Bucs Get Great Come From Behind Win in the Last Seconds and 20 of the Best Sports Wins in History

Bucs Get Great Come From Behind Win in the Last Seconds and 20 of the Best Sports Wins in History

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled off an impressive come-from-behind victory against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but was it one of the best sports wins in history? Considering some of the incredible wins we’ve seen in the sports world over the past 100 years, I’m going to have to say not even close. 

Of course, that statement doesn’t take away from what Tom Brady and the Bucs did on Sunday – it’s more a testament to what we’ve seen in the past. Before the game, the Bucs were 3-5, were losers of 3 straight, were in a tight division race, and Brady had just announced his divorce with Gisele Bundchen

The season was falling apart and things were even worse when the Bucs found themselves down 13-6 at the start of the fourth quarter. Of course, that didn’t stop them from scoring 10 unanswered points in the final 15 minutes to secure a much-needed, thrilling 16-13 win over the defending Super Bowl champions. 

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How Does the Bucs’ Win Rank Against Some of the Best Sports Wins in History?

Bucs Get Great Come From Behind Win in the Last Seconds and 20 of the Best Sports Wins in History
kovop58 / Shutterstock

It wasn’t just the fact they came away with a win that surprised us on Sunday, but it was how the Bucs did it that left us with our jaws dropped. The team had already chipped away at the lead with a field goal nearly seven minutes into the fourth quarter, giving them plenty of chances to chip away even more. 

The defense got a stop, giving Tom Brady the ball with just under six minutes left. He led the Bucs on a four-minute drive that brought the ball to the Rams’ six yard line, but the drive ended in a turnover on downs after an incomplete pass on 4th down. Luckily, the defense got another stop with 50 seconds left. 

Brady went 5/6 on the ensuing drive (the only incompletion being a spiked ball to stop the clock) and threw a one-yard redemption touchdown to tight end Cade Otton with 13 seconds left. The Rams had one last chance to score a game-winning touchdown, but the Bucs stopped them and won 16-13. 

It was an exciting and thrilling way to end the game, but how does that rank against some of the best sports wins in history? Well, let’s take a look at some of the wins that come to mind!

20. Pacers Defeat Knicks, 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Game 1)

On May 7, 1995, the New York Knicks hosted the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Pacers were fresh off a sweep of the Atlanta Hawks, while the Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games. With less than 20 seconds left in Game 1, the Knicks had a 105-99 over Indiana.

That’s when Reggie Miller decided someone had to step up – and that someone had to be him. Just seconds after hitting a three-pointer, Miller stole the ball off an inbounds play and hit another three-pointer to tie the game at 105-105. After a defensive stop, he was fouled and hit two free throws to win the game.

19. Secretariat, 1973 Belmont Stakes

Entering the 1973 Belmont Stakes, Secretariat was fresh off a Kentucky Derby win on May 5, 1973 and a Preakness Pass win on May 19, 1973 – the horse won both races by 2.5 lengths and finished the Kentucky Derby in a record time. Secretariat had an opportunity to win the Triple Crown on June 9, 1973.

Not only did Secretariat win the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown, but he did so in a record time of 2:24 and won by a whopping 31 lengths – the largest margin of victory in the race’s history. Now nearly 50 years later, we have never seen a horse put on as good of a performance as Secretariat did in 1973. 

18. Holm Defeats Rousey, UFC 193

On November 14, 2015, Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm clashed inside the octagon at UFC 193 for the Women’s Bantamweight Championship – the fight took place at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Rousey was a perfect 10-0 entering the highly-anticipated fight, while Holm was a perfect 2-0.

While Rousey was the heavy favorite, Holm came out strong and used her excellent boxing skills to control the distance between the two. After winning the first round, Holm connected with a beautiful kick to Rousey’s neck, knocking her out just one minute into the second round. She shocked the entire world. 

17. Rockets Defeat Spurs, 2004-05 Regular Season

On December 9, 2004, the Houston Rockets hosted the San Antonio Spurs for a regular season matchup that ended up being an instant classic. The Rockets were 18-11 entering the game, while the Spurs were 16-4. With 45 seconds left, the Spurs hit a free throw to go up 76-68 – but the Rockets didn’t give up.

Tracy McGrady hit a three with 35 seconds left. The Spurs hit two more free throws, but McGrady converted a four-point play with 24 seconds left. The Spurs hit two more free throws, but McGrady hit another three with 11 seconds left and another one with 2 seconds left to win the game by 1. He scored 13 points in 33 seconds. 

16. Villanova Defeats Georgetown, 1985 NCAA Championship

The 1985 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship was one for the ages. It featured the heavily-favored Georgetown Hoyas against the Villanova Wildcats. The Hoyas entered the game 35-2 and were the defending National Champions, while Villanova was just 24-10 on the season – they were a No. 8 seed.

The game took place on April 1, 1985 at Rupp Arena in Louisville, KY. The Hoyas didn’t have an answer defensively as the Wildcats turned in what became known as ‘the perfect game.’ As a team, Villanova shot an impressive 79% from the field, including 37 points in the second half to beat Georgetown 66-64. 

15. Douglas Defeats Tyson, February 1990

There’s only one boxer in the history of the sport to say they ended Mike Tyson’s perfect career – Buster Douglas. The two met inside the boxing ring on February 11, 1990 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. Entering the fight, Tyson was 37-0 as the undisputed heavyweight champion, while Douglas was 29-4-1.

There was a bit of controversy that happened at the end of the eighth round, but Douglas was winning the fight and didn’t show any fear throughout. Tyson barely survived the ninth round with his eye closed shut. An uppercut by Douglas – followed by four more shots – knocked Tyson out for the first time in his career.

14. Guardians Defeat Mariners, 2001 Regular Season

On August 15, 2001, the Cleveland Guardians hosted the Seattle Mariners for their 109th game of the 2001 regular season. Entering the game, Cleveland was 61-48 and Seattle was 80-30. By the end of the third inning, the Mariners proved they were the superior team by taking a 12-0 lead early in the game.

The Guardians (then-Indians) scored two runs in the fourth, but Seattle responded with two of their own in the fifth – taking a 14-2 lead. Then something amazing happened. The Guardians scored 12 runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings to tie the game before scoring a game-winning run in the 11th inning.

13. Appalachian State Defeats Michigan, 2007 Regular Season

On September 1, 2007, the Michigan Wolverines hosted the Appalachian State Mountaineers in what was supposed to be an easy win for the Blue. It was the first game of the 2007 regular season for both teams, with Michigan entering the game as the No. 5 ranked team in the nation – Appalachian was unranked. 

Michigan took a 14-7 lead into the second quarter, but they weren’t prepared for what the Mountaineers had in store for them – outscoring the Blue 21-3 in the quarter. While Michigan outscored App State 15-6 in the second half, the Mountaineers kicked a game-winning field goal with 30 seconds left for the upset. 

12. Pirates Defeat Yankees, 1960 World Series

The 1960 World Series was supposed to be the New York Yankees’ 11th championship in 13 years – they had won 10 of the previous 12. They finished 97-57 and played the 95-59 Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. The Yanks outscored the Pirates 46-17 through the first six games, but the series was tied 3-3. 

Game 7 was everything you would hope for. The Yanks were up 7-5 in the middle of the eighth inning, but gave up four runs in the bottom of the inning – giving PIttsburgh a 9-7 lead. The Yanks scored two in the ninth inning to tie it up, but the Pirates hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth. 

11. Cavaliers Defeat Warriors, 2016 NBA Finals

The 2016 NBA Finals was the second straight Finals that featured LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Steph won it the year prior and was in line to win it again after setting an NBA record with 73 wins in the regular season – it was a picture perfect year. 

That is until the Finals came along. The Warriors were up 2-0 in the series, but the Cavs took Game 3. James found himself down 3-1 after Game 4, a deficit no team has ever come back from. That’s exactly what the Cavaliers did, winning three straight games – including a tight four-point win in Game 7. 

10. Cubs Defeat Guardians, 2016 World Series

Speaking of being down 3-1 when it matters most, the Chicago Cubs trailed the Cleveland Guardians (then-Indians) 3-1 in the 2016 World Series. At the time, the Cubs were on a 108-year championship drought and hadn’t been to the World Series since 1997. They needed a comeback and they got one. 

After winning Games 5 and 6, it came down to Game 7. The Cubs controlled the tempo most of the game and had a 6-3 lead in the middle of the eighth inning, but Cleveland scored three runs to tie it up. The Cubs outscored the Guardians 2-1 in the 10th inning to finally end their drought – in style, might I add. 

9. United States Defeats Soviet Union, 1980 Winter Olympics

During the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY, the United States’ men’s hockey team went an impressive 4-0-1 in group play to advance to the medal round. Their first of two games was against a powerhouse in the Soviet Union – they won the past four Olympic gold medals dating back to 1964. 

The game was tied 2-2 at the end of the first period, but the heavily-favored Soviets took a 3-2 lead in the second period. Roughly nine minutes into the final period, Team USA scored to tie the game 3-3. They scored again a little over one minute later and held the fort down for the final 10 minutes to win. Team USA played Finland two days later and won that game to take home a gold medal. 

8. Red Sox Defeat Yankees, 2004 World Series

The Boston Red Sox finished the 2004 season 98-64 and were fresh off a 3-0 sweep of the Angels in the ALDS. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees finished the 2004 season 101-61 and were coming off a 3-1 win over the Twins in the ALDS. The Yanks and Red Sox faced off in what was an instant classic ALCS. 

The Yanks took a commanding 3-0 series lead – a lead no team has ever come back from. The Red Sox did just that, forcing a Game 7 – Games 4 and 5 went to extra innings. On October 20, 2004, the Red Sox completed the comeback and left no doubt about it – defeating the Yankees 10-3 and hitting 3 home runs. 

7. Giants Defeat Patriots, Super Bowl XLII

The New England Patriots were in a league of their own in 2007-08 – finishing the regular season a perfect 16-0. Led by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, the Patriots beat the Jaguars and Chargers in the playoffs en route to their fourth Super Bowl appearance as a QB-coach duo – they were 3-0 previously.

Little did they know the New York Giants were their kryptonite. The Pats held a 7-3 lead at halftime, but a TD pass from Eli Manning gave the Giants a 10-7 lead in the fourth quarter. Tom Brady slung a TD to Randy Moss to take a 14-10 lead with 2:45 left in the game. Then Manning did something special. 

He led the Giants 83 yards down the field and threw a TD pass with just 40 seconds left – giving the Giants a 17-14 lead. The Patriots weren’t able to score, dropping their record to 18-1 on the year. 

6. Bills Defeat Oilers, 1992 NFL Playoffs

If you like comeback wins, then you’re going to marvel at the largest comeback in NFL history. It occurred during a 1993 Wild Card playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers. The Oilers had an impressive 35-3 lead over the Bills early in the third quarter, but Buffalo was ready to circle the wagons. 

The Bills scored four unanswered touchdowns to end the third quarter down 35-31. Another touchdown early in the fourth quarter put the Bills up 38-35, but Houston tied it up with a late field goal. The game went to overtime, where the Bills scored a game-winning field goal. It was quite the comeback victory. 

5. Leicester City Wins 2015-16 Premier League Title

This sports win isn’t just one game, but a collection of games throughout an entire season that led to an improbable Premier League title for Leicester City in the Premier League – England’s highest-tier league. Before the season started, Leicester City had 5000-1 odds to win the title, which they famously overcame.

Leicester City finished the 2015-16 season with a 23-12-3 record (81 points) – 10 points more than the runner-up, Arsenal. They scored 68 goals and only gave up 36 in 38 matches. They were confirmed the champions on May 2nd, fresh off a 1-1 tie against Manchester United. It was quite the shocking season.

4. N.C. State Defeats Houston, 1983 NCAA Championship

On April 4, 1983, the No. 1 ranked Houston Cougars went head-to-head with the No. 6 ranked N.C. State Wolfpack in the 1983 men’s basketball National Championship game. The Wolfpack, led by head coach Jim Valvano, were heavy underdogs with no one giving them much of a chance to beat the Cougars. 

Nonetheless, Jimmy V led his team to a hot start and the Wolfpack held a 33-25 lead at halftime. Despite being outscored 27-21 in the second half, it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback as N.C. State pulled off the incredible upset – thanks to a tip-in shot with just seconds left on the game clock. 

3. Tiger Woods, 2019 Masters Tournament

The 2019 Masters Tournament was slated to be a special one, no matter the outcome. Tiger Woods hadn’t won a major in 11 years, facing a myriad of personal issues, injuries, and surgeries in that time. No one expected him to contend at the 2019 Masters as many people were already writing him off as done. 

He did the improbable, though. He wasn’t near the top of the leaderboard after the first round, but started to climb in the second round. By the end of the third round, he was tied for 2nd with a -11. In the final round, things went his way during the back 9 and he putted his way to a fifth career Masters win. 

2. Patriots Defeat Falcons, Super Bowl LI

The New England Patriots didn’t end the 2016-17 regular season a perfect 16-0 (like they did in 2007-08), but they still found their way to the Super Bowl – this time against the Atlanta Falcons. Unfortunately for Tom Brady, his team was getting swamped and they were down 28-3 halfway through the third quarter. 

That’s when Brady started to take control. They scored 25 unanswered points, including a rushing TD by James White with under one minute left, to tie the game and take it into overtime. White once again scored a goal line touchdown to give the Patriots a 34-28 win – overcoming a massive 25-point deficit. 

1. Chiefs Defeat Bills, 2021 Playoffs (Divisional Round)

This is a sports win that happened recently, but it can easily go down as one of the best sports games of all time – period. The game featured two of the greatest young quarterbacks in the league – Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. And they proved why late in the game. 

The Chiefs had a 26-21 lead with under two minutes left in the game. The Bills scored a TD with 1:54 left in the game, matched by a Chiefs’ TD with 1:02 left, which was matched by a Bills’ TD with 13 seconds left, which was matched by a last-second Chiefs’ field goal to tie the game and bring it into overtime. 

Both teams combined for 25 points in the final two minutes of the game, which was unheard of. In OT, the Chiefs got the ball first and drove the field for a game-winning TD. It was a moment of triumph for the Chiefs, but a moment of tragedy for the Bills. 

Have You Witnessed Any of the Best Sports Wins in History?

We never really know when we’ll be blessed enough to witness one of the best sports wins in history, but every now and then we’re surprised with an incredible game that has on the edge of our seats throughout. Some of those games happened recently, while others might take you back several decades, if not longer.

Whether it’s a come-from-behind victory, a Cinderella story or underdog, a complete and utter blowout, or a historic win that gets put in the record books, the best sports wins in history each have their own unique story that makes them so special. Those that get to witness it will never understand how lucky they are. 

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As we await the next mindblowing and jaw-dropping win sports has to offer, let’s do our part in supporting these teams and athletes on a daily basis. They might make it look easy out there, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth and they deserve a lot of credit for continuing to put their body on the line.

High School Football Team in Kansas Wins 108-0; Here Are 20 of the Other Biggest Blowouts in Sports History

On September 30th, the Andale High School football team had one of the biggest blowouts in sports history when they defeated Nickerson High School 108-0. Andale is used to blowing teams out as one of the top football programs in the nation, but this was an all-time best. 

With no mercy rule in 11-on-11 football in the state of Kansas, there wasn’t a whole lot stopping Andale from running up the score. In fact, Andale did everything in their power to avoid adding to their 78-0 halftime lead, playing their freshman and junior varsity players in the second half.

Even then, their youngest were outplaying Nickerson’s oldest. “It was a tough game to be a part of, it really was… We thought about kneeling it, but we felt like that would have been more disrespectful. We tried to slow things down and send it in slower,” said Andale’s head coach.

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What Are Some of the Biggest Blowouts in Sports History?

High School Football Team in Kansas Wins 108-0; Here Are 20 of the Other Biggest Blowouts in Sports History
Tony Bowler / Shutterstock

When you look at the stats, Andale’s victory over Nickerson deserves to be considered as one of the biggest blowouts in sports history – it was as lopsided as it gets. They finished with 395 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 35 offensive plays. Their defense scored three touchdowns.

Three of the touchdowns that came in the second half were by freshmen and Andale used a total of 14 different ball carriers in an attempt to slow the game down. Andale held Nickerson to -62 yards rushing and zero – that’s right, zero – completions. They couldn’t get anything going.

It was Andale’s 43rd consecutive victory under their current head coach, Dylan Schmidt, as they continue their pursuit of a fourth state title. In honor of their recent dominance in football, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest blowouts in sports history – some of them are insane!

20. Steffi Graf Wins 1988 French Open

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEFEGnPrsZg

Before the 1988 French Open began, everyone had a feeling they would see either Martina Navratilova or Chris Evert in the final – at least one of them had been featured in each final since 1981. That came to an end in 1988 and Steffi Graf was the main culprit behind it. 

Through the first four rounds, Graf was 8-0, including three 6-0 set victories. She beat Bettina Fulco 6-0, 6-1 before facing resistance against Gabriela Sabatini – Graf won in two sets. At the final, she beat Natasha Zvereva 6-0, 6-0. Graf went on to win all four major finals in 1988.

19. Secretariat Wins 1973 Belmont Stakes

On June 9, 1973, the 105th edition of the Belmont Stakes drew a crowd of over 69,138 people as they hoped to watch Secretariat do something no horse had accomplished in 25 years – win the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. And that’s exactly what they got to witness that day.

After winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Pass in May earlier that year, Secretariat won the 1973 Belmont Stakes. He finished the race in 2 minutes and 24 seconds and won by 31 lengths – the largest margin of victory in Belmont Stakes history and fastest 1.5 mile finish ever.

18. Tiger Woods Wins 2000 US Open 

Between June 15 and June 18, the world’s best golfers gathered at Pebble Beach Golf Links to compete in the 2000 U.S. Open – the 100th edition of the event. It was Jack Nicklaus’ final U.S. Open appearance, but it’s what Tiger Woods did that people will remember forever. 

Woods not only won the tournament, but finished with the largest margin of victory in major history – he won by 15 strokes. He shot 12 under par for the weekend, with Ernie Els and Miguel Ángel Jiménez scoring a +3 as the runner-ups. It was Woods’ third major victory. 

17. Pacers Defeat Thunder 152-95 in 2021

On May 1, 2021, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder by a score of 152-95 – their 57-point win was the most lopsided victory in NBA history at the time. The Pacers shot 65.5% from the field and 63.6% from long range – hitting 21 three-point shots in the game. 

Domantas Sabonis had a triple double – 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 14 assists – while Doug McDermott led the team with 31 points. Caris LeVert chipped in with 25 points and they had 44 points off the bench. Meanwhile, the Thunder only had two starters score more than 10 points. 

16. Grizzlies Defeat Thunder 152-79 in 2022

If their loss to Indiana in 2021 didn’t humble the Oklahoma City Thunder, then it did in 2022 when the Memphis Grizzlies beat them 152-79 – their 73-point win is now the largest margin of victory in NBA history. The Grizzlies shot 62.5% from the field and 52.8% from beyond the arc. 

The Grizzlies had nine players finish in double-digits – in fact, they only had three players not score in double-digits, and those players still combined for 17 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the game with 27 points, but even more impressive was the fact they did it without Ja Morant

15. Nebraska Defeats Chicago State 50-3 in 1999

On March 16, 1999, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Chicago State Cougars college baseball teams were preparing for a double-header. While the Cornhuskers defeated the Cougars 9-2 in the first outing, it was what they did in the second outing that garnered national attention. 

The final score of that second game was 50-3 – that’s not a typo. They set two NCAA records with that score – the previous record for most runs scored in a college baseball game was 42 and the previous record for largest margin of victory in a college baseball game was 41. 

14. Rangers Defeat Orioles 30-3 in 2007

On August 22, 2007, the Texas Rangers defeated the Baltimore Orioles by an incredible score of 30-3 – it was the first time an MLB team scored at least 30 runs in 110 years. The craziest part of this incredible blowout is the fact that Texas was down 3-0 at the end of the third inning. 

From the fourth inning on, the Rangers scored 30 unanswered runs. They finished with 29 hits in 57 at-bats – including four hits from Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vasquez, and five from David Murphy. Saltalamacchia and Vasquez each hit two home runs in the monster win.

13. Red Wings Defeat Rangers 15-0 in 1944

When you look at all the biggest blowouts in NHL history, none of them were as lopsided as the Detroit Red Wings’ 15-0 rout of the New York Rangers on January 23, 1944. Not only that, but it was the first time in NHL history that a team scored 15 unanswered goals in the same game. 

A majority of their goals came in the second and third periods – they scored just two in the opening period, but five in the second period and eight more to end the game. The Maple Leafs and Oilers came close to doing the same, winning 13-0 in 1971 and 1985, respectively. 

12. Rams Defeat Falcons 59-0 in 1976

On December 4, 1976, the Los Angeles Rams – coached by Chuck Knox – hosted the Atlanta Falcons – coached by Pat Peppler – for a Week 13 matchup. It turned out to be one of the biggest blowouts in NFL history when the Rams beat the Falcons 59-0 at the Coliseum. 

The Rams scored nine points in the first quarter, 15 points in the second, 14 points in the third, and 21 points in the fourth. Five different players scored rushing touchdowns for the Rams, including 121 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns from Lawrence McCutcheon

11. Patriots Defeat Titans 59-0 in 2009

On October 18, 2009, the New England Patriots – coached by Bill Belichick – hosted the Tennessee Titans – coached by Jeff Fisher – for a Week 6 matchup. The game ended up tying the Rams’ blowout as the most lopsided win in NFL history when the Patriots won 59-0. 

The Patriots scored a whopping 35 points in the second quarter and could’ve ran up the score more – they failed to score in the fourth quarter. Tom Brady finished 29/34 for 380 yards and 6 TDs. Randy Moss had 129 yards and 3 TDs, while Wes Welker had 150 yards and 2 TDs. 

10. Australia Defeats Namibia 142-0 in 2003

On October 25, 2003, the Australia Wallabies and the Namibia Welwitschias played a Pool A Rugby World Cup match at the Adelaide Oval in North Adelaide, Australia. The Welwitschias decided to sit several of their players in an attempt to rest them for a match the following week.

That decision came back to haunt them when Australia trampled them 142-0 in what was the largest margin of victory in World Cup history. Chris Latham scored five tries – an Australian Test record – and Mat Rogers scored 42 total points – an Australian record. It was a blowout.

9. Oklahoma Defeats Texas A&M 77-0 in 2003

On November 8, 2003 – just a few weeks after Australia’s blowout – we witnessed another one of the biggest blowouts in sports history, this time in college football. The Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Texas A&M Aggies 77-0 at home in Week 10 – improving to 10-0 on the season.

Jason White threw for a school record five touchdowns – three of which were thrown to Mark Clayton. Kejuan Jones and Paul Thompson each rushed for two touchdowns in the win, while the defense picked up a touchdown of their own – an 18-yard fumble return by Derrick Strait.

8. Michigan Defeats Rutgers 78-0 in 2016

On October 8, 2016, the Michigan Wolverines one-upped the Oklahoma Sooners with an even bigger blowout against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Wolverines won 78-0, improving to 6-0 on the season – they scored 29 points in the second quarter and 21 points in the final quarter. 

Their defense only allowed two first downs, while their offense picked up 29 first downs and 11 TDs. The Wolverines only passed the ball 16 times, but ran the ball 53 times. Chris Evans, Karan Higdon, Ty Isaac, Khalid Hill, and Jabrill Peppers combined for 455 yards and 9 TDs.

7. Penn State Defeats Cincinnati 81-0 in 1991

On September 7, 1991, the Penn State Nittany Lions were breaking in their newly-expanded stadium with a Week 2 matchup against the 0-1 Cincinnati Bearcats. The Nittany Lions didn’t leave room for doubt with an 81-0 win – a larger winning margin than Michigan and Oklahoma. 

Penn State ended up scoring 17 points after their first three possessions and didn’t let up the rest of the game, taking a 40-0 lead into halftime. Joe Paterno, who was coaching the team at the time, played his backups and reserves throughout the second half, but still scored 41 more.

6. Australia Defeats New Zealand 58-0 in 1987

During the 1987 Ice Hockey World Championships, Australia had a terrific showing in the Group D pool that included a 58-0 win against New Zealand on March 14, 1987 – the Australians were coming off a 37-0 win against Hong Kong the night before. There wasn’t much competition. 

That is until they played South Korea on March 15th – Australia won, but it was only 7-2. They later beat Hong Kong 42-0 on March 17th and New Zealand 29-0 on March 18th before a 4-4 tie against South Korea two days later. It’s one of the most dominant stretches in hockey history. 

5. Slovakia Defeats Bulgaria 82-0 in 2008

In a women’s qualifying match for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Slovakia and Bulgaria went head-to-head in what would become one of the most lopsided victories in hockey history. It all went down on September 9, 2008 when Slovakia earned an 82-0 shutout win against Bulgaria.

To put that into perspective, there are only 60 minutes in a game – meaning they scored a goal every 44 seconds, while not allowing a single one. They held a 31-0 lead at the end of the first period and saw 14 different skaters score at least one goal – Janka Culikova finished with 10.

4. South Korea Defeats Thailand 92-0 in 1998

If you thought that 82-0 win was lopsided, that wasn’t even the best of it. 10 years prior, in March 1998, South Korea and Thailand played a match at the 1998 IIHF Asian Oceanic U18 Championship. Things didn’t go very well for Thailand, who ended up losing the game 92-0. 

They were scoring a goal about every 40 seconds and, much like Slovakia, the South Korean men’s team didn’t allow a goal the entire game. They went on to beat Australia 22-1 and New Zealand 28-0 in that same tournament – Japan had an impressive 58-0 win vs. Thailand. 

3. Bears Defeat Redskins 73-0 in 1940

On December 8, 1940, the Chicago Bears and the Washington Commanders (then-Redskins) went head-to-head in the 1940 NFL Championship – the eighth edition of the event. It turned out to be one of the most lopsided professional football games of all-time – the Bears won 73-0. 

The Bears attempted just seven passes, but scored six TDs on the ground – Harry Clarke and Joe Maniaci each had two scores, while Bill Osmanski finished with 108 yards and a score of his own. Frankie Filchock and Sammy Baugh combined for 7 interceptions for Washington.

2. Haven HS Defeats Sylvia HS 256-0 in 1927

If you were wondering what the most points scored in a single football game was, you found it. It happened on November 16, 1927 when Haven High School was mismatched against Sylvia High School – they played in the state of Kansas. Haven went on to win the game 256-0. 

Their star running back, Elvin McCoy, finished the game with 13 touchdowns and 12 extra points. The team’s captain, Jesse Atkinson, had 60 points in total. In fact, every offensive player scored, minus the center – who was given an opportunity to score, but dropped the ball.

1. Georgia Tech Defeats Cumberland 222-0 in 1916

High school football is fun, but you’ll be surprised to learn that a similar score was reached in a college football game between the Georgia Tech Engineers and Cumberland Bulldogs in 1916. It was as lopsided as it gets in football with Georgia Tech outscoring their opponent 222-0. 

Cumberland had -42 rushing yards and just 14 passing yards – they threw six interceptions and lost nine fumbles. As for Georgia Tech, they finished the game with 922 rushing yards, 32 rushing touchdowns, and 0 pass attempts. They scored at least 42 points in each quarter. 

The Biggest Blowouts in Sports History Will Forever Amaze Us

Blowouts are a part of sports and while they happen frequently, it’s not often we get to witness the biggest blowouts in sports history. With competition at an all-time high in all sports across the world, it’s not everyday a team beats another team as badly as Andale beat Nickerson. 

Nonetheless, the Nickerson football team handled the loss perfectly – with grace. “Of course it’s hard losing like that, but I have a lot of respect for coach Schmidt and their program,” said the team’s head coach, Taylor Bauman, adding he had ‘absolutely nothing against what he did.’

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The biggest blowouts in sports history will never cease to amaze us – no matter how much time passes. And we love it even more when they end on good terms, with both teams respecting one another. At the end of the day, that’s the biggest lesson we can take away from all of this.

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At The Buzzer, or ATB is the place for those who love sports, life, family, community, and so much more. We are far from the run-of-the-mill 24/7 sports news websites. We not only bring you what’s happening in the world of sports in terms of trades and breaking news, but we also bring you the news that goes on behind the scenes, like big life moments, and so much more. So take a minute and read one of our articles, we promise you won't regret it.