1994 Rutgers-Virginia Tech: One of College Football’s Fantastic Finishes
February 26, 2010
Like Christmas, I’ve heard it said that Halloween has its spirits too.
On a trick-or-treat night October 31, 1994, against its homecoming and Big East opponent, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights pulled off one of the great comeback wins in recent college football history.
In a back and forth shootout, Rutgers found themselves down to the Virgina Tech Hokies, 49-44, with under a minute to play.
Granted, this wasn’t the Viriginia Tech that you know now as one of top programs in the Big East.
Rather, they were more like your grandfather’s Hokie team.
Coming into the game, Tech was 2-4-1 (they’d end up 2-8-1) while the Scarlet Knights were 4-3 and on their way to finishing the 1994 season at 7-4.
RU quarterback Brian Fortay, a transfer from Miami, threw five interceptions on that day with one being returned for a touchdown. His last, late in the fourth quarter, seemed to doom Rutgers to defeat.
With prudent use of their remaining timeouts, however, the Scarlet Knights were able to get the ball back with 1:32 left in the game.
Fortay collectedly moved the Knights down to the Tech 15-yard line with five seconds left.
During that final drive, Rutgers pulled off some incredible conversions to keep their hopes alive.
I remember listening to Bruce Johnson, Rutgers’ radio broadcaster, call of that game. His heightened sense of emotion lent a level of importance to the game which can only be captured by the best in the business.
Sitting in my living room while handing out candy to the neighborhood trick-or-treaters, I was in line for a treat myself that would stay with me for the rest of my life.
Most “Johnny-come-lately” Rutgers fans would probably tell you that the Rutgers win over then number two ranked Louisville on national television in 2006 was the greatest win in Rutgers history.
And to a certain extent, it would be tough for me to argue that claim.
But what happened on that Halloween night twelve years earlier was at least as memorable.
Rather than give away the ending, I’ll instead provide this clip which captures the late game heroics of Scarlet Knights’ quarterback Brian Fortay and wide receiver Chris Brantley.
Take a peak and see if you agree that Halloween’s spirits haunt us grownups, too.
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