Game Day Reflections

Iran down to the edge of the field, ready to join the masses. It was the 25th anniversary of The Game of all Games, Harvard's 29-29 win over Yale in 1968, and so I was confident that the Crimson could finish off this amazing comeback.

No problem. Restic would go out the way he deserved, with a last second win over Yale.

Just as I got to the edge of the field, Giardi was hit, the ball was lost, and so were any chances of a miracle. No Harvard victory today. Just another tough loss that ended a tougher season. It was time for Restic to think about golf.

So I gathered my thoughts, found my friends and headed for the exits. At least we were leaving New Haven.

As I wondered through the lot back to the car, my thoughts slowly turned to the other game on this cold fall afternoon. The one in South Bend, Indiana--home of Notre Dame football, and thousands of football memories.

I inquired. Did anyone have a Boston College score? I searched for someone who had some answers. Then the first score came in. The Eagles were beating the Fighting Irish 14-10 in the fourth quarter. A minute later my friend heard 17-14 B.C.

I knew that one of those scores had to be wrong, but that didn't matter. B.C. was in the game. David was beating Goliath.

My friends and I picked up the pace. We wanted to get to a radio. Fighting through the crowds, dodging would be tacklers, we dashed through the lot to the car.

We searched the airwaves. Nothing. Then I remembered we were in New Haven. At least we still had our car radio.

We aimlessly circled the streets in search of the apartment building where a friend was waiting for us to pick her up. Finally, we heard a score. The Eagles were up 38-25 in the fourth quarter. The excitement mounted.

When we arrived at the complex, two fellow Bostonians and I went inside to watch the final minutes of the contest.

With 2:30 left in the game, BC was up by six points. The lead was slipping away, and so was my temper.

Notre Dame struck a minute and a half later. I struck my roommate.

We both let our feelings known. The owner of the apartment asked us to keep it down. The Yalies needed to study.

As NBC went to commercial, the tension mounted. I was frustrated and shocked at the same time.

BC was within one point of beating Notre Dame in South Bend. Amazing. But the Eagles had blown a 21-point lead. Ridiculous.

Two minutes later the excitement reached its pinnacle. For those of you living under a rock, or in Kansas, Boston College drove down the field and had a shot to win the game with a 41-yard field goal.

BC kicker senior David Gordon strolled onto the field. The vital stat flashed across the screen. This guy's longest kick in a game was only 39 yards.

But Gordon would kick the ball from the center of the field. He wouldn't have to worry about the left or right hash marks. On a good day, with gale force winds at my back, I could hit this one, so a division one kicker should be able to make it.

Then, I thought of the pressure. Millions of people watching at home, the riotous fans in the stadium: It all added up to amazing pressure.

The ball was snapped. High snap, but BC quarterback Glenn Foley got the ball down in time. Gordon struck the ball, and it tailed to the right. Just like Florida State, wide right.

And then it hooked back and sailed through the uprights. Touchdown Jesus frowned, the BC Eagle soared.

I forgot the request to be quiet. My roommate and I screamed, then we danced. And then we left.

But not without the miracle that had eluded me on the frozen tundra of the Yale Bowl. One for two on the day, not bad.

John C. Ausiello is a Crimson staff writer. He believes Glenn Foley is the best college quarterback he's ever seen.