So visiting the Farm used to be a happier occasion for most Cal faithful. Any of you have a favorite out of all the BG's played in Palo Alto or any good memories of trips to furd?

I would nominate 2009, AKA the "Tiger Woods game", as the best one. 2005 wasn't far behind.

Two stand out. 1979 21-14 Cal. Furd converted three 4th down plays on last drive of the game. Next time on 4th and goal, Ron Coccimiglio knocked away what would have been at least the tying touchdown pass. Earlier Cal went ahead when confused officials took their time figuring if Joe Rose was in bounds when he caught what turned out to be the winning TD pass. About 40,000 screaming Cal fans helped them make the right call.

1993, a rare Cal blowout of Furd at their rickety old stadium, 46-17. Even Gilby got it right once in a while. Most entertainment was in the stands. I believe it was a former Mic man leading cheers. He pointed to Bill Walsh and started us with a "Hey, Genius!" chant. Then in the 4th quarter half the law enforcement in California surrounded the goal posts he started a new chant, "We want more security!"

1999 is a particular stand-out for me. We pelted the riot police with eggs and fruit (I highly doubt there were many rocks/bottles) when they marched out in front of the Cal fence early in the 2nd half.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=184755&type=story

1975, 1979, 2009 are my top 3.

1979 was a great game. 2009 also great except I left my eye glasses on top of my car. Had to wear my prescription sunglasses but I did have my binoculars.

run2win;842595721 said:

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1975, 1979, 2009 are my top 3.

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+1 ... mime also

1999 -- when in the 3rd quarter what seemed to be the national guard in riot gear lined up in the semi-circle in front of our section. Nothing like the purity of guys in riot gear at a rivalry game.

2002 for me. redemption for boller and company. group of players that really suffered through most of their Cal career under holmoe. i remember the looks of apathy in the stanford student section when i was on their side of the field.

my bad, at stanfurd...

2003. Cal played the worst first half possible and was still only down 10-0. I remember telling my wife during halftime that we'd win this game going away, which is exactly what the Bears did (28-16). I think it was senior Chris Lewis who finished the game at QB for furd, his last game, having to listen to the raucous Bear contingent do the Bear Territory chant while he was taking his last snaps. Cal also needed that seventh win to get bowl eligibility that year, having played 13 games including the BCA Classic against Kansas State on August 23. So, yeah, that was a very good day, beating furd in their own house to get into a bowl for the first time since 1996.

Plus, afterwards the Cyberbears group got together somewhere in the stands and took a group picture. Anybody still have it?

The 1967, 1975, 1979, 1993, and 2009 games are my top 5 Big Games on the farm.

Can't remember the year, late 1990s.

"Penalty, excessive arrogance; Stanford sucks!"

Hilarious.

2005 was like a Cal home game (you know, like if we had a crappy stadium). And it was great to see Steve Levy have his day.

1993 - my last Big Game as a student. My memory has gone a little bit due to long term consumption of spirits but wasn't that the game that we students stormed the field and tried to rip up the grass at the center of the field where the Axe was painted on?

Was it 2005 where we had so many sacks? I actually started to feel sorry for the Furd QB.

My list are all the usual suspects: 1975, 1993, 2009. All the best games have been played in Berkeley.

1983. It rained during most of the first half, as Cal built a lead. Ron Rivera figured out the formations, tendencies and audibles by early second quarter, as he typically did, and would point to where the play was going. John Paye was later quoted as saying Rivera was a gentleman, helping him back up every time he knocked him down.
Bears, 27-18.

1975. Roth/Muncie Big Win. Steve Stills concert with Neil Young at Maples after game. "I think I am too wasted, man."

The 1967 Big Game ended a 6 game losing streak to LSJU. Cal trailed 3-2 at halftime, but scored 3 fourth quarter TDs (Randy Humphries threw for two and ran for another) to win 26-3.

It would be great if Cal could stop its current losing streak to LSJU at 5, but it's going to be a challenge, given the match ups, and the fact that Hogan has just enough of the type of running ability that tends to give the Cal defense problems.

DenBear;842595835 said:

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1983. It rained during most of the first half, as Cal built a lead. Ron Rivera figured out the formations, tendencies and audibles by early second quarter, as he typically did, and would point to where the play was going. John Paye was later quoted as saying Rivera was a gentleman, helping him back up every time he knocked him down.
Bears, 27-18.

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Whoever this Ron Rivera fellow is sounds like he'd make a good coach

I'm with Bearswin, 2003, we might have been on the same flight up out of Long Beach. Second half was the Geoff MacArthur show - he and AR lit it up and we stomped them. It was so barren of Furd fans, we sat on the 50 yd line and it felt like home. Best part being a JT devotee: We stayed in the same hotel and when my wife and I came back after the game - JT, his wife and a couple of friends strolled into the very empty bar - sat down - and ordered dinner. My wife warned me about trying to start talking to his party, so I waited til she went to the girls room - ran to the hotel desk, got a sharpee, and had JT autograph it - He then invited us to chat and we learned about surfing the same spots in HB..Memorable quote as he left the bar: "See you at the bowl game.." and it was, the Insight Bowl and AR and boys beat Va Tech 52-49 and was the nexus for "Countdown to Kickoff" - Tyler Frederickson's masterpiece of the season!

bearister;842595882 said:

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1975. Roth/Muncie Big Win. Steve Stills concert with Neil Young at Maples after game. "I think I am too wasted, man."

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Yeah, amazing experience. Bummer, I didn't know about Stills and Young, although the vibe down there might have de-groovified those two.

RioGrrandeFan;842595961 said:

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Yeah, amazing experience. Bummer, I didn't know about Stills and Young, although the vibe down there might have de-groovified those two.

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Favorite 1975, hands down: that's the day we made Muncie-meat out of 'em. I close my eyes and I can still see Chuck throwing that halfback option, and hear "Oh Yeah" echoing.

'79 and 2009 were also great. '67 I wasn't there for, but I have great memories of listening to it at home on the radio. Me (age 8), my brother (age 7) and a neighborhood kid who we dragged over to listen. A couple of years back that guy- who I hadn't seen since elementary school- fb friended me with a message that read, "Is this CJ who I used to know? Go Bears!" Said later he figured that if it was really me he'd get a "Go Bears!" back- which of course he did. And he remembered the game too!

When my (very happy!) parents got home from Palo Alto that night, they were quite impressed that we'd not only listened but could recount the whole game practically drive by drive. That actually convinced them it was time to start getting us our own Big Game tickets. So every year for the next 6 or 7, back to school shopping for me had to include at least one proper blue and gold skirt or dress, to be worn to the Big Game and the SC/Ucla game. Very different times- but it was wonderful to feel like we were finally grown up enough to do this thing called the Big Game that we'd been hearing about literally all our lives.

1993, 2003 (first win at Furd in a decade).

cjbarker;842595970 said:

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'67 I wasn't there for, but I have great memories of listening to it at home on the radio.

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It's encouraging to know that the 1967 Big Game victory hasn't been completely forgotten and overlooked by all Cal fans, as it often seems that it has, since the 1967 Big Game is generally ignored among the more recent and celebrated Cal victories on the farm (much like the KFRC Fantasy Fair at Mount Tamalpias in June of 1967 seems to have been forgotten and overshadowed by Monterey Pop which took place a week later).

The 1960's, while a great time to be in Berkeley, were a relatively dark period in terms of Big Games, with the exception of the 1967 Big Game. In 1967 it seemed as though Cal would never win another Big Game, since it had been so long since Cal's last Big Game victory that occurred in Marv Levy's first season, which is one of the reasons that that '67 win was so precious.

Memories of that '67 game bring back those feelings of an era when just about anything seemed possible. Ah, the unbridled optimism of youth, there is no substitute.

Let's hope that this year's Big Game will create some similar memories for this generation.

Philly1121, you are correct that the Cal fans tore up chunks of the Stanford midfield after the 1993 victory. My brother and I still have a zip-lock baggie with dried turf and red paint from their logo. Great win to end a long losing streak.

http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2010/11/16/1814823/upsetting-stanford-cals-top-10-big-game-triumphs

Classof1-10;842595986 said:

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Philly1121, you are correct that the Cal fans tore up chunks of the Stanford midfield after the 1993 victory. My brother and I still have a zip-lock baggie with dried turf and red paint from their logo. Great win to end a long losing streak.

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i also have a baggie of that field.... good times.... good times...

RioGrrandeFan;842595961 said:

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groovified those

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[video=youtube;MlCm0px7GXQ][/video]

JSC 76;842595828 said:

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Was it 2005 where we had so many sacks? I actually started to feel sorry for the Furd QB.

My list are all the usual suspects: 1975, 1993, 2009. All the best games have been played in Berkeley.

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The funny thing about that many sacks game was that the game shirt for the Furd students said "Sack the Bears" and had a paper sack graphic. Oh the irony. For some reason Ray Ratto's line in his column about our sack fest has stayed with me--he called the Furd offensive line a "padded turnstile."

According to Wiki:

Quote:

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The term "Big Game" was first used in 1900, when it was played on Thanksgiving Day in San Francisco. During that game, a large group of men and boys, who were observing from the roof of the nearby S.F. and Pacific Glass Works, fell into the fiery interior of the building when the roof collapsed, resulting in 13 dead and 78 injured. On December 4, 1900, the last victim of the disaster (Fred Lilly) died, bringing the death toll to 22; and, to this day, the "Thanksgiving Day Disaster" remains the deadliest accident to kill spectators at a U.S. sporting event

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http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/sudden-death-boys-fell-to-their-doom-in-sfs-forgotten-disaster/Content?oid=2186046
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Game_(American_football)#cite_ref-1
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4811831