Stanford safety Colin Branch and the Cardinal dive toward The Big Game against the Golden Bears Saturday.
It’s rivalry week in the Pacific-10 Conference, and there is perhaps no rivalry more odd, more intense or more rollicking than The Big Game.
The winner of The Big Game — between Stanford and California — gets an ax and Bay Area bragging rights for another year. It will be the last game of the season for both teams, as California’s appeal of an NCAA postseason ban was turned down Monday.
So, it seems, the teams will be looking more toward the past than the future.
This year’s Big Game marks the 20th anniversary of “The Play,” California’s four-lateral, through-the-band, game-winning kickoff return to beat Stanford in 1982. Among other ceremonies at Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, the Cal band will play a halftime show with a tribute to The Play.
There was no comment from the Stanford band.
The 1982 Big Game was typically intense. John Elway led the Cardinal on a supposedly game-ending drive that resulted in a field goal to put Stanford ahead 20-19. But there were four seconds on the clock, and Stanford pooch-kicked a kickoff, and four laterals later — the last one by a linebacker over his shoulder — a California ballcarrier ran into the Stanford band, which was rushing onto the field in premature celebration. He scored, and Cal won the game 25-20.
This season, California is selling T-shirts honoring The Play. The T-shirt features a diagram of how The Play unfolded, complete with musical notes to represent Stanford band members.
How ’bout them apples
The Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State is the rivalry game with the highest stakes this weekend. Washington State will be playing for a spot in the Rose Bowl and perhaps the Fiesta Bowl, this year’s national championship game. Washington will be fighting for one of the Pac-10’s six bowl spots.
But in this rivalry, the Cougars may not enjoy being favored. Washington State — favored by eight points Monday — has been favored six times in the 46 seasons since a line has been kept on the game. The Cougars were favored was last season and lost, 26-14, and have lost two of the last four as favorites.
Apple sauce
At least one person was impressed by Washington’s 42-14 victory over Oregon on Saturday: Washington State head coach Mike Price.
“I thought they really looked good, and it was a good win for the Huskies,” Price told The Seattle Times. “It gives them a lot of momentum going into (the Apple Cup).”
Return of the Mack
Arizona head coach John Mackovic was embattled last week, but he’s battled back.
Less than a week after nearly half the Wildcat team went to the university’s president to complain about Mackovic’s coaching style, the coach led Arizona to a 52-41, come-from-behind victory over California on Saturday. Mackovic was hoisted on to his players’ shoulders after the win.
Jason Johnson, playing with an ankle injury, overcame an early interception to throw for a school-record 492 yards. The Wildcats entered the fourth quarter down 34-31, but stormed back to beat the Bears in Berkeley.
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