Fifth Down Game (1990) 2623175 221947240 2008-06-26T20:35:32Z Grey Wanderer 2020595 fixed redirects {{Otheruses4|football game between [[University of Colorado at Boulder|Colorado]] and [[University of Missouri|Missouri]]|the 1940 game between [[Cornell University|Cornell]] and [[Dartmouth College|Dartmouth]]|Fifth Down Game (1940)}} {{NCAAFootballSingleGameHeader |Name=''The Fifth Down Game'' |Date=[[October 6]], [[1990]] |Year=1990 |Visitor School=University of Colorado at Boulder |Visitor Name Short=Colorado |Visitor Nickname=Buffaloes |Visitor Record=3-1-1 |Visitor AP = 12 |Visitor Coaches = |Visitor Coach=[[Bill McCartney]] |Visitor1=7 |Visitor2=7 |Visitor3=3 |Visitor4=16 |Visitor Total=33 |Home School=University of Missouri |Home Name Short=Missouri |Home Nickname=Tigers |Home Record=2-2 |Home Coach=[[Bob Stull]] |Home1=14 |Home2=0 |Home3=7 |Home4=10 |Home Total=31 |Type=c |Stadium=[[Faurot Field]] |City=[[Columbia, Missouri]] }} The '''Fifth Down Game''' is the name of a [[college football]] game that included a play that the crew officiating the game permitted to occur in error. That play enabled the [[University of Colorado at Boulder|Colorado]] [[Colorado Buffaloes|Buffaloes]] to defeat the [[University of Missouri|Missouri]] [[Missouri Tigers|Tigers]] by scoring a touchdown on the last play of their game on [[October 6]], [[1990]]. The ensuing controversy cast doubt on Colorado's claim to [[Division I]]-A's 1990 [[NCAA Division I-A national football championship|national championship]]. It has been called one of the top memorable moments and blunders in college football history.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2002-11-19-memorable-moments_x.htm | title=College football's best of the last 20 years | publisher=USA Today | date=2002-11-19 | accessdate=2006-11-21 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nd.edu/~tmandell/finishestable.html | title=HEART STOPPERS AND HAIL MARYS | author=Ted Mandell | publisher=Hardwood Press | language=English | format=Book/CD | date=2005-09-25 | accessdate=2006-11-21}}</ref> ==Background== In [[American football]], a team is allowed four attempts or "[[Down (football)|downs]]" to move the ball {{convert|10|yd|m|2|sp=us|lk=on}} towards the [[goal line (American football)|goal line]]. If the offense moves ten yards in four attempts or less, it gains a "first down," which restarts the process. If, after four attempts, the offense has neither scored nor gained ten yards, the other team is given possession of the ball. Under normal circumstances (for example, excluding penalties which can involve replaying a down), no team is supposed to be allowed five attempts. However, due to an officiating error, Colorado was given a fifth down which they used to score the game-winning [[touchdown]] as time expired. == Game recap == The game pitted the Colorado Buffaloes (CU) against their [[Big Eight Conference]] rival, the Missouri Tigers (MU), and was played on [[October 6]], [[1990]] in front of a crowd of 46,856.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3850&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=291606 | title=No. 12 Colorado 33, Missouri 31 | publisher=CUBuffs.com | date=1990-10-06 | accessdate=2006-11-21 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref> The game was played at [[Faurot Field]], Missouri's home stadium in [[Columbia, Missouri]]. Colorado's starting [[quarterback]], [[Darian Hagan]], was injured and backup quarterback [[Charles S. Johnson (football)|Charles S. Johnson]], who had some playing time the previous week and season, played the game. However, Colorado was still heavily favored to win.<ref name="Johnson">{{cite web | url=http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=550162 | title=Johnson: Fifth Down was an Honest Mistake | author=Steve Megargee | publisher=Scout.com | language=English | format=HTML | date=2006-06-06 | accessdate=2006-11-21}}</ref> Colorado was ranked #12 by the Associated Press in the nation while Missouri was unranked (ranked 26th or lower).<ref>[http://www.appollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?seasonid=1990&appollid=674 10/2/1990 AP Football Poll - AP Poll Archive - Historical College Football and Basketball Polls and Rankings<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Colorado's record coming into the game was 3&ndash;1&ndash;1 (three wins, one loss, one tie) with wins over #12 [[Washington Huskies football|Washington]] and #20 [[Texas Longhorn Athletics|Texas]] ranked teams and unranked [[Stanford Cardinal football|Stanford]]; their loss to the #21 ranked [[Illinois Fighting Illini football|Illinois]] team and the tie to #8 [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]].<ref name="CUSched">{{cite web | url=http://www.cubuffs.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=3850&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600&Q_SEASON=1990 | title=Football - 1990 Schedule/Results | publisher=CUBuffs.com | date=1990 | accessdate=2006-11-21 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref> Missouri was 2&ndash;2 (two wins, two losses) coming in to the game with wins over #21 [[Arizona State Sun Devils football|Arizona State]] and unranked [[Utah State University|Utah State]] and losses to unranked [[Texas Christian University|TCU]] and [[Indiana Hoosiers football|Indiana]].<ref name="MUSched">{{cite web | url=http://mutigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/fb-year-by-year-scores.html | title=FB Year By Year Scores | accessdate=2006-11-21 | language=English | format=HTML | publisher=CSTV.com}}</ref> The lead in this game changed several times, and several big plays kept the momentum swinging. With less than three minutes to go, Colorado took possession of the ball deep in its own territory trailing by the score of 31&ndash;27. Johnson led the team on a last-ditch drive. With about 40 seconds to go, he completed a pass to Colorado [[tight end]] Jon Boman who fell down just yards short of the goal line. Boman slipped due to the poor conditions of the field.<ref name="Johnson" /><ref name="McCSlip">{{cite web | url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n1_v221/ai_19006779 | title=Where have you gone, Ted Williams? - dubious sports feats | date=1997-01-06 | accessdate=2007-01-10 | language=English | format=HTML | publisher=Sporting News, The (via findarticles.com}}</ref> This play gave the Buffaloes a first down, but it led to immediate confusion because the Buffs were running a [[hurry-up offense]]. On first down, Johnson [[Glossary of American football#s|spiked]] the ball to stop the clock. On second down, a power run into the line by [[Eric Bieniemy]] was stopped just short of the goal line. Colorado then called its third and final timeout. During the timeout, the officiating crew forgot to flip the down marker to note that it was now third down. On the next play, the Buffaloes made the same call and Bieniemy was again stopped short of the end zone. Johnson then spiked the ball to stop the clock with two seconds left. He later claimed that he had no idea the officials had made a mistake, and believed he was spiking the ball on third down.<ref name="Johnson" /> On the following play &ndash; fourth down according to the marker, but "fifth down" in reality &ndash; Johnson kept the ball himself. Although there was some question as to whether he had broken the plane of the goal line,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.columbiatribune.com/2005/FirstAndTen/20050825FirstAndTen005.asp | title=Why can’t they win? | author=JOE WALLJASPER | date=2005-08-25 | accessdate=2006-11-21 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref> the officials awarded Colorado a touchdown. Referee J.C. Louderback and the Big Eight officiating crew conferred for nearly 20 minutes to decide their course of action. During the delay, radio and television announcers noticed that Colorado had scored with the help of an additional play. Louderback was shown on the phone. After a lengthy consultation, the referees announced their decision: It was a touchdown, and Colorado would now have to run the extra-point conversion. Not wanting to take any risks with only a two-point lead, the Buffaloes snapped the ball and downed it to end a controversial 33-31 contest.<ref>The rules have since changed not requiring the extra point try if time has expired and the result will not affect the outcome of the game</ref><ref name="OT">{{cite web | url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2006-08-24-overtime_x.htm | title=Overtime system still excites coaches | publisher=USAToday.com | author=Kelly Whiteside | date=2006-08-24 | accessdate=2006-11-21 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref> ===Scoring details=== {| class="wikitable" ! Team !! Description !! Score !! Time !! Quarter |- |MU || Bailey 19yd pass from Kiefer (Jacke kick) || 0-7 || 11:10 || 1 |- |CU || Bieniemy 29yd run (Harper kick) || 7-7 || 3:19 || 1 |- |MU || Mays 49yd pass from Kiefer (Jacke kick) || 7-14 || 1:55 || 1 |- |CU || [[Mike Pritchard|Pritchard]] 68yd run (Harper kick) || 14-14 || 1:45 || 2 |- |CU || Harper 35yd FG || 17-14 || 10:51 || 3 |- |MU || [[Mike Jones (football)|Jones]] 13yd run (Jacke Kick) || 17-21 || 7:30 || 3 |- |CU || Pritchard 70yd pass from [[Charles S. Johnson (football)|Johnson]] (Harper kick) || 24-21 || 13:56 || 4 |- |MU || Jacke 45yd FG || 24-24 || 11:11 || 4 |- |CU || Harper 39yd FG || 27-24 || 3:41 || 4 |- |MU || Mays 38yd pass from Kiefer (Jacke kick) || 27-31 || 2:32 || 4 |- |CU || [[Charles S. Johnson (football)|Johnson]] 1yd run (conv. failed) || 33-31 || 0:00 || 4 |} ==Effects== Colorado football coach [[Bill McCartney]], a former Missouri Tigers player, did little to soothe the controversy. Asked whether he would consider [[forfeit]]ing the game, McCartney declared that he had considered it but decided against it because "the field was lousy." He complained about the unusually slick Omniturf [[artificial turf]] surface, which he said had caused repeated slips and falls during the game.<ref name="McCSlip" /> <blockquote> The Big Eight...ruled that Colorado's 33-31 victory over Missouri would stand even though game officials allowed the Buffaloes a fifth down that produced the winning touchdown on the game's final play. Missouri's chancellor, Haskell Monroe Jr., had appealed to the Big Eight, asking that Missouri be declared the winner. ''It has been determined that, in accordance with the football playing rules, the allowance of the fifth down to Colorado is not a post-game correctable error,'' Carl James, the Big Eight commissioner, said in a statement. ''The final score in the Colorado-Missouri football game will remain as posted.'<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE3D71338F93AA35753C1A966958260|title=College Football; Colorado Victory Stands - New York Times|year=1990|format=HTML|language=English|accessdate=2007-08-07}}</ref> </blockquote> Closure came in the summer of 1998 &ndash; four years after McCartney retired as the Buffs head coach &ndash; when he admitted to making mistakes and being saddened by the Fifth Down fiasco. McCartney made the remarks at a [[Promise Keepers]] gathering at the site of the controversy, Columbia, Missouri.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/news/1998/06/20/mccartney_fifthdown/ | title=McCartney 'remorseful' about fifth-down play | author=AP | publisher=CNN.com | date=1998-06-20 | accessdate=2006-11-21 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref> The seven man Big Eight Conference officiating team was suspended indefinitely following the contest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE3D71338F93AA35753C1A966958260|title=College Football; Colorado Victory Stands - New York Times|year=1990|format=HTML|language=English|accessdate=2007-08-07}}</ref> == National championship == {{seealso|NCAA Division I-A national football championship}} The [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) governs American football as played by the teams representing the largest universities in the United States, termed Division I-A (Changed in 2006 to FBS — Football Bowl Subdivision). Although smaller schools participate in formal NCAA tournaments to determine the national college football championships in Divisions I-AA, II, and III, Division I-A lacks such a tournament. The "[[Mythical National Championship|mythical national championship]]" of Division I-A is determined by polls of experts. In the early 1990s, two such polls were regarded as authoritative: a poll of sportswriters conducted by the [[Associated Press]] (AP) called the [[AP Poll]], and a poll of college football coaches conducted by the [[American Football Coaches Association]] called the [[Coaches Poll]]. These polls are conducted weekly during the football season, and the final polls (in January, after all [[bowl game]]s) determine the championship. Because 1990 was a year in which no single college football team was dominant, the Fifth Down controversy played a role in determining the Division I-A national champion for the 1990 season. The Missouri game caused Colorado's ranking to decline to 14th. However, most of the top teams lost in subsequent weeks, while the Buffaloes won their remaining games, including squeakers over highly-rated [[University of Nebraska|Nebraska]] and [[Notre Dame University|Notre Dame]]. The [[Orange Bowl (game)|Orange Bowl]] victory over Notre Dame was considered very controversial as well, due to a questionable [[American football rules#Penalties against the offense|clipping]] call on the [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish|Irish]] on a [[Punt (football)|punt]] return touchdown late in the game by [[Raghib Ismail]] when Colorado held a 10-9 lead, which would be the final score after Notre Dame was assessed the penalty. Colorado finished the 1990 season with a record of 11&ndash;1&ndash;1 (eleven wins, one loss and one tie),<ref name="CUSched" /> while the [[Georgia Institute of Technology|Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets']] record was 11&ndash;0&ndash;1, (eleven wins, zero losses and one tie).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/geot/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/06-mg-scores.pdf | title=2006 Georgia Tech Media Guide | publisher=RAMBLINWRECK.com | accessdate=2007-01-02 | date=2006 | format=PDF | language=English}}, page 188</ref> No Division I-A team had an unblemished record, and only Georgia Tech finished without a loss.<ref>NCAA football rules permitted ties in 1990. Subsequent rule changes in 1996 introduced overtime play, so that all games since are victories for one team or the other.</ref><ref name="OT" /> Observers favoring Colorado for the national championship noted that they had played a more difficult schedule than Georgia Tech. Those favoring Georgia Tech pointed to the Yellow Jackets' undefeated status and to the tainted victory achieved by Colorado at Missouri in the "Fifth Down" game, not to mention the Orange Bowl controversy. With a loss at Missouri, the Colorado record would have been 10&ndash;2&ndash;1, and the Buffaloes may not have been as strongly considered for the national title with that record. No team has ever been voted National Champion in either the Associated Press Poll or the Coaches' Poll following a season in which they participated in three or more games that they did not win.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/champions_national.html| title=NCAA College Football National Champions | publisher=CollegeFootballPoll.com | accessdate=2007-02-24 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref> After the conclusion of the [[1990 NCAA Division I-A football season|1990 season]], in January, 1991, the AP Poll voted Colorado national champions. The Coaches Poll voted the championship to Georgia Tech. Both universities therefore claim the 1990 championship. More recently, the [[Bowl Championship Series]] (BCS) was established to create a [[BCS National Championship Game|National Championship Game]] for major college football featuring the top two teams in the BCS Ranking (which takes into account both human polls and six computer rankings). However, the BCS has not been without controversy, nor has it eliminated split championships. For instance, in 2003, LSU (the winner of the BCS National Championship Game) was voted number one in the Coaches Poll while USC was voted atop the AP Poll and the two teams therefore split the national championship. Missouri ended the 1990 season with a record of 4-7 (four wins, seven losses). == Precedent == Similar events had occurred in college football prior to Colorado's Fifth Down. Until 1990, the phrase "Fifth Down Game" described the [[Fifth Down Game (1940) | Dartmouth-Cornell game]] of 1940, which is the first occurrence of a fifth down in college football. That game and its aftermath are described as the only time in the history of football that a game was decided off the field. Fifth downs have occurred at other times as well, though rarely.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.buckeyextra.com/?story=xtrasandos/2003/09-29-2003/jack-full.php | title=OSU overcomes Wisconsin's 'fifth down' | author=Jack Park | publisher=BuckeyeExtra.com | accessdate=2006-11-21 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/sportsline/main9781262.shtml | title=Judgements: Ravens offense still never-scores | author=Clark Judge | publisher=CBSNews.com | date=2006-11-05 | accessdate=2006-11-21 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pressboxonline.com/blog.cfm?ID=171 | title=Sun., Nov. 5: Real Deal Or No Deal? Ravens Now 6-2 | author=Joe Platania | publisher=pressboxonline.com | accessdate=2007-01-10 | date=2006-11-05 | language=English | format=HTML}}</ref> But they even more rarely affect the outcome of the game. ==See also== *[[1990 NCAA Division I-A football season]] *[[1991 Orange Bowl]] *[[Flea Kicker]] ==References== {{reflist|2}} [[Category:College football games]] [[Category:1990 in American football]] [[Category:Colorado Buffaloes football]] [[Category:Missouri Tigers football]] [[Category:College football controversies]] [[Category:Columbia, Missouri]]