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The Bear did not quit By Kevin Moen '83 On November 20, 1982, I stood on the turf in Memorial Stadium in front of 80,000 screaming fans. With four seconds left on the clock, it was hard to believe that John Elway and his Stanford team had come from behind and were now in a position to win the game--not just a game, but the Big Game. The season had started with a renewed spirit in Cal football. With Joe Kapp as the new head coach and a team full of veteran players, the Bears of '82 proved to be both competitive and entertaining. We came into the Big Game with a 6-4 record and a determination to end the season by defeating Stanford. We clearly controlled the first half of the game but, with seconds to go and Stanford trailing by 2, the Cardinal managed to kick a go-ahead field goal.  Kevin Moen completes the Play It's hard to describe the feeling on the Cal sideline at that moment. Quiet desperation permeated the team. We were missing a player as we lined up for the kickoff, so I moved over to cover the vacant area. The kick bounced to me. After making the catch, I remembered "gra-bass," one of Coach Kapp's training games. It had no rules, just one bunch of guys trying to keep the ball away from another bunch of guys. But even more important was the mental training that Kapp had instilled: "The Bear will not quit, the Bear will not die." Determination to keep fighting when things looked bleak was the trademark of our team. Actually, my first thought after receiving the kick was simply to run the ball all the way back for a touchdown, but when I noticed a group of Stanford players running at me I decided to reevaluate that plan. I glanced left and saw Richard Rogers waving from near the sideline. He seemed to expect me to throw him the ball, so I did. Apparently Richard also had plans to run for a touchdown but, stalled by the Stanford defense, he pitched the ball to 5-foot 8-inch freshman Dwight Garner. Garner seemed to want to be a hero, too, and run over five Stanford guys on his way to the end zone, but reality set in just before Dwight's knee hit the ground. (To this day, I don't know why there was such a controversy over this part of the Play. Stanford was adamant that Dwight was down before he lateraled the ball, but from my vantage point it was clear as day that he got rid of the ball with a good quarter-inch to go.) Things were really getting interesting now. The Bear would not quit. Suddenly Richard had the ball again. He took off down the field, and I trailed behind in perfect tailback-option position. He ran at a Stanford player, made a good read, and tossed a flawless pitch back towards me. Mariet Ford came flying up, snagged the pitch instead, and took off. By now I was kind of curious to see how things would unfold, so I followed Mariet upfield. Before long, a couple of Stanford players got close, and Mariet decided to do a diving, no-look, over-the-shoulder toss back to me. I still don't understand how he knew I was there. As the ball floated down into my hands, things were getting really strange. Stanford band members were all over the field! By this point I was thinking that it really was time to get into the end zone--although I did look to see if Richard Rogers was around for one more lateral. Wes Howell blocked the last defender in my way, and I plowed on through the band. The Bear would not die. I could see the end zone through a cloud of red, and once I crossed the line I started my celebration. Unfortunately, as I jumped with joy I came down on Stanford trombone player Gary Tyrell. I felt terrible about that, and to this day I think of sending him a get-well card. Memorial Stadium went crazy. When the cannon went off, it was pandemonium. Cal fans poured onto the field. Did I mention the eerie silence and stunned disbelief emanating from the Stanford section? Nobody knew exactly what had happened; in the haze of the Play even I was not sure what had taken place. But everyone was running around hugging each other. It was the start of a celebration that would last a lifetime. It's hard to believe that, 20 years later, the buzz of the Play is still so strong. Whenever I see the Play--or better yet, hear Joe Starkey call it--a smile comes to my face, and it's great to be a Golden Bear. Everyone seems to have something to say about that Big Game. All I can say is: Thank God I didn't fumble. Go Bears! We invite alumni to write about their Cal experiences for "Recalling Cal," California Monthly, Alumni House, Berkeley 94720. Contributors will be paid $100 upon publication. |
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