Cal Fans, What's Your Golden Moment of the Decade?

Got us to #2 in the nation a week later after the bye.

And then the rest of the season was abruptly canceled.

Definitely one of my favorites. This my favorite game of the Tedford era.

I got a noise complaint form my neighbors because of this very play… Great memories

I thought for sure we were going to blow the game in typical Cal fashion, and when Ezeff knocked that ball out, I dropped to my knees in disbelief. Once I regained the use of my legs, I jumped around screaming and waving my arm up and down trying to will the replay to confirm the touchback.

I was so glad I drove up to be a part of this celebration!

i was there, and i am glad i was there

I was just going to vote for this, but you beat me to it.

For me, this moment proved that Cal belonged with the big boys. It proved we could recruit the best and we could succeed with these recruits.

I still get chills….

the correct wording was,“Ho ho ho, Look at this guy, the wizard of return! He’s going to the endzone!”

We need images!!!!! but rec’d all the same

Because it was the day that I became a Cal fan.

Growing up in Baton Rouge, in the shadow of Tiger Stadium, being an LSU fan, west coast football was something more or less unheard of, and Berkeley football was a myth.

Obviously, this kick changed my life for the better.

rec’d for Cataracts/Mistah FAB lyrics

Considered, agreed and rec’d… what more could you ask for?!?!?!?!

And just to give others more reason to rec it:

I came in the same time as katster, 1996. Mooch was new, and so were we. He gave us hope as bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freshman, and he gave us a good year and a bowl berth (even though we lost). Our first taste of pain was when Mariucci couldn’t bring us to a Big Game victory (the legendary mob madness afterward made up for it though). The second, and WORST, pain he brought was when he unceremoniously left us for the Niners. He told he’d be there for a long time – and then he was gone after one season. So they brought in… Tom Holmoe.

Aside from some very strong defensive teams, the Holmoecaust was wretchedly painful. Some may have heard about it, but the experience was just heart-and-gut-wrenching. Rare wins, and even one where defense/special teams scored all the points. Painful losses. Ineptitude. Sorrow. Big Game loss after Big Game loss after heartbreaking Big Game loss. The crushing defeat of the 2000 Big Game, the first overtime game in Big Game history. The seasons were so bad, we (students) literally didn’t care about winning any other game except the Big Game – and we couldn’t even do that! Hell, a lot of us wished we’d lost the game to Rutgers in ’01, so we could have something interesting (i.e. a winless season) to talk about.

Then came 2002. Tedford turned this thing around 540 degrees. The Baylor game knocked everyone’s socks off, and that season was just unbelieveable to those of us who had known nothing but pain. But the biggest Big Game in a looong time still loomed….

When that clock hit 0:00, I rushed our home field for the first time since 1996. There was so much Joy. Euphoria. The emotional release of my entire college football life coming to its peak. All the sorrow was washed away in a tidal wave of blue and gold. I don’t have the ability to properly convey what an amazing, emotional moment that was. To finally have a Big Game win. To finally understand what that display case in the student union building was for. To be able to walk on campus, every day, and see the Axe sitting in its rightful home.

Right after the game, my friends and I didn’t go to a local bar. We didn’t go home to start celebrating. We went to Tahoe.

That’s how important this win was. No plans, no reservations, nothing – we just hopped in the car and went because one of us thought we should. We gambled and celebrated til 3am and drove straight home.