12 College Football Games Decided By Hail Mary's Since 2000
LOS ANGELES (AP/CBSLA.com) —There have been 12 games decided on a last-play pass of 40 yards or longer since 2000, according to STATS:
BYU 33, Nebraska 28, Sept. 5, 2015: Freshman backup QB Tanner Mangum throws a 42-yarder to Mitch Mathews. The 6-foot-6 Mathews lines up on the left side of the field and runs diagonally to the right corner, where he catches the ball in front of two defenders.
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UCF 32, East Carolina 30, Dec. 4, 2014: Justin Holman's 51-yarder to Breshad Perriman over three defenders gave UCF a share of the American Athletic Conference title. East Carolina had tried to run the clock down before turning it over on downs. QB Shane Carden kneeled three times and took a sack on fourth down, giving the Knights the ball back with 10 seconds left.
Arizona State 38, Southern California 34, Oct. 4, 2014: Mike Bercovici, making his second career start in place of the injured Taylor Kelly, threw three touchdown passes in the final four minutes for the Sun Devils. The winner was his 46-yarder to the 6-foot-3 Jaelen Strong with no time left.
Arizona 49, California 45, Sept. 20, 2014: Anu Solomon's 47-yarder to Austin Hill highlighted a 36-point fourth quarter for the Wildcats. Solomon passed for 520 yards and had four of his five TD passes in the last 15 minutes.
Nebraska 27, Northwestern 24, Nov. 2, 2013: Jordan Westerkamp caught backup fifth-year senior backup QB Ron Kellogg III's 49-yard heave. Nebraska started its final possession at its own 17-yard line with no timeouts and 1:20 left. The Hail Mary wouldn't have happened if Ameer Abdullah didn't convert on a fourth-and-15.
Michigan State 37, Wisconsin 31, Oct. 22, 2011: Keith Nichol caught Kirk Cousins' 44-yarder for the tiebreaking touchdown. Cousins rolled out to his right and threw it about as far as he could. The ball went into the end zone but caromed off Michigan State receiver B.J. Cunningham's facemask back to Nichol, who caught it just outside the end zone and pushed his way into the end zone.
UAB 34, Troy 33, Sept. 18, 2010: Down six points with 1:09 left and starting from its own 1-yard line, UAB won when Bryan Ellis fired a 44-yarder to freshman Jackie Williams. Josh Zahn's extra point gave UAB the win.
Arkansas State 26, Memphis 23, Oct. 14, 2006: Corey Leonard rolled to his left and threw a 53-yarder into a crowd in the end zone. Patrick Higgins came out with the ball.
Iowa 30, LSU 25, Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1, 2005: Drew Tate's 56-yarder to Warren Holloway is still called "The Catch" in the Hawkeye State. Holloway, playing in his final game, had never scored a touchdown before this play. Tate didn't throw to the end zone. He hit Holloway at the LSU 15, and the receiver sprinted into the end zone.
LSU 33, Kentucky 30, Nov. 9, 2002: Devory Henderson caught a deflected 75-yarder from Marcus Randall for the "Bluegrass Miracle." Kentucky had kicked a go-ahead field goal with 11 seconds left, and LSU started its final possession at its own 13. Before the final play, the Wildcats doused coach Guy Morriss with a cooler of Gatorade. That proved premature.
Miami (Ohio) 30, Akron 27, Oct. 13, 2001: Freshman Ben Roethlisberger finished his school-record 339-yard passing day with a 70-yarder to Eddie Tillitz. Akron kicked a field goal with nine seconds left to take the lead. Roethlisberger drove Miami 84 yards in two plays for the win.
Northwestern 41, Minnesota 35, Oct. 28, 2000: Zak Kustok rolled right and threw a 45-yarder that was deflected by a teammate before it landed in the hands of Sam Simmons, capping a 20-point fourth quarter for the Wildcats.
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