Colorado wins on Kordell Stewart’s ‘Miracle at Michigan’ | ESPN Archives

On September 24, 1994, Colorado QB Kordell Stewart heaves a Hail Mary towards the end zone, and the ball is deflected before ending up in the arms of Buffaloes WR Michael Westbrook for the touchdown and gives Colorado a 27-26 win against Michigan in Ann Arbor.
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[@kalebpost20]

From about the 26.5 yd line and would’ve landed around a yard deep in the endzone . . . Lord have mercy

[@denniswilson8189]

Hey how's that turnover backpack going for you Seminoles. 🤣😅😄😥😎Go Canes

[@kalebpost20]

How’s that ACC crown feeling on your head? Wait a minute . . .

[@Sekou-yr2rr]

Incredible!

[@johnwayneerb]

He threw that ball at least 73 yards in the air

[@fredwerza3478]

I got offended when they said "65 yards in the air"

[@gshello7105]

73 or 74 yards

[@jakefrumst8farm510]

Indeed 27 yard line the end line

[@anthonytrevon865]

From his own 27 and it was tipped at the 2 yard line. That's 71 yards

[@nickma71]

Kordell threw it a long way. Dumb luck had it ricochet off Chuck Winters’s helmet (35), Westbrook made a heads up play.

[@LJDS1979]

I still remember watching this live as a young buck lol. There were no words....just WOW! I always wonder how good Kordell would have been if he was given a legit shot in the League.

[@SugaRay5x2]

Me too

[@AldiAldiFPen]

Major Harris, Tony Rice, and Eldrige Dickey, it is a shame what racism has robbed humanity of. So many good athletes whom we only got a glimpse of their talents because bigots would not let them be their full selves. Albert Einstein said George Washington Carver was one of the five smartest men to ever live. George Washington Carver was born enslaved with not formal education in his early years. Just think how much smarter he could have been then he already was.

[@eazye519]

He was given multiple shots. He was bad

[@thehardtruth3027]

@@eazye519 🤣🤣🤣Hilarious but true

[@Moe-qn8fg]

That throw is more impressive then the catch.

[@taydestiny38]

I agree. This throw ranks right up there with Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary.

[@poundmytomtom]

I was going to like this comment and then I realized I'm a child and it's set at 69

[@CallMeMicahT]

Just one of the reasons I had Kordell Stewart jerseys and posters all over my room as a kid.

[@brypete]

Me too...kordell Stewart was my favorite as a kid.

[@80sbaby923]

the slash poster was cold

[@tellusorbit]

Greatest single play in the history of Colorado Buffaloes football. It didn't win a national championship, but it will live forever in CU athletic history. Nearly forty years have passed since that day, and I still feel the chills down my spine whenever I watch this replay.

[@tellusorbit]

Nearly thirty years, not forty, but the thrill remains.

[@gabraham12]

More like 70+ yards in the air.

[@ericsigersmith2831]

Slash

[@cpiep]

The best hail mary at any level of football of all time.

[@MasonDaniels-ef6mf]

As much as I hate to say it its definitely the best of all time

[@poledawg]

The Flutie throw agaist Miami is up there as well but yeah I think this one beats it.

[@dentonyoung4314]

Impossible to pick just one. Even if we restrict it to college football, Flutie-to-Phelan is memorable, there's this one, there's the Nick Marshall to Ricardo Louis play against Georgia (made even better by the late Rod Bramblett's fantastic commentary), the Bluegrass Miracle, the Drew Tate to Warren Holloway play to win a bowl game...

[@charlesmurphy3222]

Arguably Keith Jackson's most emotional call ever in his entire broadcasting career. And Bob Griese's son Brian was on the sidelines for Michigan. He nails it like a fan. Something he's never seen on a football field in a situation like that. Maybe a tip play at the 15. Not a 70 yard dart. In his entire career, that's the one game Bill McCartney WANTED to win. It would be like Lou Holtz at Arkansas beating Ohio State and Woody Hayes. Student beats the Teachers.

[@otaviofrn_adv]

*Arguably Keith Jackson's most emotional call ever in his entire broadcasting career* I'd say it is the most emotional... the play deserved the call from the voice of college football

[@mosando]

Great finish and even more with the great call of the incomparable Keith Jackson the one true voice of CFB..

[@davidellis5141]

What an Arm. The immaculate throw. Ohio St. Fans enjoy.

[@Neddrickforreal]

Things I never notice in the past kordell threw that ball like 70 yards in the air what a arm an best hail Mary u see

[@johnniec2861]

Whats Even worse,, that was even harder, was Micheal Westbrook was from Detroit and chose Colorado over Michigan :P

[@breckenridgerob9679]

The other part of this is that Michigan didn't even recruit Westbrook, so this was especially satisfying for him, I'm sure.

[@NonStopGAMERZ3]

Just flat out Amazing.

[@SoloShelby]

Closer to 75 yds than 60

[@judolphin]

Keith Jackson was the absolute best.

[@anthonytrevon865]

He threw from their own 27 and It was tipped at about the 2 yard line. About 71 yards

[@ismailmohamud12]

Threw that thing 70+ yards.....

[@dentonyoung4314]

73 yards in the air before first contact. And he wasn't even using all of his arm strength. According to an interview done at the time, when they practiced those he could throw it 85 yards in the air.

[@jcfins75]

"He threw that ball about 65 yards" Wrong. He threw that ball about 73 yards.

[@MegaDean71]

When you can wow the voice of college football you did something incredible.

[@curiouslymavismade]

Historical moment in college football history.

[@thebigfreakingcat4292]

Most incredible play I've ever seen, even moreso than the Doug Flutie Hail Mary play when BC beat Miami in 1984.

[@whytho5733]

that man has a cannon...

[@Pidabred1]

73 yards of history...... 3 friends watching this with no care of the outcome and this play sent all of us screaming out to the front yard. We lived in the moment on this one

[@96tolife]

This never gets old. Sko!!!

[@michaelatencio2917]

This Colorado buffaloes football team went 11-1. Beat Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas state, & Notre Dame in the Fiesta bowl 41 to 24.

[@plaguedoctor5889]

Also had heisman winner Rashaan Salaam in the backfield

[@MentalOutlvl6]

@@plaguedoctor5889 didnt Colorado win a national championship at some point

[@plaguedoctor5889]

@@MentalOutlvl6 Ye I believe in like 1990 or 91

[@GVoodoo]

@@MentalOutlvl6 it was 90... but has an * since it was a shared title technically

[@roljamas]

The team that beat them must have been pretty good

[@grinningchicken]

Michigan had a lot NFL players Collins Wheatley Biakabutika Floyd Richie Hayes Toomer Law Woodson Runyan Horn Pryce Dyson

[@plaguedoctor5889]

Colorado had better ones tho

[@bjones140]

Woodson wasn’t on this team

[@SugaRay5x2]

Brady how you forget The goat

[@34OLD]

Lmao 21 was trying to celebrate mid fall lol

[@stevenchung4029]

That's Rae Carruth.

[@judolphin]

@@stevenchung4029 😬

[@sever427]

He was like, Touchdown

[@sever427]

@@stevenchung4029 no way?

[@jonboxleitner7354]

Both teams' uniforms were outstanding. Let's not forget.

[@Freebasetyler]

These things always happen to Michigan

[@johnniec2861]

they were up like 10 going into the 4th quarter, they do things like this to themselves,, i remember we turned the tv off and were playing sega Genesis ,, and We turned it back on and Channel 7 s news had just came on,, and the Lead in was this ,, " Tonights top news stories,, Mother Waddles Burns to the Ground,, AND THE PASS THAT KILLED MICHIGAN ! " , We were all like, DAMN

[@jbetnar]

@@johnniec2861 you turned it off for Sega? 😆

[@Vic-Vega]

​@@jbetnar99/100, it was a choice that paid off. 😆

[@darickalizadeh6269]

Colorado is fire ....

[@adamwakefield2328]

was this during a bowl game? the levels of devastation amongst the michigan players are CRAZY

[@Colorado-ps3tq]

The 🐐

[@cadenthissongisamazingfrie9048]

Stop it

[@SirNic4180]

Deion Sanders being named the head coach brought me here. Prime time is coming.

[@MoonLanta]

OH HE COMIN

[@mauricek2464]

I was in shock and struggle that whole weekend as a teen...😢

[@ryan979_]

Still the best throw I’ve ever seen by a quarterback

[@gabegood8989]

better then Flutie? maybe

[@ryan979_]

@@gabegood8989 yes

[@cpiep]

​@@gabegood8989easily. Fluties pass wemt like 45 yards 😂

[@vicepresidentmikepence889]

Kordell Stewart interview with Colin cowherd brought me here

[@IAmNextUp]

Same

[@scottscottsdale7868]

Actually the best part of this, which Insaw live on TV and remember to this day, was there was no replay review. They need to go back to no review. Just let the kids play.

[@DonnellPrince]

Colorado is back.

[@vasantos-re4hb]

I was crushed as a Michigan fan. Michigan has a knack for these heartbreak plays.

[@enigmathegrayman2953]

1994....... OJ Simpson case, the movie Speed, Boyz II Men, The Sega Channel, and this football game!

[@bobfranklin-dn2wj]

Yes he did took me ten years to figure out the announcer was saying it was from the line of scrimmage. I was so mad, then embarrassed.

[@ericsmith6823]

Slash!

[@tomasarmon3005]

The important thing is that when Colorado returned to the scene of the crime in ‘97, Michigan humiliated them 27-3 for their first win en route to an undefeated season and a national title

[@joeygalloway4576]

Is this the longest completed throw in an actual game in football history?

[@ChrisSmith-kw4gn]

On second thought, forget about Defensive Tackles and play 8 DBs with 3 WR in the end zone.

[@childishmau644]

All time great

[@blackyemen]

Imagine if he was able to throw like this on the Steelers.

[@johnniec2861]

Yeah ,, Of course Niel Odonnell was so much better :P ,, UGHHH

[@brypete]

Kordell would of been fine in Pittsburgh if they didn't have a different offensive coordinator every year he was the starting QB...

[@judolphin]

He had two MVP caliber seasons in Pittsburgh. Very respectable career. Not a Hall of Famer by any stretch or even a great player, but a very good career.

[@dantespears713]

Good thing Joe Buck didn’t call this play…. Stewart (pause) paaaasssss…..caught Westbrook….touchdown

[@mrdgenerate]

Derrick henry 99 yard run vs jax is like that. Still going... still going.... touchdown 99 yards. ZZZzzzzzz

[@EYES_BOX]

. . . . No Flags

[@Keepitabuckfiddy]

63k views and not even a thousand likes? That's absolutely scandalous!🤦🏿‍♂️

[@MasonDaniels-ef6mf]

I was devastated when this happened here 20 plus years later i feel the same way makes me nauseous ty law should have batted the ball down

[@-phenom-]

I just noticed #21 for Buffs celebrating, Rae-something, I wonder what ever happened to him? heh

[@tyroneshoemaker5264]

It was like a stampede after the winning TD catch.

[@denniswilson8189]

I played with the guy who made the catch brian Westbrook detroit chadsey high school

[@kiilerstephens7761]

DENNIS Wilson it’s Michael Westbrook

[@williamgullett5911]

@@kiilerstephens7761 yeah Michael

[@Vic-Vega]

Lmao, dude who claims to know him doesn't even remember the guy's FIRST NAME, huh?? 🙄

[@Bodhi594]

Whooooaaaa Neeeeelyyyy

[@jamalcooley2459]

Never forget..

[@paige3362]

We need to talk

[@DeAngeloStevens]

Courtesy of my Local Station WBRC Channel 6 then ABC affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama.

[@LTDANMAN44]

They call me slash

[@lex6794]

K.S. had a Cannon 💪🏾

[@jagavi9822]

Oh, childhood memories.

[@adriennehayes965]

Greatest play ever in college! On a championship run by the Buffs! 🦬🍿

[@cadenthissongisamazingfrie9048]

Nebraska won the natty in 94

[@StFidjnr]

The last clip on SI's year in sports 1994

[@Vic-Vega]

It happened in September, so I highly DOUBT that.

[@BroncosCountry58]

Chills

[@911___________DIVOC]

A full two minutes after the pass, and the announcers did not mention the quarterback's name again.

[@Knightmessenger]

All your resources and access to broadcast masters and you can't even show the video in the proper 4x3 aspect ratio? That's just pathetic ESPN.

[@Madaragun]

Relax guys this is in 1994

[@michaelatencio2917]

Hater.

[@agamino2185]

And yet... here you are

[@diggervet]

need to add the app state win and MSU's win in 2015, trifecta!!

[@jeffrey.classicgamesjones2332]

Onreal

[@LukeKorolowiczArt]

The luckiest bounce in history

[@dentonyoung4314]

He fought the (Ty) Law... and this time, the law didn't win.

[@supremeleadergnkdroid3202]

Michigan is the Mets of college football

[@watchthisnow321]

The year before Stewart went to the pros.

[@victorforeman7056]

Lucky catch nice throw though

[@AJA__1]

Colorado was loaded that year

[@cadenthissongisamazingfrie9048]

No they weren’t

[@AJA__1]

@@cadenthissongisamazingfrie9048 yes they were; they had 6 all Americans and 27 players eventually drafted on that roster. I’m not even a Colorado fan.

[@joshuarichards4266]

Michigan had Ty law & Charles Woodson in the back field

[@Vic-Vega]

​@@cadenthissongisamazingfrie9048 Salty Wolverine detected. Yes, Colorado had a really good roster (it wasn't quite as good as UM's, but still...).

[@frantz-cicopierre8221]

Who’s here watching in 2023

[@user-if7sy5hx9z]

Mitt Romney is from Michigan.

[@noumander992003]

If you had to measure it would be 75 yards

[@taze317]

This was the day I became a Spartan fan.

[@Vic-Vega]

Big downgrade for you.

[@taze317]

@@Vic-Vega I could always go with TCU. Maybe Colorado.

[@Vic-Vega]

@@taze317Buffaloes seems like a fun bandwagon to hop onboard this season.

[@emmanueljenkins3303]

Seems like he’s being clearly cheated out of 10 yards. There’s no doubt he threw it from the 27.

[@Elitetreaty]

🦍

[@JRoberts69]

Michigan really really gave this game away. Just bad coaching

[@samsticka]

How exciting would it be if it came down to a Hail Mary between Nebraska and Oklahoma?

[@95Deimos]

Wow

[@kbayj]

Where and the fuck is kordell Stewart? It seems as though every other pro athlete is heard from in some shape, fashion, or form. Haven't heard from this dude in like 8 years at least.

[@judolphin]

He has good reason to never want to be in the spotlight again. The press was absolutely brutal to him.

[@87alock]

Michigan always getting upsetted by some team.

[@youmustcreateachanne]

Everyone brings their best when they play Michigan. Always a target on its back.

[@jameswilliams-zr8co]

coz jimbo can't win the big one eh

[@Vic-Vega]

"Upsetted" is definitely NOT a word!!!

[@williamdiemert9866]

I was 12 years old in the 7th grade in 1994.

[@samsticka]

And about a month later, Colorado got beaten by Nebraska.

[@isaiahw2827]

And you're just commented that just to troll and bash Colorado fans watching this memorable moment. Smh

[@samsticka]

@@isaiahw2827 Nope, just pointing out what happened a month later. And besides, I posted that comment a year ago. Why are you replying to it now?

[@isaiahw2827]

@@samsticka This is the first time I saw this comment

[@samsticka]

@@isaiahw2827 Well, to be fair, Colorado did have a pretty good season in 1994. But the truth is Nebraska was better that year. Unfortunately now, both teams have fallen so far.

[@Vic-Vega]

Now it's 2023 and I just saw a reinvigorated Colorado squad under Coach Prime ("Deion Sanders") absolutely dismantle a pathetically disgraced Cornhusker team. Can you say "full circle," boys & girls??

[@user-rn6lb6qj7y]

NFL >>>>>> NCAAF !

[@Fezzwardd]

First