Five Years Under Clay Stapleton - The Big Plays

one of the wonderful things about the world of sports is the memory of the big games the reliving of the thrills and the retesting of the big plays and we all have our own ideas about what were the big plays on some we can't agree on others we have as many viewpoints as there are people any time a group of Iowa State fans get together for a football discussion there's going to be some argument about clay Stapleton's football teams which one was the greatest who was the finest runner what was the most amusing game who hit the hardest who contributed the most well that was some of the plays from the 1958 season clay how would you like to have all three of those all-americans on one team the three all Americans under Stapleton Nicholls Watkins Hoffman Dwight Nichols was the first he showed his ability as he moved into strong left formation swung back to the weak side started working his way toward the goal and was home free Tom Watkins he was a great one for the Cyclones and always will be no runner ever had the blend of power speed and Drive Nebraska 1959 on a kickoff Tom moved the ball right up the middle and with the help of his own running and a fine block by cliff Rick went all the way for 84 yards in whipping the Cornhuskers Kansas State 1961 and one of Dave Hoffman's finest performances Kansas State punted to the cyclone 29 and Hoffman went into action the early blockers set up the play he followed his blocking until he no longer needed it then simply outran his pursuers clay what about your next all-american Tom Vaughan ought to be the next one he's going to follow the other top backs the key is Tom's determination even when he's bobbling the ball he's still heading for the goal line earlier in the 1962 season there was a similar play this time it was Colorado but the six points won on the boards for the Cyclones just the same come on in Karl get in the argument I think you gentlemen you all know Karl pluton you know out of all these big plays I think the funniest was what khun's running in the rain at Oklahoma it was a great day for Tom and everyone has always wanted to know whether this was the American or the Australian crawl it wasn't funny to Oklahoma State though Tom simply ran the cowpoke's out of the game on the first drive with some more of the great running that characterized his play that year funny sure but when we needed a touchdown badly and that crack was running out the Jayhawks were leading 7 to nothing with little more than half a minute left in the half Kansas John Hale dropped back to pass and Iowa State's John Cooper leaped in to intercept the Cyclones had the ball on the Kansas 36 yard line Dave Hoffman took the ball himself and drove around the right side for nine yards before he threw himself out of bounds on the Kansas 27 Hoffman was again the ball carrier only this time it was a pass to Larry Schreiber Hoffman came right back on the same play hitting Larry Monterey right in front of his defenders and the Cyclones had a touchdown and they still had three seconds to spare no doubt that was a great pressure game but the Oklahoma game of 1916 meant a lot to all you fellas yes all of us do remember we hadn't stopped Oklahoma in 23 games they had a 6 to 3 lead but we had possession of the ball on the 1-yard line with third down coming up Tom Watkins dough over the Sooners and the fans thought he had scored but the official said no now it was desperate there was no doubt Tom carried the ball into the end zone for a 9 to 6 lead that was the real pressure play and what a celebration it cuddly clay hidden f 262 Oregon State game what a lot of explosive Portland Oregon September 1962 Huffman rolled to his right and found Larry montre with Schweitzer at quarterback Hoffman took his pitch leapt over left tackle cut to the outside and went in for the touchdown Iowa State came right back with more action after the Cyclones had recovered an Oregon state bumble Larry Schweitzer handed off to Hoffman who carried it to the six yard line Sweitzer still had more fireworks to show when he flipped the ball to Dave Hoover little David moved right into the endzone for the score but Switzer wasn't through providing excitement he faked to Hoffman to pull in the defense stepped out to his left to spot Limerick in the open dick took the ball and with some fancy work of his own had a touchdown on a play that covered 59 yards those were early aerial explosions but the Cyclones were still at it at the end of the season two against Ohio University the Cyclones recovered a fumble and had the ball for the first time in the game Hoffman is the quarterback rolling to the right he lofted a pass to lonesome Larry Schreiber in the end zone for the first scoring of the game one play one touchdown Lightning was about to strike again Ohio try to pass deep in its own territory and Tom Vaughn intercepted it and was downed on the Ohio 44 on the run pass option Huffman took off to his left gave a couple of fakes and then fired a strike to Randy kid on the other corner of the endzone two plays two touchdowns it's hard to beat efficiency like that but there have been lots of exciting plays for cyclone fans plays that have thrilled Iowa State errs during the five years we have had clay Stapleton as head football coach South Dakota 1958 with peat go surpassing - the cyclone left in a block by Tom Watkins then a wing back set him free for the score that same season Don Webb got in a beautiful reverse against Arizona he got a blocker to where he needed him early and then it was just a losing race for the Wildcats nickels against Kansas State and a perfect example of football determination as Nick went 34 yards to score Nichols again but passing to Don Webb who carried it to the Denver 35 in 1959 with the ball on the 18 it is nickels to Bob Anderson what a tremendous effort he made to get a touchdown remember when Mickey fitzgerald got behind the Colorado defense for a 50-yard touchdown pass from Nichols you seldom see past receivers that open but Mickey made it that day Don Webb again against San Jose in 1959 the fast stepping Webb opened the 55 to nothing game with a 72 yard kickoff run for a touchdown diving caches were popular in 1959 it was Fitzgerald against Oklahoma taking nickels toss for an 18 yard scoring play Dave Hoffman made his debut against Drake in 1960 he picked up 20 yards on a play to the Drake 40-yard line then Tom Watkins made another of his great runs going 40 yards through and around the Drake defenders for six more points Hoffman had his top sophomore game at Detroit he took a Titan punt and returned it to the 44 yard line a moment later he pulled a naked reverse and outrace the Detroit defenders for a 50-yard touchdown sprint in 1961 the Cyclones won the championship of Oklahoma defeating all three teams in that state against Oklahoma State the score was tied hoffman made it look easy with a 40 yard run for six points and the victory the Cyclones won two straight from Oklahoma in 1960 and 1961 at Norman in 1961 Hoffman moved the ball to the oklahoma 18 yard line on a 13 yard play coach clay Stapleton sent Ozzie clay into action on the next play and he responded with a beautiful bit of maneuvering for the score only moments later in the first period of that same Oklahoma game the Cyclones recovered a fumble to set up another Ozzie clay score clay moved the ball to the Sooner 12 he came right back with a scoring spurt that brought the score to 21 to nothing all in the first period Huffman was always dangerous either as a runner or a passer one play against Kansas State demonstrated his airpower he dropped back to check the defense and fired Tulare montre the big tree fought off a wildcat defenseman and hurried in for the touchdown in that same game Hoffman turned in a pair of long runs one of them came late in the third period with the ball on the Iowa State 30 Hoffman followed his blockers into the open and then picked up Randy kid he used kid to control the k-state defender finally cutting inside both of them to finish the 70 yard sprint Hoffman and Dick Limerick teamed up on a pair of passes against Boston College in 1961 Hoffman hipped Limerick on the BC 48 and the big Sioux City wingback battled free to the Eagles 35 Hoffman and Limerick did it again with dick taking the ball away from Boston College defenders and fighting his way in for a 33 yard touchdown play huffman set up one of his great runs against Nebraska with a pass play he tossed for an eight-yard gain 2jw Burton with the ball on the 50 Hoffman proved he could smash as well as slash he powered up the middle veered to the right twisted turned refused to go down and closed out a 50-yard play into the end zone for six points it was in 1962 when Huffman and Otis Williams teamed up on a play against Colorado Colorado failed on a fourth down pass and the Cyclones took over Hoffman called the run fast option to the left and hit Williams just into the secondary the speedy sophomore out raced the Buffs to the corner of the field for a 40 yard score Tom Vaughan turned in a beautiful run on a front return going 85 yards to score against Oklahoma State the fans who saw it thought it was one of Iowa State's great plays Vaughn had another great run at Kansas State captain clapper won the toss and elected to receive the ball went to Vaughn on the 17 yard line just that fast the return was set up and Vaughn roared right down the middle he covered the 83 yards in eight seconds clay I think you've missed the greatest play on the books I know a lot of folks would agree with me you showed a lot of Matic that we've been wondering too if anyone was going to bring this up it was at Nebraska in 1960 Iowa State trailed seven to nothing Nebraska tried to pass from its own 20 and it looked like it was meant for Mickey Fitzgerald all the way as he took it and ran it back to the 20-yard line Tom Watkins got the ball and it looked like everybody in the stands hit him but that didn't stop the determined all-american clay has been a coach with the big plays the ones that have thrilled the fans for five years when they gather for whatever the reason the argument seemed to fly fast and furious over which was the biggest or the best but none of it would have been possible without the help of his able assistants Vernon Gayle Bernie Miller Lou McCullough dick Corrick Ernie's Wallen ray Bickerstaff and Archie Steel they've helped make it all possible relax for now but just be ready for next fall all the big plays haven't been used up yet