Monday, August 28, 2006

This Week in College Football History Sept. 4 – Sept. 10

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

MORRISTOWN, N.J., Aug. 28, 2006 – As part of an on-going series throughout the fall, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame circulates in advance This Week in College Football History, which takes a look back at some of college football’s landmark moments over the last 138 years. During the season, many of these events are featured in a changing exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.



September 4, 1932: Georgia Coach Vince Dooley was born in Mobile, Alabama. Dooley would go on to play at Auburn as a team captain before his Hall of Fame coaching career for the Bulldogs, which included the 1980 national championship.



September 5, 1981: Mark Richt, current Georgia head coach, steps in as the backup QB for Miami’s injured starter Jim Kelly, leading the Canes to a 21-20 victory over the Florida Gators.



September 5, 1998: Shaun Alexander sets the Alabama record for points per game (30) by scoring five touchdowns against BYU. The Crimson Tides’ Santonio Beard equals the mark against Mississippi on Oct. 19, 2002.



September 6, 1975: Grambling and Alcorn State play the first ever college game in the New Orleans Superdome with Grambling QB Doug Williams completing four TD passes (two to WR Sammie White) for a 27-3 victory.



September 6, 1980: Freshman Herschel Walker makes his debut as a Georgia player, trampling Tennessee’s Bill Bates during a 16-yard TD run in the second quarter and then adding a second 9-yard TD in the fourth quarter that secures a 16-15 Bulldog victory en route to a national title.



September 6, 1997: Florida QB Doug Johnson ties the record for touchdown passes in a half with seven against Central Michigan.



September 7, 1974: During Tennessee and UCLA’s 17-17 tie, Jim Lampley appears as the first TV sideline reporter for ABC.



September 7, 1985: Bo Jackson of Auburn rushes for 230 yards in 23 carries against Southwestern Louisiana, now known as Louisiana at Lafayette.



September 7, 1989: BYU’s Ty Detmer starts a streak of throwing TD passes in 35 consecutive games during a loss to Washington State.



September 8, 1979: SMU debuts its Pony Express with TB Eric Dickerson, who rushed for 123 yards and 3 TDs, and FB Craig James, who scored the game winning TD in the Mustangs’ 35-17 victory over the Rice Owls.



September 8, 2001: James King of Central Michigan blocks four punts against Michigan State.



September 9, 2001: Syracuse’s streak of 262 consecutive successful PATs comes to an end with a miss against Temple.



September 10, 1988: For the second consecutive year, Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders returns the opening kickoff of the season for a touchdown. His 100-yard dash against Miami of Ohio mirrored his previous year’s return against Tulsa.



September 10, 1994: Steve McNair of Alcorn State produces 646 yards of total offense against Chattanooga.



With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org


Contacts:

Phil Marwill, director of communications

1-800-486-1865, ext. 118


Hillary Jeffries, project assistant

1-800-486-1865, ext. 123

22 Maple Avenue

Morristown, NJ 07960