We are working on a 30-minute special for Fox Sports Ohio about Nippert Stadium that will debut on August 14th. One of the planned segments is a list of the Top 5 games in stadium history.

What would you include? Would love to get feedback from Bearcats fans.

Thanks,

Dan H

(07-30-2015 09:08 AM)Dan Hoard Wrote:  We are working on a 30-minute special for Fox Sports Ohio about Nippert Stadium that will debut on August 14th. One of the planned segments is a list of the Top 5 games in stadium history.

What would you include? Would love to get feedback from Bearcats fans.

Thanks,

Dan H

The wins over top 10 teams Rutgers (2006) and Wisconsin (1999) are the first two that come to mind.

(07-30-2015 09:08 AM)Dan Hoard Wrote:  We are working on a 30-minute special for Fox Sports Ohio about Nippert Stadium that will debut on August 14th. One of the planned segments is a list of the Top 5 games in stadium history.

What would you include? Would love to get feedback from Bearcats fans.

Thanks,

Dan H

Without a doubt, the upset of then-number 3 Wisconsin in the '90s should be on the list.

I'd add the game against Pitt when the fans kept coming on and off the field (Never good with years).

The 1999 Wisconsin game comes to mind. 17 -12. Thank God for astro turf on that day. That 4th quarter was nuts. That Wisconsin team won the BIG 10, had Ron Dayne the Heisman trophy winner, and won the Rose Bowl. Only lost to us and the next week to Michigan. Barry Alvarez never recovered. He still maintains we stopped them from winning the national championship. Maybe so. I still have a 1 foot piece of goal post. Perhaps Rick Minter's finest hour...

How about the first ever college football game under the new overtime rules. We had that privilege against Miami...I can dig it up later but it would have been around 1997.

Pitt to clinch the Orange Bowl Berth in 2008, UConn the next year with Zac Collaros going off on national TV, and the Rutgers upset for sure. I was not an avid fan at the time, but the Wisconsin game needs to be on that list as well.

I came up with:

1973 - 40-7 Win over Xavier
1995 - 16-10 Win over Virginia Tech (who would end up 10-2 that year)
1999 - 17-12 Win over #9 Wisconsin
2006 - 30-11 Win over #7 Rutgers
2008 - 28-21 Win over #20 Pittsburgh that made UC favorites to win Big East
2008 - 30-10 Win over Syracuse to wrap up Orange Bowl bid (I remember oranges flying everywhere throughout the stadium)
2009 - 24-21 Win over #23 West Virginia

The victory didn't rise to the level of Wisconsin for sure, but oranges hitting the field after that decisive win over Syracuse (Sorry Dan!) put the 'Cats in the Orange Bowl. Uncharted territory for UC and I remember telling my son to live in that moment--it was a whole new level of success for Bearcat football.

The first game that popped in my head was the UCONN game under the lights with Mussberger in the house...Collaros had 480 yards in the air and No. 5 Bearcats escape the Huskies in a high-scoring, 2009 thriller to go 9-0.

(07-30-2015 09:20 AM)BigDawg Wrote:  I'd add the game against Pitt when the fans kept coming on and off the field (Never good with years).

yes Pitt 2008. any game where goal posts come down is automatic.





goosebumps.

(07-30-2015 09:40 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  

(07-30-2015 09:20 AM)BigDawg Wrote:  I'd add the game against Pitt when the fans kept coming on and off the field (Never good with years).

yes Pitt 2008. any game where goal posts come down is automatic.





goosebumps.

This is why we need to be in the ACC.

Agree with the suggestions, but let me add 2 out of the box games:

• Kentucky 1914, when we became the Bearcats
• Marshall 2007, most packed student section. Ticket office capped the student section after this game.
  

99 Wisconson
00 Southern Miss, ranked 24th, 3 TD comeback win in 4th qtr
06 Rutgers
07 Oregon State - first hint as to what was to come
08 Pitt - most electric big time atmosphere in Nip

Limiting this to my lifetime and games I attended. (which is almost every game since I was 5 so It's a decent amount)

1. UC v. Wisconsin (1999)- forcing Ron Dayne fumbles and holding on for dear life (Dayne broke the Big 10 rushing record that day I believe)
2. UC v. Pitt (2008) - the game that had UC ready to make a BCS bowl. It was awesome.
3. UC v. Rutgers (2006) - the start of UC football becoming Big Time. Amazing atmosphere and domination from start to finish against a top 10, unbeaten team
4. UC v. Miami (1996) - Triple OT, Darrell Royal running all over Miami. Brent Petrus and Brad Jackson pre basketball both made impacts.
5. UC v. Southern Miss (2000)- One of the most underrated Bearcat football games ever. UC was down 24-7 to top 25 Southern Miss entering the fourth quarter. It was cold with rain/snow. I bet there were 1000 of us fans left at Nippert when UC finally won the game, but it was one of those games that prevents me from ever leaving early.
6. UC v. TCU (2002) - Overtime win against TCU in what would be UC's only CUSA championship season (shared with TCU actually). Game ended when Freshman Doug Monaghan INT.
7. UCv. UConn (2009) - Highs scoring, Zach Collaros had his best game as a Bearcat and the offense was absolutely amazing. Kept UC in line for it's unbeaten season.
8. UC v. Syracuse (2000) - Last second field goal by Kick off specialist Jason Mammerelli. Only kicked it because it was just out of Ruffin's range. He had been 0-4 on his career.
9. UC v. West Virginia (2009)- Another remarkable win for UC in the best season in Bearcat history.
10. UC v. Oregon State (2007) - That was a really good team, prime time, ESPN and UC smacked them all over the field

(07-30-2015 09:52 AM)EcFlay Wrote:  Agree with the suggestions, but let me add 2 out of the box games:

• Kentucky 1914, when we became the Bearcats
  
• Marshall 2007, most packed student section. Ticket office capped the student section after this game.
  

The best estimate the Athletic Department had after that game was over 11,000 students, as that was the first game after students had arived the two days before for move in with what was, at the time, the largest freshman class in UC history (a feat which has since been surpassed in every successive year) and they didn't need to swipe IDs or anything to get in. I remember not being able to move 3/4's of the way up, and with the traveling Marshall fans, I'm sure that would still be the highest attendance if they actually kept track of it on the student side.

Nov 1968 UC over Miami

Greg Cook led an amazing comeback and Danny OBrian kicked a 47 yard field goal as time expired to win the game.

I know this predates most of you. It has been challenged for excitement and "wonderfulness", but never surpassed.

(07-30-2015 09:34 AM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  I came up with:

1973 - 40-7 Win over Xavier
1995 - 16-10 Win over Virginia Tech (who would end up 10-2 that year)
1999 - 17-12 Win over #9 Wisconsin
2006 - 30-11 Win over #7 Rutgers
2008 - 28-21 Win over #20 Pittsburgh that made UC favorites to win Big East
2008 - 30-10 Win over Syracuse to wrap up Orange Bowl bid (I remember oranges flying everywhere throughout the stadium)
2009 - 24-21 Win over #23 West Virginia

Bruce - Pretty sure the VT game was on the road and the score was 16-0. Also came after two brutal home losses to Kansas and Kansas State who both had great seasons, in games UC could have easily won. (K State beat us on a 30 yard hail mary type play on the last play).

Edit - Just looked it up, Kansas finished 7th and KState finished 9th that year. VT finished 10th. That was UC's first 3 games and UC really should have won at least 2 and could have won all 3.

(07-30-2015 10:20 AM)ucbandguy Wrote:  Nov 1968 UC over Miami

Greg Cook led an amazing comeback and Danny OBrian kicked a 47 yard field goal as time expired to win the game.

I know this predates most of you. It has been challenged for excitement and "wonderfulness", but never surpassed.

UC was minus 6 yards offense at half against Bo Schembeckler's last team at Miami. Greg Cook ended with 407 yards passing(263 in 4th quarter with 3 TD's). Paul Brown left game at halftime but decided on Cook as his draft pick after watching the film of the game.

(07-30-2015 10:20 AM)ucbandguy Wrote:  Nov 1968 UC over Miami

Greg Cook led an amazing comeback and Danny OBrian kicked a 47 yard field goal as time expired to win the game.

I know this predates most of you. It has been challenged for excitement and "wonderfulness", but never surpassed.

Have to agree this game is definitely in the Top 5. This game also gave the Cats a winning season for the first time in three years and knocked Miami out of a bowl bid.

My top 5

1999 v. Wisky
2008 v. Pitt
2006 v. Rutgers
2009 v. UConn
1968 v. Miami