Pac-12 Network revisits ‘Fifth Down’ on Wednesday

The Pac-12 Network turns back the clock on Wednesday, July 29 with the best football games from the 1990’s. One of the great moments picked by the conference was the game between No. 12 Colorado and Missouri on Oct. 6, 1990.

The Big 8 match up infamously became known as the “Fifth Down” game with the Buffs needing the luck of an extra down for backup quarterback Charles Johnson to run in a 1-yard touchdown as time expired. The 33-31 win for CU saved their season on the way to a National Championship win over Notre Dame in the 1991 Orange Bowl.

Perhaps many people don’t know the story behind the extra down in Columbia. In Ralphie Report’s look back “25 Years Later: The fifth Down play remembered”, downs marker Rich Montgomery admitted to being distracted by a medical emergency playing out in the stands.

“Believe it or not, the additional down could’ve been due to a medical emergency. A man behind CU’s sideline suffered a heart attack that required medical attention right toward the end of the game. Montgomery, who was downs marker, claimed to be distracted by the man in the stands and failed to advance the down. While driving home to Blue Springs, Mo, he realized how the Tigers lost and immediately agonized in pain and threw up.”

Coverage of the Best of the 90’s starts with Colorado-Missouri at 9 a.m. MT on the Pac-12 Network. The marathon continue with games from the 2000’s on Thursday and 2010’s on Friday. Here’s the entire schedule for Wednesday’s contests (All available on TV or the Pac-12 Now app)

No. 12 Colorado at Missouri - October 6, 1990

8 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. MT

No. 19 USC at UCLA - November 17, 1990

9 a.m. PT / 10 a.m.

No. 3 Washington at No. 7 California - October 19, 1991

10 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. MT

No. 1 Washington at No. 12 Arizona - November 7, 1992

11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT

No. 13 Tennessee at No. 14 UCLA - September 3, 1994

12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT

No. 9 Washington at Oregon - October 22, 1994

1 p.m. PT / 2 p.m. MT

California at No. 17 USC - October 5, 1996

2 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. MT

Utah at Stanford - September 7, 1996

3 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. MT

USC at No. 4 Arizona State - October, 19 1996

4 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. MT

USC at UCLA - November 23, 1996

5 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. MT

No. 11 Washington State at No. 17 Washington - November 22, 1997

6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT

Notre Dame at No. 19 Stanford - October 4, 1997

8 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. MT

No. 15 Oregon at Oregon State - November 21, 1998

10 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. MT