Miami's Greatest Moments of the Decade: No. 8
12/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 24, 2009
Every team has had one or two in its history and it remains as one of the most exciting plays in football--the last-second, desperation pass known as the "Hail Mary."
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw one in a 1975 NFL playoff game to beat the Minnesota Vikings. Boston College's Doug Flutie completed his game-winner against top-ranked Miami (Fla.) in 1984. And Colorado's Kordell Stewart heaved one up against Michigan in 1994 for a game-ending victory.
Miami's most well-known Hail Mary came on October 13, 2001. With seven seconds remaining on the clock and Miami a distant 84 yards away from paydirt, freshman quarterback Ben Roethlisberger first completed a 14-yard sideline pass to Eddie Tillitz to stop the clock with three seconds left. Big Ben took the final snap of the game, dropped back and flung the football with all of his might. His 70-yard pass was first tipped by an Akron defender, then bounced into the hands of Tillitz.
Here's the way MURedHawks.com reported the story, the No. 8 headline of the first decade of the 21st century.
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Oct. 13, 2001
Miami Beats Akron with 70-Yard Hail Mary
Roethlisberger Becomes Only the Fifth Miami Quarterback to Throw for More Than 300 Yards
OXFORD, Ohio (AP) - Freshman Ben Roethlisberger passed for a school-record 399 yards, throwing a 70-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Tillitz as time ran out Saturday to lead Miami University over Akron 30-27.
Akron (2-4, 2-2 Mid-American) took a 27-24 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Zak Derr with nine seconds left. But Roethlisberger drove Miami (4-2, 3-0) 84 yards in two plays for the win. Roethlisberger's 70-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Tillitz was the first time since 1995 that Miami had scored on the final play to win the game. The last time Miami scored on the final play of a game to win was a 20-yard field goal by Chad Seitz to defeat Northwestern 30-28 in 1995.
Roethlisberger was 23-for-40 for three touchdowns and 399 yards, becoming only the fifth Miami quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards. His winning touchdown pass broke the previous record Mike Bath set a year ago, when he passed for 358 yards against Vanderbilt.
Roethlisberger's 399 passing yards broke a Miami single-game record for passing yardage, topping Mike Bath's mark of 358 at Vanderbilt in 2000. He became the fifth Miami quarterback to throw for 300 yards in program history.
Roethlisberger also rushed for 59 yards to total 458 yards of total offense.
Akron freshman Charlie Frye was 21-for-31 for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Matt Cherry had 11 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns for Akron, the second to tie the game at 24 with 5:53 to go.
Tillitz had six receptions for 132 yards for Miami.
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