhorns looked dead in the water after Phillips fumbled for a nine-yard loss. But the play stopped the clock, and gave Royal a chance to call “86 pass, Ted crossing, Sam post.”

It was 3rd-and-19 with 12 seconds to play and the crowd stomping on the aluminum stands. Phillips took the snap, dropped back and hit Cotton Speyrer just before the defender got there. Speyrer’s legs did the rest.

That would give Texas the longest winning streak in SWC history at 23, which they would eventually carry all the way to 30 wins and another national championship for Royal.

TEXAS-UCLA 1970 By Stephen Ross

 Stephen Ross  Sept 22, 2010 writing for Barking Carnival says:

I on the other hand would prefer to re-live the thrilling Ying of the Bruins first trip here.

It was 1970, and Austin was a still a small college town……………….

I was a sophomore at UT, working at KHFI-TV (now KXAN) as the floor manager for the nightly newscasts. Back then there were only two TV stations in town and it was easy to get hands-on experience in the business. I spent most of my time trying to talk the sports director, Mel Pennington, into letting me go to games as a photographer, but that job went to more senior members of the news room, so I was able to take part in the student draw.

CELEBRATING THE UCLA VICTORY

I was working on a great string of draws for student tickets — until the UCLA game. I got tickets on the south goal line 5 rows up.

Still it was the best of times for UT football. Texas was defending National Champion. Work had begun on stadium expansion that would add an upper West side deck while connecting Bellmont Hall to the stadium as well.

When work began on the west side expansion of Memorial Stadium in 1970, capacity was at 65,500.

The press box was torn down and a temporary wooden structure was used for 1970. Some upgrades were already installed, such as new aluminum benches and seats througout the stadium.

Texas would enter the game #2 in both the AP and UPI polls, behind Ohio State, while UCLA would come into town ranked #13. Tommy Prothro was the Bruins coach, and he was considered to be among the best on the business. Before moving to UCLA he had taken periennial loser Oregon State to two Rose Bowls, and he was 35-13-3 at UCLA.

That didn’t matter to Longhorn fans — or the oddmakers, who had installed Texas as a 22-point favorite for the October 3, game. Afterall, Texas had a 22-game win streak built around the new offensive attack that no one had figured out how to slow down, much less stop. 

When UCLA came to town, Darrell Royal’s Longhorns had won 22 games in a row by an average score of 39-13.

UCLA GAME 1970 PAINTING BY RAGAN GENNUSA

But it didn’t take long for the players and fans to realize this Saturday was going to be different. On the second play of the game, Texas halfback Billy Dale was blasted by a UCLA linebacker just as QB Eddie Phillips pitched him the ball on the option. UCLA recovered the fumble and the fight was on.

Prothro was the first coach to attack the Wishbone with a “mirror” defense, essentially playing man-to-man on every member of the offensive backfield. He would disguise where the man was coming from and Royal admitted after the game that he and his staff were caught completely offguard by the manuever. It caused the creation of a classic Royalism.

 Of UCLA and Prothro, DKR said, “UCLA brought some good people into town and they came in a bad humor. Tommy Prothro didn’t come in on a load of wood either.”

UCLA contained the Wishbone for most of the day, especially QB Eddie Phillips. They harassed him on the option, and sacked him on passing downs enough so he ended the day with 17 yards on 20 carries. The one part of the triple option that still worked was the fullback option.

Neither team managed much offense early in the 4th quarter, but Texas finally started a long march towards the south goal. But on 4th and 4 right in front of where I was seated, Jim Bertelsen slipped trying to get to the outside and UCLA took over on downs with a little over 2 minutes to go.

The air went out of the stadium, and there was only 52 second left when Texas got the ball back, with no timeouts. There was a break in the action after the UCLA punt, and the PA announcer, sensing that the game was slipping away, made an announcement about the Longhorns 22-game winning streak. He in essence was asking for applause for what the team had accomplished.

Then a wondrous thing happened. The entire student section on the east side stood on the new aluminum benches and began to stomp and cheer.

It quickly spread throughout the stadium — even to the west side. Over 65,00 people were standing and stomping making more noise than I had ever hear in Memorial Stadium. A friend who was in the press box working for the Daily Texas said that suddenly the wooden structure began to wobble as if there was an earthquake. The noise continued as Texas broke the huddle.

After making one first down, Eddie Phillips was chased out of the pocket, and as he was going down for a 9-yard loss he fumbled the ball out of bounds. Good thing, since it stopped the clock.

Facing 3rd and 19, Royal called “86 pass, Ted crossing, Sam post.”

COTTON AFTER THE CATCH IS #88 AND BERTELSEN IS #35

Jim Bertelsen broke the ‘bone and ran a short hook to help clear the middle. Tight End Tommy Woodard (Ted) ran a deep middle route, while Cotton Speyrer (Sam) ran the post. The ball barely went over Woodard’s head (he was double covered) and as it reached Speyrer the UCLA defender in the prevent tried for the interception while another UCLA defender near bye was caught leaning the wrong way.

With just 12 seconds to go in the game I suddenly had the best seat in the house.

The noise factor doubled and those still in the press box began to fear for their lives as that structure began to shake like a bowl of jello. I don’t remember a whole helluva lot of what I did that night, but I do remember that I was in no shape for class on Monday and it took all the energy I had just to drag my ass to work that afternoon.

The win gave Texas the new SWC record for most victories in a row at 23. But the post-game atmosphere was strikingly reminiscent of that in Lubbock last week. Royal was bombarded with questions about the offensive troubles until he finally said,

“There are some people around here who think all we have to do is put on an orange uniform, crawl out there in the Wishbone and say, ‘Bang, you’re dead’.”

Most memorable plays in Texas Longhorns History .

2. “Right 53 Veer Pass” (12/6/69)

One play decided the “Greatest Game of the Century.” And if it was not for a certain someone, that play would be the greatest in Texas history.

Riding in to play No. 1 Arkansas on an 18-game winning streak, the top-ranked Longhorns had their work cut out for them. The Razorbacks were riding a 15-gamer of their own and were the nation’s top scoring defense.

Down 14-0 heading into the fourth, quarterback James Street scrambled for a touchdown, and the Longhorns made the two-point conversion to make the score 14-8. Arkansas answered with a 73-yard drive only to be picked off by Danny Lester in the end zone.

Darrell Royal’s Longhorns began to drive for the lead, but stalled with 4:47 left on a 4th-and-3 from their own 43. Royal called timeout, and, much to his quarterback’s dismay, told Street to run “53 Veer Pass.”

After some sneaky work in the huddle, Street found Randy Peschel on the left side of the field and lofted it over double coverage for the completion. The play gained 44 yards and took the ‘Horns all the way to the Arkansas 13.

Two plays later, Jim Bertelsen ran in the game-winning score for the greatest win of Royal’s career

1. Vince on 4th-and-5 (1/4/06)

The most memorable play in Texas Longhorns history.

I know many may disagree… but in my opinion this is the most memorable play in Texas history. It was the greatest team and arguably the greatest player in the programs history. And the stage was set up perfect on a National scene for Vince to pull of his heroics z

Without a doubt, the greatest play in the history of the Texas Longhorns was Vince Young’s touchdown run on 4th-and-5 in the 2006 Rose Bowl.

Against the so-called “Greatest Team Ever” and facing the man that beat him out for the Heisman Trophy, Young delivered the greatest performance in college football history.

Down 12 with under seven minutes to play, he marched his team down the field in under three minutes to put Texas within a score. After a stellar fourth-down stand, he got the ball back and went right on back to work.

Facing 4th-and-5 with :26 to play, Young dropped back to pass and found nothing downfield. With the pocket collapsing, he sprinted for the end zone for a stand-up touchdown to give Texas the lead. He then converted for two points to give Texas the 41-38 victory.

Not only did Young throw for 267 and rush for 200 in the game, he accounted for every single yard on Texas’ final two drives. His 4th-and-5 run was the icing on the cake, but the entire game was the stuff of legend

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