35 years ago

[1983cougar]

The infamous 5th down game. By the way he still hasn't scored. For those who don't remember Colorado went on to share the national championship with Georgia Tech.

[rezero]

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You can see the goal line at the top of his helmet. I was at Georgia Tech 2 years ago and that photo was in their sports complex lobby.

[rezero]

Here are the next two frames…..

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[Power74]

The ref on that side came in calling touchdown like he was announcing the end of WWII.

[Armchair QB]

It’s still absolutely infuriating that was allowed to happen. Someone, somewhere, on that field should have screamed and ran onto the field making a scene to stop play before the 5th down.

[Power74]

It’s still absolutely infuriating that was allowed to happen. Someone, somewhere, on that field should have screamed and ran onto the field making a scene to stop play before the 5th down.

Apparently there were many on the Mizzou sideline that wanted to but Stull's response was 'We still gotta stop them!' He's the boss.

[1983cougar]

If anyone on the sideline knew they should have run on the field and tackled the ref. McCartney's reaction afterward was lame. Just like the denkinger game I'm not bitter all these years later.

[Armchair QB]

It’s still absolutely infuriating that was allowed to happen. Someone, somewhere, on that field should have screamed and ran onto the field making a scene to stop play before the 5th down.

Apparently there were many on the Mizzou sideline that wanted to but Stull's response was 'We still gotta stop them!' He's the boss.

He was boss but that sums up his tenure at Mizzou. That ball on 5th down should have never been snapped. That Stull was seemingly more frustrated with how the 5th down played out (he was actually right about that) than the fact a 5th down was ever allowed is just unbelievable. It’s not like there wasn’t time after 4th down either. There was plenty of time to make a fuss.

The only good thing about it is we’re a part of history, probably the worst officiating in the history of college football which led to a 2nd chance for a team to go on and win a national title. Honorable mention to the 1997 Nebraska game.

[winonsports]

It’s still absolutely infuriating that was allowed to happen.

If you really feel that way, then I got good news for you.

The next 35 years won't seem as long as the last 35 years.

[Bob39]

The mistake was made between, I believe, second and third down. The dial-a-down was wrong from that point on. McCartney complaining about the turf was lame, but it would have been unfair to change third down to fourth down after the spike took place. They clearly would not have spiked the ball on fourth down.


None of this forgives the fact that the ball never got in the end zone.

[BrummerStealsHome]

Probaly the most frustrating loss in my Mizzou fandom history. And boy have we had our share.

[winonsports]

The mistake was made between, I believe, second and third down. The dial-a-down was wrong from that point on. McCartney complaining about the turf was lame, but it would have been unfair to change third down to fourth down after the spike took place. They clearly would not have spiked the ball on fourth down.

None of this forgives the fact that the ball never got in the end zone.

A man was having a heart attack right behind the guy holding the down marker. When Colorado called TO after 2nd down, the guy put down his stick to see if he could help the situation, which is what most people would do.

After the TO he picked up his down marker but didn't change the down. On his ride home when he listened to a replay of events on the radio, he had his son pull over on I-70, and he threw up on the side of the road.

[Power74]

The mistake was made between, I believe, second and third down. The dial-a-down was wrong from that point on. McCartney complaining about the turf was lame, but it would have been unfair to change third down to fourth down after the spike took place. They clearly would not have spiked the ball on fourth down.


None of this forgives the fact that the ball never got in the end zone.

Between the Dial-A-Down mistake which was due to the fact that was the first year in college (I seem to recall anyway) that you could spike the ball to stop the clock instead of needing to throw a real pass there was a lot of confusion everywhere.

That was a couple years before I got to Mizzou but my brother had a t-shirt that showed a scoreboard showing 5th down and it said "Colorado was Down and Out!" I would love to be able to scan it and have one made for myself.

[acco40]

The mistake was made between, I believe, second and third down. The dial-a-down was wrong from that point on. McCartney complaining about the turf was lame, but it would have been unfair to change third down to fourth down after the spike took place. They clearly would not have spiked the ball on fourth down.

None of this forgives the fact that the ball never got in the end zone.

A man was having a heart attack right behind the guy holding the down marker. When Colorado called TO after 2nd down, the guy put down his stick to see if he could help the situation, which is what most people would do.

After the TO he picked up his down marker but didn't change the down. On his ride home when he listened to a replay of events on the radio, he had his son pull over on I-70, and he threw up on the side of the road.

Sadly, the heart attack was fatal. CPR was being administered to him in the stands behind the Mizzou bench.

I was not watching the game but was listening to it live on the radio doing yard work. I was screaming (to no one in particular being alone in the yard) that it was 5th down. Remember, this was the very first year a team was allowed to spike the ball to stop the clock without intentional ground being called. The confusion happened on the transition from 2nd down to 3rd down. The Buffs essentially had two 2nd downs.

After a touchdown (controversial at that) was declared the referees realized a mistake had been made and chaos ensued for about 20 minutes.

I was mad not so much at the officiating crew but at the Mizzou coaching staff. No one (including Andy Reid of KC Chiefs fame) brought the mistake to the attention of head coach Bob Stull. Shame on them.


Mizzou coaching staff struggling to count to five


Gotcha!

It appeared that Charles Johnson (Colorado receiver) never actually made it into the end zone before the play was called dead by the referee. A series of photos shown in the Columbia Daily Tribune on October 7, 1990 showed Johnson was on his back with the ball well short of the goal line on the 5th down play and then lifted the ball over the goal line. Fans at the goal line also said he was tackled short of the goal line and the ball didn't cross the goal line until after the play was blown dead.