CalBear81 of the California Golden Blogs did some impressive research and published an incredible post of huge Big Game performances when Cal was the decided underdogs. She found a trend of Cal teams upsetting superior Stanford squads and discovered ten Cal upsets where the Bears could beat the Furd.
The 1982 Play game is on this list, but it’s only ranked #10.
Although Cal was only a 6 point underdog, The Play turned the 1982 into one of the great upsets of all time. The Best Damn Sports Show Period selected it has the Greatest Football play of All Time. And in December 2003, an online vote sponsored by Pontiac chose The Play as NCAA Football’s most memorable moment of all-time. But the last word on the 1982 Big Game really ought to go to Stanford’s quarterback, John Elway:
They ruined my last game as a college player. It was a very bittersweet ending. I did not want it to end this way. It’s something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.
You’re now probably wondering, what on Earth was #1? Click here to find out. Last year’s 2009 Big Game registered 7th.
Not to be outdone, Rule of Tree issued its own post of biggest Big Game victories. The last one came in 1999, when the Cardinal clinched their last Rose Bowl berth.
Stanford clinched its first Rose Bowl berth since 1972 with a convincing win at home. Casey Moore ran for two touchdowns, including a 94-yard dash in the fourth quarter, and the Cardinal limited Cal to 130 yards of total offense and three first downs through three quarters. Deltha O’Neal’s two return touchdowns helped save Cal some face.