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That’s right! Among the 24 games we attended this past season, ten final scores were not decided until within the last minute of play. Of these, four were determined on the very last snap of each game. We take pride in putting our schedule together based on the most competitive clashes we can find within the parameters of time, costs, and opportunities.

The closest we enjoyed to a season similar to this one came back in 2013. Back then, we strung eight consecutive contests finishing with the fate of the game decided with the final minute at least. In five of those games, the visitors won. That memorable stretch included three games celebrated in my book, Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ’em all! Click on the title to learn more about our story to see every FBS team play at least once.

That stretch in 2003 rolled out like this:

October 4 – Wisconsin 30 Penn State 23; Oct. 11 – Louisiana – Monroe 45 Louisiana-Lafayette 42; Oct. 18 – Arizona State 33 North Carolina 31; Oct. 25 – UConn 38 Akron 37; November 1 – Ohio State 21 Penn State 20; Nov. 8 – Pitt 31 Virginia Tech 28; Nov. 15 – Yale 27 Princeton 24 (OT); and Nov. 27 -Montclair State 20 Allegheny College 19 in a D-3 playoff game.

As for this exciting season, here’s a summary leading of exciting down-to- the-wire finishes up to the final score of each hotly contested match-up we viewed in person in 2019. The list builds from the least climactic to the most, tenth through first. Many fans who attend games throughout the season following their particular team could probably see two or three like these at the most, although Navy seemed to lead this season in thrilling wins. We attended five of their games, and three we attended that made our hit list.

No. 10 through No. 6

10. August 31 – Boston College led Virginia Tech at home entering the final period, 35-21. Tech pieced together a 18-play drive including a fourth down conversion for an 11-yard TD pass from Ryan Willis to Kaleb Smith. BC recovered the onsides kick. In the final minute, RB AJ Dillon carried the ball for an 11-yard gain on a fourth down and nine to seal the Eagles victory, 35-28.

9. September 13 – Fairleigh Dickinson – Florham led William Paterson in a D-3 non-conference clash 17-0 in the third. WPU scored late in that period on a 41-yard gallop by Terrique Riddick. In the fourth, the Pioneer running game continued on course finishing scoring drives on a one-yard run by Marcel Mason and a two-yarder by Riddick. Mason took it in from the ten to take a 28-17 WPU lead with 2:49 left to play. FDU QB Anthony Caserta pumped a 14-yard scoring pass to Khrystan Camilo that cut the Pioneer lead 28-23 after a missed two-point conversion with only 1:30 remaining. “Willy Pat” recovered the onsides kick and never relinquished the ball to take the 28-23 victory. It was their first victory since 2017. It also turned out to be the first of only two wins in 2019.

8. November 23 – Early in the last quarter, Navy took a 28-21 lead against SMU with a 13-yard scoring pass and two-point conversion when slotback CJ Williams made an outstanding catch falling flat on his back into the end zone.   The Mustangs came right back when QB Shane Buechele connected with Rashee Rice for a 61-yard scoring pass.  QB Malcolm Perry’s long burst up the middle gave Navy the 35-28 lead. The outcome still remained in question with SMU’ s passing attack averaging 328.1 yard per game and totaling 28 TD passes for the season.

Starting from their 25, Buechele engineered a drive for a third and four at the Midshipman 12. His first attempt fell incomplete and on fourth down, his pass was nicely broken up.   The Ponies still had two time-outs remaining with 2:35 left to play.  Navy converted one first down, but on fourth and two from the 31, SMU spent their final time-out. Navy trotted back on to go for it.  With cheers echoing throughout Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, SMU jumped off-sides, and a flag flew with a vehement protest from the SMU sideline.  Game over with another Navy first down to run out the clock, 35-28.

7. November 9 – With the score tied at 24-24 in Austin, the Texas Longhorns had the ball third and goal at the Kansas State three. Longhorn fans celebrated as QB Sam Ehrlinger carried it over the right side for a supposed score, but officials called the play back for an illegal formation.  Ehrlinger centered the ball on the eight on the next play. UT let the clock run down until HC Tim Herman called for a time-out with three seconds left. Cameron Dicker converted to give UT the 27-24 victory with his 26-yard FG to win and put the Horns in third place in the Big 12 trailing Oklahoma by a game and undefeated Baylor by two games. Texas celebrated!

6. November 16 – Kutztown led Slippery Rock 35-21 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship game (D-2) at home. The Rock then drove down to the seven for a fourth and goal, but an interference call in the end zone gave them a fresh set of downs.  Roland Rivers III connected with DeSean Dinkins for a two-yard TD pass to close to within seven early in Q4.  Later in the period, Slippery Rock drove into Kutztown’s red zone, but Rivers fumbled and KU recovered at the 18.    The Kutztown possession resulted in a punt. The Rock’s Jermaine Wynn found a seam and raced 59 yards to KU’s 11. The Bear defense held, and The Rock settled for Jake Chapla’s 31-yard FG to trail, 35-31.

The Rock held the Bears to a three-and-out. SRU started from their 35 with 2:06 remaining.  Rivers got to work running and passing.  On a third and ten he completed a pass to Wynn at the 17 followed by an eight-yard pass to Qaadri Dixon.   From there Charles Snorweah took it over to give SRU the 37-35 lead.  Chapla’s conversion failed to retain the lead by only two.

   KU with three time-outs still in their pockets had the ball again with 25 seconds left.  TE Jake Pilkerton caught a Collin DiGalbo pass for 21 yards at The Rock 42.  He gathered in another at the 34 with two seconds left.  Kutztown lined up looking like they were going to attempt a “Hail Mary”. HC Jim Clement then called a second time-out with Dean Krcic now preparing for a 51-yard attempt into the 14-mph wind.  Fans in the home stands were astonished and lacked confidence.  Clement voided a shorter attempt earlier with the wind at his kicker’s back. The Dartmouth “Hail Mary” two weeks ago appeared fresh in my mind.  I should tell the Head Coach that I was there. Throw the pass!  I wanted to keep my streak of games won on the final play intact! SRU HC Shawn Lutz called for a time-out because he had one left to burn to “ice” Krcic.   No one on the Kutztown (10-1) side seemed to believe he had a chance.  His kick went short, low, and not even close, rolling on the ground.  I’d seen better attempts at halftime from students from the stands trying to win prize money from the school bookstore to buy books.

SRU (11-0) celebrated its big PSAC championship victory. These two would be back on a collision course to meet again for the Super East Region title game on December 7 to get into the Semi-final Round of D-2 football, but that didn’t come to pass as you will read why next. 

No. 5 to No. 1

5. November 30 – Notre Dame College of Ohio traveled to Kutztown in the second round of the D-2 playoffs. Both squads came in with 11-1 records averaging 35 ppg. It couldn’t get better than this late in college football’s regular season. Surprisingly, Kutztown PK Dean Krcic booted a 24-yard FG to put the Golden Bears into Q4 with a 17-10 lead.

In the final period, on fourth and one at KU’s four, Notre Dame HC Mike Jacobs opted to at least get a first down if not a touchdown.  The Bears stopped RB Jaleel McLaughlin for a one-yard loss and took over on their five.  Jacobs’ strategy paid off better than expected.  On third down from the seven, KU’S Collin DiGalbo dropped back into the end zone looking for a receiver. However, instead he took a hit from his right jarring to ball loose only to get recovered by Falcon DL Saivon Davis to tie the score at 17-all with 10:11 left to play.

     With 1:27 left in the game, after a KU first down, DiGalbo threw three straight incompletions stopping the clock each time. The Bears punted to start NDC from its 40 with only 41 seconds remaining on the clock. RB Jaleel McLaughlin went to work for the Falcons.  On the first play, he rambled for 20 yards. On his next, he picked up seven.  After calling time-out, he rambled around KU tacklers for 26 yards to the seven.  Following a delay of game and a one-yard loss, Tanner Harding’s kick sailed through the uprights from 30 for the Notre Dame College victory as time expired for their first, only, and final lead of the game for a 20-17 victory to move on to a quarterfinal meeting with Slippery Rock. Their hundred or so fans celebrated with a muffled roar across the field as the home side of Andre Reed Stadium sat in morbid silence.  Season finished for the Golden Bears. Great game down to the wire and great season for both teams in 2019.

4. October 26 – The Midshipmen of Navy (6-1, 4-1) relinquished a 24-0 second period lead to Tulane who tied the score at 31-all with 1:01 remaining in the game.  When Navy led, 31-21,  Tulane’s defense continued to knock Navy off track when PJ Hall picked off Malcolm Perry’s lob pass and returned it to the Mids’ 39.  The Green Wave converted the take-away into six when QB Justin McMillan sprinted left to complete a TD pass to a diving Ygenio Booker for a two-yard score. The Wave trailed now 31-28 early heading into the final period.

Tulane forced Navy into a three-and out once again, and then converted it into Merek Glover’s 39-yard FG to even the score at 31-all.   The TU comeback sparked Navy’s offense back into action.  On the next Mid drive, Perry converted two fourth and ones from his team’s 34 and 45 into first downs on two two-yard dives.  On the very next play after the second conversion, he broke tackles and picked up 38 yards to the Tulane 15.  The ball went back to RB Jamale Carouthers who rumbled on the next play for his fourth score to give the Naval Academy back the lead, 38-31, with 5:35 remaining.

Tulane fought right back starting from its 23.  On a third and two at the Midshipmen’s 20, McMillan completed a pass at the one-yard line.  He followed the honors for the score to get within one.  HC Willie Fritz called for the kicking unit to enter the field to tie.  The score was locked at 38-38 with 1:01 left.

Starting from their 25, USNA HC Ken Niumatatolo decided to rely on Perry’s legs rather than his arm to move the team towards a last-minute score.  Perry dropped back to look down field on several plays, but he tucked it and carried the ball for 44 yards on five carries to the Tulane 31.  Fritz called a final time-out to “ice” Frosh PK Bijan Nichols with :02 left, but it didn’t work. The first-year kicker put it up like a seasoned vet from 48 yards to not only give Navy a hard-fought, exciting win with no time remaining, but to give them their sixth victory to make them bowl eligible after missing that mark a season ago.  Tulane fell to 5-3, 2-2. Serious celebrating took place on the field before the traditional playing of “Navy Blue and Gold!” 

3. October 15 – Air Force (3-1) came to Annapolis to meet for the first leg of The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for supremacy among the three major Academy football programs. Both teams got off to good starts despite close losses already to Top 25 teams Boise and Memphis respectively. The Mids (2-1) led 21-9 at the end of the third.

  Air Force’s drive heading into the final 15 minutes resulted in three more points on a 26-yard boot.  On the next series, Air Force recovered a Navy fumble at the Navy 37.  This time Air Force got their engines finally revving to forgo a field goal as QB Donald Hammond III took it over from the three to close within two, 21-19.  The Falcons forced a Midshipman punt and started from their 28.  A pass to WR Benjamin Waters for 41 yards keyed the possession to the Navy six.  FB Taven Birdow’s one-yard run into the end zone gave Air Force a 25-21 lead with only 3:15 left to play. 

  Malcolm Perry did the brunt of the running on Navy’s next possession.  He converted a fourth and one on a sneak at the 14 for a first down.  With 23 seconds remaining, he carried the ball over from the three to retake the lead for the Mids by three, 28-25.  Desperate to score quickly with only one tick left on the clock, the Falcons went into the lateral mode from their 27 resulting in an eight-yard fumble return by Brown of Navy to wrap up the scoring at 34-25 for the Navy victory as the clock ran out.

The sold-out crowd witnessed probably the biggest celebration to ever end a game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  Both teams defeated Army, both finished 11-2, both finished their seasons with bowl victories. With this win, Navy finished ranked No. 20 in the nation and winner of the C-I-C Trophy. Air Force finished at No. 22. Great seasons for both in 2019!

2. October 12 – The Louisville Cardinals’ speed vaulted them past the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest early to post a 28-7 lead early in the second period.  However, the undefeated Deacs ranked 19^th in the AP poll coming in, surprisingly out-scored their ACC foe from that point on, 52-34. The third ended with the Cards in the lead, 45-31.  Despite many Wake fans already leaving, this game was still within reach for the Demon Deacons.

After an exchange of punts, Louisville thrived with their speed game as sub QB Evan Conley replacing injured starter Micale Cunningham, tossed the ball to Dez Fitzpatrick who turned on his afterburners for a 50-yard TD. The Deacs responded with 59 yards culminating in a three-yard TD run by Ken Walker III.  Five minutes and 35 second remained when Blanton Creque put up another FG for a 17-point Cardinal lead, 55-38.   Most of the Wake “faithful” already filtered out.  Jim promised to give his frat buddy, “One-Iron”, a ride out to Greensboro and it was well past 11. I had a long ride to Charlotte to catch a morning flight home.  I hate these evening kick-offs!

Jim and I sauntered out, made our “pit stop”, and continued out to our disassembled pregame tailgate in the Gold lot close to the stadium.  A few of Jim’s friends lingered to share their disappointments regarding their Demon Deacons. A couple of roars let out from the remaining crowd. The Wake band belted out, “Oh here’s to Wake Forest!”  And a couple more times!  What’s going on? Speed kills, special teams stink, time’s running out! Out came all the cell phones. Updates varied.  WTH? 55-52? We missed two Deacon scores?  Turned out Wake QB Sam Hartman, the starter from a year ago, hit Scotty Washington for a 22-yard TD pass.  Sciba’s onsides kick recovery put Wake at LU’s 47.  Three plays later, Hartman completes a 21-yard scoring pass to TE Jack Freudenthal.  I’m heading back into BB&T Stadium.

I get inside and easily find a seat.  I see a first down challenged and under review for several minutes. The replay video on the scoreboard is frozen showing Conley’s knee definitely down a yard short of the marker to the embarrassment of the refs, who by the way, were horrible all night. Louisville breaks from the sideline with their offense, not their punt team.   Fourth and one at the Wake 41 means the game here based on a first down or a stop. 

    Conley fakes a hand-off to a back through the middle, takes it along the right side of his protection, turns upfield past one defender, and then bolts 41 yards untouched for a TD – unbelievable! It looked too easy.  Untouched.  62-52 with 2:15 left. I start walking out. Two more Deacon scores?  No way! Leftovers cheer again? “Oh, here’s to Wake Forest!” In only 1:05 and in seven plays, Hartman gets the Deacs back on the board with a one-yard TD run following his 27-yard pass to Surrat. 62-59 Louisville. With 1:10 left, Sciba’s onsides kick gets recovered by the Cardinals. 1:10? If WFU recovered, no doubt they would have won. Again, unbelievable!

For the second year in a row, we saw this same score that set our record a year ago when UMass defeated Liberty, 62-59, but that resulted after three overtimes. Over in regulation, we now officially consider this our highest scoring game. The Demon Deacons (5-1) dropped out of the rankings. Louisville (4-2) overwhelmed them with speed. Wake’s specialty teams stunk. Their defense couldn’t tackle, but “Here’s to Wake Forest!”

1. November 2 – After 602 games we’ve attended including the previous week’s when Navy’s 48-yard field goal beat Tulane as time expired to win by three, this ending outdid that one.  When we said our first game of our next 600 got us off to a great start, we had no idea that the second of our next 600 could conceivably exceed the excitement of the first.  TV sport reports highlight only that one unbelievable final play, but they just don’t build up the excitement experienced showing all that happened leading up to that exciting, unexpected, earth-shattering climax!

It’s rare to get a second chance in the Ivy League. They play ten games every year, and there are no post-season contests for the “Ancent Eight”. One loss staggers and the second loss delivers the knock out punch is basically what the Ivy League comes down to.  Harvard knew that coming in after last week’s loss.  Beat Dartmouth and Dartmouth still has a chance to beat Princeton. Throw in Yale games with Princeton and Harvard remaining to be played and it could come down to anyone of those four or a combination thereof to win it all or share it on the final day of Ivy football 2019, November 23.  The only path to the Ivy title is to beat everybody on your schedule. Three-way tie? You share the title.  Kiss two sisters, not one.  A second Ivy League loss means you’re out of contention. Harvard already suffered their first. Dartmouth rolled into town to win at all costs against a solid foe.

The Crimson defense held the Big Green O that averaged 43.5 points per game this season to only 107 yards in the first half.  The Crimson totaled 210, but a missed FG and their final drive before time expired left them with only three points after their longest drive that started the game.  Gerbino, their senior starting QB had not recovered from his alleged leg injury in the first half.  Kyler started the third period at QB.

Following Dartmouth’s opening three-and out series, a shanked punt put Harvard with the ball at midfield.  On a fourth and thirteen, McIntyre nailed his second kick of the day from the 38 to retake the lead for the Crimson, 6-3.  This following is the story the big-time media fails to build on before the only highlight of the last second score they show. 

After three plays and no yards, Dartmouth punted to Harvard to take over on its 26.  The Crimson drove to Big Green’s thirteen for a first down. RB Devin Darrington picks up five yards to the eight. Dartmouth stuffs him for no gain on the next play.  Harvard HC Tim Murphy calls for a time-out.  The subsequent pass play falls incomplete.  To the shock of many, McIntyre misfires on his 25-yard FG attempt, wide right!

Kyler started his team from the 20 to get out to the 44.  On fourth and six, LB Joey Goodman picked off his pass with 6:48 at the 30.  However, Harvard punted back eventually where Dartmouth took over on its nine. Crimson DL mates Truman Jones and Brogan McPartland met at Kyler simultaneously in the backfield stripping out the football with McParland recovering for the Crimson at Big Green’s ten.  Only 1:31 remained in the game with Harvard still leading, 6-3.

Darrington carried twice for four yards with a Dartmouth time-out sandwiched in between. On the next play, he got pinned back for a two-yard loss.  Dartmouth HC Buddy Teevens charged his final time-out.  A field goal would only put the Crimson up by six. Either HC Tim Murphy did not want to call on McIntyre again, or he thought he would leave too much time on the clock for Dartmouth to come back for a TD and an extra point.  He decided to go for the touchdown on fourth and goal at the Harvard four. Darrington, no gain!

One minute remained. Kyler and his teammates used the sideline effectively with only one time-out left.  Eight-yard completion to WR Hunter Hagdorn.  Kyler ran for four and got out of bounds. Hagdorn completion again for 19. Incomplete. Kyler ducked a would-be tackler on a blitz and fired a completion 22 yards to Estrada at the Harvard 43.  Harvard called their final time-out to set up defensively for the long pass anticipated with six ticks left on the game clock.

Kyler scrambled, dodged tacklers, bounced a little left, prayed to Mary and let the ball fly toward the end zone.  I had put down the camera thinking that I would relish seeing this myself, but I got ready for in case something special happened here.  Bodies leapt, hands went up, the ball bounced, it ricocheted, I thought, but it didn’t fall to the ground.  Instead it got bear-hugged by someone in a white jersey. WR Masaki Aerts caught his only pass of the game for the game’s only TD, Dartmouth’s first lead, and a suddenly, exciting 9-6 victory over Harvard to go 7-0 and on to play Princeton at Yankee Stadium next Saturday in a clash of two undefeated teams.

College football doesn’t get better than that! What a season! Games like these on fall Saturdays make me always want to come back for more. Nothing beats attending a competitive college football game in person. I am so happy to have been able to do this for so long. Can’t wait for next season!