1987 Syracuse vs West Virginia Football Ending

Unbelievable ending to a perfect season - a gutsy call by Dick MacPherson and Syracuse. Game played November 21, 1987.

[@orangenivek]

I was at that game. The best finish I've ever seen. Ahhhh the good old days in the Dome.

[@MalcolmDesigns]

I was a senior at SU this year, an incredible time for Syracuse sports. SU football was undefeated, SU Basketball ('87) was in the finals for National Champion and lost to Indiana, SU Lacrosse National Champions 88, 89, 90

[@drjimmy61]

I was up to the left of the Canadian flag and had inhaled many Dome Foams. Best college football moment I was ever part of by a mile. Pat Dye still pisses me off to this day. Great way to end a bowl game with a 1 point XP to tie the Sugar Bowl on the last play of that game.

[@mklein818]

Next to my beloved Camp Randall, the Carrier Dome is the best place I've ever seen a game in any sport-I'll never forget the excitement, noise and elation I experienced at this classic

[@kellyjames1414]

McPherson should have won the Heisman!!

[@patrickolaughlin6027]

Agreed , it was because Brown was on National TV every week . The second time a SU player should've won it over an Irishman . The 1st was Hornung over Brown in '56 .

[@jamesfields2916]

I remember a Syracuse reporter asking voters who they would go with. One said Brown because he ran back countless punts for TDs. He ran back two in the first game against MSU and that was it. Did a vanishing act against Miami in the season finale. Bennie Blades said he hit him one good shot early in the game and he folded his tent for the day.

[@sduross]

That was my freshman year at Cuse - I was at every home game including this one and that slaughter of Penn State! Glory days for SU football, and the hoops team too with Seikaly, Coleman, Douglas and the rest.

[@jamesfields2916]

Probably partied the night away at Sutter's Mill! Indeed great times to be a Syracuse fan. National runners up in hoops. Sugar Bowl top 5 team and national lacrosse champs in ,88 and 89 with the Gait brothers.

[@paulsonj72]

This is the late Tom Mees as one of the broadcasters on this game. With only 1 ESPN channel then there was not a need for a ton of play by play men. Mees was best known for his coverage of hockey before he drowned in 1996. Mees is the color guy here.

[@williamwelsh5505]

Greatest moment of my youth as a sports fan. Listening on the radio, I’ve never heard a crowd explode like that before or since. Video does not do it justice.

[@RandyDubin]

Syracuse should had never had fired Paul Pasqualoni (aka the coach that replaced Coach Mac after he left for the Patriots). That set the program back at least 10 years, and they're STILL trying to recover from that travesty.

[@MrEthanJason]

When Coach P.P.'s squad allowed GT to score 51 points on cable, it forced him out of the HC position. Many other factors have, of course, contributed to Syracuse's dismal decade since the abovementioned 51-14 loss in the SportsChamps Bowl. Moving to the ACC rather than B1G has ruined the schedule. Prefer to see of course Syracuse vs Penn State than even vs Pitt or BC, but more to the point I'd rather see Syracuse vs Northwestern or Michigan than Syracuse vs Virginia, this week's foe, or the above mentioned Georgia Tech. And I bet the Dome is now less attractive than it was decades ago for football. A new facility only for football might help. Princeton has a nice open air, small stadium. Make certain ACC members play games un the snow, or frontload the schedule with conference home games. Collecting ***recruits and coaching each to mediocrity at the professional collegiate level contributes to the malaise. Point is P.P.'s departure isn't all that ails Syracuse.

[@patrickolaughlin6027]

It was the way they fired him , that set the program back . You can't have the Chancellor (Cantor) say " Paul will be the football coach next year" . Then fire him 2 weeks later...all the high school coaches in the Northeast cut ties with SU after that fiasco . Remember , P had just been elected by his peers to be the President of the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association of America) , in 2004 . Because he lost his job , he had to give up that position...

[@drjimmy61]

I was in the upper deck, gunned and going nuts!!! Favorite SU Football moment live along with the Nebraska upset.

[@markstepanekii388]

That Nebraska upset is one of the biggest upsets ever IMO

[@scoonman]

A long time season ticket holder at SU, I was at this game, and next to the Va Tech game in 98 where McNabb hit Brominski, this was the most electricity I have ever felt in the Dome.

[@tbone8723]

I was at both of those games too. Both unforgettable!

[@zkg]

R.I.P. Pat Kelly, who scored the touchdown with :15 left... he died several years back of a brain tumor.

[@jamesfields2916]

He passed away and Chris Gedney who replaced him and was an All America TE in 1992 has also passed away.

[@shoelover25]

The Orange Rock. I am a big Syracuse fan. That was one of our great years

[@3cs704]

I was in North Carolina, driving out in the country, trying to listen to it on WHAM in Rochester. Had I known the ending would be on ESPN, I probably would’ve stayed home.😂. I saw them play Miami of Ohio in the Dome that year and I went to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.

[@anthonydepinto269]

This game didnt make the Espn top 150 greatest games list. How did they miss this game

[@jamesfields2916]

I saw it listed on another list of 100 best college games of all time.

[@dumbist]

I listened to this on the radio in 1987 when I was a kid. The announcers went totally nuts after the two-point conversion. This is a bit disappointing after that but it's nice to see what the plays actually looked like.

[@rendragmedia]

Don't forget,l you are watching The Mountaineer Sports Network coverage with the WVU announcer Tony Caridi on play-by-play. If you heard the Syracuse radio broadcast, of course the Oranges' radio voice Doug Logan and crew would have gone nuts.

[@helpinghal]

The basketball team lost to North Carolina in the Tip-Off Classic the same afternoon. I was at THAT game.

[@Pokey_413]

So was I because I’m from Springfield and Syracuse is my team in college sports

[@CoreyT127]

87 is one of those years a playoff would've awesome. Miami,Oklahoma, Syracuse all 11-0 and FSU 10-1. That was the final four heading in to bowl season. With 1 loss FSU #3 actually being ranked 1 spot higher then Syracuse #4. So i guess it would've been a FSU/Miami rematch. 2 pro style offenses. And #1 Oklahoma vs Syracuse in a battle of option teams. Sounds pretty dope.

[@syramento]

Greatest football game ever played in the Dome, and happily I was there.

[@jamesfields2916]

I remember seeing you there. Lol. There too. Very top row in the WVU section.

[@syramento]

@@jamesfields2916 Chuckle...

[@jamesfields2916]

@@syramento 36 f*cking years ago! Seems like yesterday.

[@jamesfields2916]

@@syramentoI was standing on bleacher leaning up against the wall. Hot as hell inside and probably 10 degrees outside.

[@syramento]

@@jamesfields2916 I was in section 117.

[@dp233332]

In 1987 my parents bought WVU HeadCoach Don Neilans house in Morgantown, we lived there for 2 years.Jeff Hostetler, who married Neilan's daughter, showed up on our doorstep looking for Don the day after we moved in.Depending upon the outcome of the game, we found either giftbaskets of food or piles of trash strewn around the front lawn by rabid WVU fans on Sunday mornings during the fall. I met Major Harris and Reggie Rembert, and we had season tickets to the undefeated 88 season.

[@patrickolaughlin6027]

Awesome story , thanks !

[@patrickolaughlin6027]

By the Way , it's Nehlen...

[@ErikSchneider1975USA]

Probably the two best programs in Big East football in the late 80s

[@AU10SAX96FAN]

You know what's funny? Auburn and Syracuse are my favorite programs, and will most likely choose between one of them later on in life, and the first major football game between the two programs is a tie. lol

[@jamesfields2916]

Lived in Syracuse and attended Ole Miss. I've been to every SEC stadium to see my boys and even went to Wyoming in 04. Auburn had the nicest fans of any school along with Nebraska. Where did you end up going?

[@Tombacuse1]

Game was actually blacked out locally in perfect 80s style. Ahhhhhh that turf!

[@jsosgood]

I was at that game!

[@patrickolaughlin6027]

The good old days.

[@jamesfields2916]

My brother and I sold our tickets to a West Virginia couple for 100 dollars. Went to Sutter's Mill to watch on tv. Right as it kicked off I went and bought a ticket for 10 bucks. Very top row in the West Virginia fan section. Hot as hell. One of the most nerve racking games I've ever witnessed. Partied the night away with 5 dollar all you can drink screwdrivers at Sutter's Mill!

[@andyraphael]

Number 54 took a bad angle on that 2pt conversion

[@theone2225]

I miss the days when the dome use to be sold out for football games :(

[@Methadone4Life]

Some great battles over the years. I am a WVU fan who has a ton of respect for the Syracuse program. I think they will get back in the mix in a couple of years. No matter what the record of the Orangeman may be or how bad of a season they may be having,when they play my boys from WVU..I always get nervous. You can never overlook the Orangemen. Of course we are rivals but I always cheer for the Big East teams unless they are playing WVU. I want the Big East to remain a top conference. Peace.

[@brizzoke]

i'm an eagles fan who's seen 2 su qbs come to philly (3 if you count perry patterson's short stint in training camp). i was upset in 91 when kotite kept brad goebel instead of mcpherson. i don't think goebel won one game.

[@scatman44]

No way Tim Brown should've won that Heisman! No way!

[@alexcentury2166]

An option play was about the last thing I was expecting on the two-point conversion.

[@jamesfields2916]

To the short side too. I thought Owens had a terrible angle.

[@fantasticvoyage262]

Wasn't that Syracuse's offense that year?

[@CoreyT127]

The sugar bowl had a undefeated team who lost after accepting a bid. That ruined a potential 1 vs 2 match up. 3 years straight. With 10-0 #2 Arkansas in 79. 9-0-1 #2 Notre Dame in 80. And 10-0 #1 Pitt in 81. They played #1 Bama in 79 #1 UGA in 80 and #2 UGA in 81.

[@PuddingTame]

It was explained as a way to save money and build brand awareness by having all the athletic teams use one name and one logo by former AD Jake Crouthhamel. One of the many missteps he made at the end of his tenure, which included trying to replace Otto as the school mascot, the uniform deal with Nike to give us some of the ugliest uniforms in college sports, and rewarding the 2003 NCAA Champion basketball team with a banner that looked like a big orange garbage bag.

[@jamesfields2916]

The Syracuse uniforms from the 80s and 90s were absolute classics.

[@NorsemanUK]

I'd be interested to learn why Syracuse Uni changed the name Orangemen to Orange? They'll always be the orangemen to me.

[@theone2225]

back when Syracuse was actually good in football :( hopefully they can bounce back soon. Also look how old the dome looks even though it was practically brand new lol, the lighting looked horrible back then.

[@wrestleforpizza]

I have an autographed picture of Dick McPhearson

[@theone2225]

wow I didnt know that, that sucks!! RIP PAT KELLY

[@cuse445]

A sell out at the Carrier Dome for football, lol Ah The golden years.

[@kennboy1]

you missed the legendary ernie davis, he went at syracuse, and he wore number 44# , they're making a movie about him look it up on youtube.

[@jrl7575]

Joe Morris, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little, Daryl Johnston, Rob Moore, Tommy Myers, Joe Ehrmann, Anthony Smith... the list can go on.

[@pavankat]

Rutgers is getting better this season. If we played like we did against UCONN, we would have beaten UNC and Tulane - but that's not important. Syracuse is currently not a great team. Presently, Rutgers is much better than Syracuse. How many bowl games has Syracuse been to in the last 5 years? How about Rutgers? How many top recruits has Syracuse gotten in the past 5 years? How many has Rutgers gotten? You HAD a good football team and HAVE a good basketball team. That's it though. Nothing more.

[@mklein818]

I was there--where in the heck did you get that footage?!?!

[@cedar12345]

Michael Harry Klein Recorded live ESPN in 1987 when Tim Brando worked there.

[@HISTORYDUDE2112]

Ironic: Caridi with the call...

[@ItsMelY]

Doug Marrone is slowly bringing Syracuse football back. One bowl win down, hopefully more to come. GO ORANGE!

[@nschamp1976]

That was no pass interference on WVU during the Syracuse touchdown!!

[@kelstxn]

let's go orange 👏👏👏👏👏 let's go orange 👏👏👏👏👏

[@Ucantbcerious]

Donovan McNabb's Roommate Kevin Johnson

[@fantasticvoyage262]

I thought Tom Mees was working for ESPN then? He also worked West Virginia radio?

[@tauras88d]

gymman1031 thanks for replying yeah the cuse and wvu really had some monumental battles over the years, and most of the time there were high stakes involved,and no 2 teams in the east had national title asperations like wvu and the cuse did in the late 80"s so it was a heated rivalry. and i remember some big orange games,like how they stuck it to michigan and had tennesse beat during their national title year but lost it in the last minute. the cuse will be strong again someday. WVU#1

[@tauras88d]

gymman1031 i think the cuse will be back some day, but it will be a slow process. and i agree with a lot of SU fans syracuse needs an outdoor stadium, thats the college football atmosphere. and although i am a fanatic WVU fan, i really respect the way syracuse did their non-confrence football scheduling over the last 6 years. they took on the heavy weights, and played alot of the top teams in the nation the past 6 years. and i have always respected that. WVU#1

[@danboyle116]

SU wasn't #1 that year??? Also, I was in that end zone. What a terriffic game.

[@jesskelley4726]

@Dan Boyle Miami beat OU for the title Miami finished 12-0

[@mikenugent2058]

Go Cuse Go!!!

[@tauras88d]

that was the best game of 1987 for college football, and one of the best in the 1980"s and if auburn would had missed that last minute tieing fieldgoal, the cuse probably would have been national champs that year. and we all remember the following year 88" WVU blasted syracuse on their way to an undefeated season and played for the national title against notre dame. the cuse was tuff stuff during the late 80"s and most of the 90"s they were respected by most and feared by some. WVU#1

[@jamesfields2916]

Great game but I would put it second behind the classic Miami/FSU game won by the U 26-25. They finished #1 and #2 that season.

[@fantasticvoyage262]

Even without Auburn kicking the tying FG at the end, I doubt a close win would have convinced the polls to give Syracuse the title over undefeated Miami. That beat #1 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Syracuse would have needed a blowout win over Auburn to stand any chance.

[@jayjaysworld7110]

Orange all day

[@theone2225]

@SURocks03 6-3 this year.....could be getting back to those days

[@Pokey_413]

This didn’t age well... although yes they did have a couple good years with Nassib then Dungey, unfortunately we’re right back to being miserable again

[@11glendavis]

@SURocks03 I think is it...

[@pavankat]

@OCUSA look your right. 2006 is over. We need to give schiano the boot.

[@SFFOOL76]

McPherson another Syracuse quarterback to the Eagles.

[@PJason-fn6fb]

Only one ESPN channel back then and it was great. Now they have several channels and while their coverage is good, there is just entirely too much of it.

[@OregonDuck4]

I see the cuse bein top 25 caliber in about 3-4 years. Doug Marrone is gonna bring back the past. Just wait

[@wfschrec]

@pavankat ... I would love to know what you are smoking ... you can't be serious. While the football team isn't great now I need you to remind me of something ... when the Cuse played Rutgers last year who won? Yeah ... that is what I thought ... Rutgirls is the biproduct of a bad schedule. Don't worry your glory days of going 6-6 will be over real soon ...

[@sctvhound]

Look at Tim Brando at the beginning. He is young there, but just as annoying. One of the "hugest" upsets?

[@nsd1901]

Joe Buck has more inflection than this guy.

[@pavankat]

@ihateobama4ever Rutgers a down team? You must be a stand up comedian or something.