Thirty years later, Cal and Stanford fans continue to argue over the validity of The Play. But they are in complete agreement on one matter this week: Having the Big Game in October is just plain strange.
"Tradition is a big part of it, and this is another step away," said Gary Tyrrell, the Stanford band trombone player who was run over at the end of Cal's five-lateral touchdown in the famous 1982 game.
The first October meeting in a rivalry that began in 1892 has prompted several changes to the Big Game routine:
• Cal Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and Stanford President John Hennessy won't meet on the field for their traditional pregame handshake. They're attending a conference in Washington, D.C.
• The coaches, Cal's Jeff Tedford and Stanford's David Shaw, skipped the annual Guardsmen luncheon Wednesday in San Francisco. They sent video greetings instead.
• The biggest casualty is Cal's annual Friday night bonfire rally at the Greek Theatre. The venue is booked – for a Bob Dylan concert.
Kalina Kwong, chair of the student-run UC Rally Committee said this is the heart of the Greek's concert season, leaving Cal no window.
The schools had the option to play the Big Game on the Saturday following Thanksgiving but were unified in their opposition: The holiday week would have detracted from events associated with the game.
Cal and Stanford officials wanted the game the Saturday before Thanksgiving, but their Pacific-12 Conference peers rejected that option because of problems it created for the league's master schedule.
The Big Game will be played in its traditional late-November window the next two years.
No. 2 Oregon 43, Arizona State 21 in Tempe, Ariz. – Kenjon Barner ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns for the Ducks (7-0, 4-0 Pac-12), who raced to a 36-point halftime lead. The Sun Devils (5-2, 3-1) forced a fumble on Oregon's second play and scored a touchdown on their first but wilted after that.
Notre Dame – Coach Brian Kelly will wait until shortly before the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish take the field against BYU on Saturday to decide whether to start quarterback Everett Golson, who sustained a concussion, or to replace him with Tommy Rees or Andrew Hendrix.
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