Big Game (football)

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This article is about the annual football game between California and Stanford. For other uses, see Big Game (disambiguation).

The Big Game

Stanford	Ties	California
(54)	(11)	(44)
1892 1894 1896 1897 1900 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1913 1914 1925 1926 1927 1929 1930 1933 1934 1935 1940 1942 1946 1955 1957 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1968 1969 1971 1973 1974 1976 1977 1978 1981 1984 1985 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001	1892 1893 1895 1903 1912 1924 1928 1932 1950 1953 1988	1898 1899 1901 1902 1909 1910 1911 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1931 1936 1937 1938 1939 1941 1947 1948 1949 1951 1952 1954 1956 1958 1959 1960 1967 1970 1972 1975 1979 1980 1982 1983 1986 1993 1994 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

The Big Game is the annual football game between Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley (known simply as "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 2006, Stanford leads the series record at 54-44-11 (wins-losses-ties; 49-41-10, if rugby games from 1906 to 1914 are excluded). Cal has won the past five games (2002-2006), but Stanford won the previous seven meetings (1995-2001). The location of the game alternates between the two schools each year. In even numbered years, the game is played at Berkeley, in odd numbered years, at Stanford.

It is the biggest college football event in the Bay Area, and has a rich history. Future U.S. President Herbert Hoover was the Stanford team manager for the first Big Game. The first-ever card stunts were performed at the halftime of the 1910 Big Game. Since 1933, the victor of the game has been granted possession of the Stanford Axe. If the game ended in a tie, 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, starting at the very first Big Game.

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 Theatre 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 Lexus Gauntlet, an annual award given to the school winning the most rivalries and championships under a point system.

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 second Cal victory, while Mike Langford nailed a 50 yard field goal on the final play for a 22-20 Stanford triumph in 1974. Stanford's Tuan Van Le blocked a 21 yard Cal field goal attempt to preserve a 19-19 tie in 1988. In 1990, Stanford snatched victory in the final 12 seconds by scoring a touchdown, recovering an onside kick, and kicking a field goal. In 2000, Stanford's Casey Moore caught the winning touchdown on the final play of 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 the greatest play in college football history. Cal held a lead late in the game, but Stanford, led by John Elway, drove down the field to retake the lead and seemingly elevating Elway to the first Bowl Game of his college career as Stanford, with a victory, would likely been invited to the Hall of Fame bowl. More importantly, Elway, with a victory, might well have won the Heisman Trophy. In what is now known simply as "The Play", four Cal players lateraled the ball five times on a kickoff return with four seconds left on the clock. The final ballcarrier, who was also the initial ballcarrier, ran for a touchdown through the Stanford Band, which had run onto the field to celebrate prematurely (although the game clock had run out of time, in football the final play is allowed to be completed), knocking down the final Stanford defender, a hapless trombone player. The Play is often recounted with KGO radio announcer Joe Starkey's emotional call of The Play, which he hailed as "the most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!" The legitimacy of The Play has remained controversial among some Stanford fans. To this day, the final score in the official record shows Cal winning by a score of 25-20, whereas in many Stanford publications it is recorded as Stanford 20, Cal 19.

[edit] Naming rights

In March 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the NFL intended to trademark the phrase "The Big Game" in reference to the Super Bowl.^[1]

[edit] Big Game Results

Rally Committee running Cal flags across the field at Memorial Stadium during the 2002 Big Game. (Note the Stanford visitors section on the left and the Cal alumni section on the right.)

Big Game 2004

Big Game 1969

Big Game 1955

Big Game 1938

Big Game 1936

(away team listed first, winning team bolded) Out of the 109 games played, Stanford holds a 54-44-11 lead. Cumulatively, Stanford has outscored California with 1,735 points to Cal's 1,700 points.

• 2006 Stanford 17, California 26
• 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 (overtime)
• 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 (see The Play)
• 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 - Student Army Training Corps (SATC) teams
• 1917 No Game
• 1916 No Game
• 1915 No Game
• 1914 (Rugby) Stanford 26, 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

[edit] Cal Bonfire Rally

The Cal Bonfire Rally is a pep and bonfire rally that takes place at University of California in Hearst Greek Theatre on the eve of the Big Game. Many students gather to hear the history about the The Stanford Axe and the Big Game. Several alumni show up to perform traditional rituals. One of those rituals is unique to any college in the US. A Cal alum comes onto the stage and does a Maori "Haka" or a war dance/chant that was originally used by the Maori warriors against their foes. The Haka performed is the Haka made famous by the New Zealand Rugby Team the "All Blacks" called Kamate. Throughout, a big bonfire lights up the theatre setting temperatures sky high.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Trivia

• Scenes for the Harold Lloyd silent classic The Freshman were filmed at California Memorial Stadium during halftime of the 1924 Big Game.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• The Play

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Big Game

• Big Game scores
• Stanford Magazine feature on Big Game
• The Play
• Transcript of Joe Starkey's call of the Play
• Discussion about the filming of 1925 film, The Freshman at the Big Game