Big Game
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Big Game (disambiguation).
Image:Stanfordcal.png The "Big Game" is the annual football game between Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley (known simply as "California" or "Cal"), held in November. The first Big Game was held in March 19, 1892 on San Francisco's Haight Street grounds when Stanford beat Cal 14-10. It is the tenth longest rivalry in NCAA Division 1A football. Through 2005, Stanford leads the series record at 54-43-11 (wins-losses-ties). California has won the past four games (2002-2005), but Stanford won the previous seven meetings. The location of the game alternates between the two schools each year. The Big Game can also refer to the annual college football matchup between the Arizona State University and the University of Arizona (for the article on the Arizona rivalry, see Territorial Cup).
It is the biggest college football event in the Bay Area, and has a rich history. Since 1933, the victor of the game has been granted possession of the Stanford Axe. If the game was tied, the Axe stayed on the side that already possessed it; however, college football games can no longer end in ties. The Axe is a key part of the rich history, having been stolen on several occasions by both sides.
In the week before the game, both schools celebrate the occasion with rallies, reunions and luncheons. Cal students hold a traditional pep rally and bonfire at the Greek Theater on the eve of the game, while Stanford students stage the Gaieties, a theatrical production that both celebrates and pokes fun at the rivalry. The week also includes various other athletic events including The Big Splash (water polo) and The Big Freeze (ice hockey). The overall athletic rivalry between the schools has been solidifed into The Gauntlet, an annual award given to the school winning the most rivalries and championships under a point system. It is currently sponsored by Lexus.
Big Game has produced several cliffhangers, where the outcome of the game was decided on the final play. In 1972, a Vince Ferragamo touchdown pass to Steve Sweeney resulted in a last minute Cal victory. Stanford's Tuan Van Le blocked a Cal field goal attempt to preserve a 19-19 tie in 1988, and Casey Moore caught the winning touchdown for Stanford in 2000, during the first-ever Big Game to go into overtime.
However, the conclusion of the 85th Big Game on November 20, 1982 would go down as perhaps one of the greatest plays in college history. In what is now known simply as The Play, Cal lateraled the ball five times on a kickoff return with four seconds left on the clock and ran for a touchdown through the Stanford Band, which had run onto the field to celebrate prematurely. The Play is often recounted with KGO radio announcer Joe Starkey's dramatic call of The Play, which he hailed as "the most amazing, sensational, traumatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!" The legitimacy of The Play has remained controversial. To this day, the final score is noted as Stanford 20, Cal 19 in many Stanford publications, whereas the official score shows Cal winning by a score of 25-20.
Big Game Results
Image:2002 big game flags.jpg Image:Big Game Play 1.jpg (away team listed first, winning team bolded)
- 2005 California 27, Stanford 3
- 2004 Stanford 6, California 41
- 2003 California 28, Stanford 16
- 2002 Stanford 7, California 30
- 2001 California 28, Stanford 35
- 2000 Stanford 36, California 30
- 1999 California 13, Stanford 31
- 1998 Stanford 10, California 3
- 1997 California 20, Stanford 21
- 1996 Stanford 42, California 21
- 1995 California 24, Stanford 29
- 1994 Stanford 23, California 24
- 1993 California 46, Stanford 17
- 1992 Stanford 41, California 21
- 1991 California 21, Stanford 38
- 1990 Stanford 27, California 25
- 1989 California 14, Stanford 24
- 1988 Stanford 19, California 19 (tie)
- 1987 California 7, Stanford 31
- 1986 Stanford 11, California 17
- 1985 California 22, Stanford 24
- 1984 Stanford 27, California 10
- 1983 California 27, Stanford 18
- 1982 Stanford 20, California 25
- 1981 California 21, Stanford 42
- 1980 Stanford 23, California 28
- 1979 California 21, Stanford 14
- 1978 Stanford 30, California 10
- 1977 California 3, Stanford 21
- 1976 Stanford 27, California 24
- 1975 California 48, Stanford 15
- 1974 Stanford 22, California 20
- 1973 California 17, Stanford 26
- 1972 Stanford 21, California 24
- 1971 California 0, Stanford 14
- 1970 Stanford 14, California 22
- 1969 California 28, Stanford 29
- 1968 Stanford 20, California 0
- 1967 California 26, Stanford 3
- 1966 Stanford 13, California 7
- 1965 California 7, Stanford 9
- 1964 Stanford 21, California 3
- 1963 California 17, Stanford 28
- 1962 Stanford 30, California 13
- 1961 California 7, Stanford 20
- 1960 Stanford 10, California 21
- 1959 California 20, Stanford 17
- 1958 Stanford 15, California 16
- 1957 California 12, Stanford 14
- 1956 Stanford 18, California 20
- 1955 California 0, Stanford 19
- 1954 Stanford 20, California 28
- 1953 California 21, Stanford 21 (tie)
- 1952 Stanford 0, California 26
- 1951 California 20, Stanford 7
- 1950 Stanford 7, California 7 (tie)
- 1949 California 33, Stanford 14
- 1948 Stanford 6, California 7
- 1947 California 21, Stanford 18
- 1946 Stanford 25, California 6
- 1945 No Game -- World War II
- 1944 No Game -- World War II
- 1943 No Game -- World War II
- 1942 Stanford 26, California 7
- 1941 California 16, Stanford 0
- 1940 Stanford 13, California 7
- 1939 California 32, Stanford 14
- 1938 Stanford 0, California 6
- 1937 California 13, Stanford 0
- 1936 Stanford 0, California 20
- 1935 California 0, Stanford 13
- 1934 Stanford 9, California 7
- 1933 California 3, Stanford 7
- 1932 Stanford 0, California 0 (tie)
- 1931 California 6, Stanford 0
- 1930 Stanford 41, California 0
- 1929 California 6, Stanford 21
- 1928 Stanford 13, California 13 (tie)
- 1927 California 6, Stanford 13
- 1926 Stanford 41, California 6
- 1925 California 14, Stanford 27
- 1924 Stanford 20, California 20 (tie)
- 1923 Stanford 0, California 9
- 1922 California 28, Stanford 0
- 1921 California 42, Stanford 7
- 1920 Stanford 7, California 38
- 1919 California 14, Stanford 10
- 1918 (unofficial) Stanford 0, California 67
- 1917 No Game
- 1916 No Game
- 1915 No Game
- 1914 (Rugby) Stanford 36, California 8
- 1913 (Rugby) California 8, Stanford 13
- 1912 (Rugby) Stanford 3, California 3 (tie)
- 1911 (Rugby) California 21, Stanford 3
- 1910 (Rugby) Stanford 6, California 25
- 1909 (Rugby) California 19, Stanford 13
- 1908 (Rugby) Stanford 12, California 3
- 1907 (Rugby) California 11, Stanford 21
- 1906 (Rugby) Stanford 6, California 3
- 1905 California 5, Stanford 12
- 1904 Stanford 18, California 0
- 1903 (at San Francisco) California 6, Stanford 6 (tie)
- 1902 (at San Francisco) Stanford 0, California 16
- 1901 (at San Francisco) California 2, Stanford 0
- 1900 (at San Francisco) Stanford 5, California 0
- 1899 (at San Francisco) California 30, Stanford 0
- 1898 (at San Francisco) Stanford 0, California 22
- 1897 (at San Francisco) California 0, Stanford 28
- 1896 (at San Francisco) Stanford 20, California 0
- 1895 (at San Francisco) California 6, Stanford 6 (tie)
- 1894 (at San Francisco) Stanford 6, California 0
- 1893 (at San Francisco) California 6, Stanford 6 (tie)
- 1892 (at San Francisco) Stanford 10, California 10 (tie)
- 1892-Spring (at San Francisco) California 10, Stanford 14