The years go by, but October 15, 2005, remains college football’s very best Saturday of all time. Let’s relive this special day, 17 years later. #USC.
Whenever October 15 arrives on the calendar, it’s time to recall the USC-Notre Dame game from Oct. 15, 2005. This is obvious and doesn’t require any explanation. USC and Notre Dame fans instantly recognize October 15 as an unforgettable date stuffed with memories and the emotions attached to them.
What makes this year’s October 15 different and more resonant? October 15 is on a Saturday in 2022. This makes the memories from 2005 more vivid, because when we watch college football on this October 15, it will be easier to recall where we were when this incredible day of college football unfolded 17 years ago.
You know what happened in South Bend on Oct. 15, 2005. Let’s recall the other remarkable details of this day, regarded by many as college football’s greatest Saturday of all time:
On Dec. 3, 2005, Texas faced off against Colorado in the Big 12 championship game. They blew them out, 70-3, the largest win in history.
On Dec. 3, 2005, Texas faced off against Colorado in the Big 12 championship game. The two teams had already met earlier that season in Austin, with the Longhorns winning 42-17. With a national championship birth on the line, Texas blew out the Buffaloes, 70-3.
For the Longhorns, they pounded the ball on the ground, having 57 attempts for 268 yards. Six out of the nine touchdowns for Texas came on the ground. No one player, in particular, had a ridiculous amount of yards, as Jamaal Charles led the way with 62 yards. Romance Taylor, Henry Melton, Vince Young, and Selvin Young all had over 30 yards. Charles and Melton both had two touchdowns, while Vince and Selvin Young each had one.
Jamaal Charles of the Texas Longhorns scores a first-quarter touchdown versus the Colorado Buffalos in the Big 12 Championship Game at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on December 3, 2005. Texas won 70-3. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images)
In the air that day, Vince Young had his second-most efficient day of the year. In the regular-season matchup against Colorado, he completed 86% of this throws. In the Big 12 championship, he completed 82%, going 14-17. He added 193 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception.
Colorado struggled all day, only having 191 total yards. The Buffaloes fumbled four different times, losing it three times. Quarterback Joel Klatt had an interception, making it four turnovers for Colorado. When they were not turning it over, they were punting. The Longhorn defense forced seven punts, not letting the Buffaloes get any offensive rhythm.
The scoreboard during the Texas Longhorns against the Colorado Buffalos in the Big 12 Championship at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on December 3, 2005. Texas won 70-0. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images)
The 70-3 win is still the biggest win in the history of the Big 12 championship. Vince Young was named MVP of the game, having 250 total yards and four touchdowns. Texas improved to 13-0, setting themselves up for a matchup in the BCS Championship game against USC.
