Who doesn’t love a catch when the game is on the line to keep a drive alive!
And that is where we start with the Virginia Cavaliers Jake McGee.
Trailing late in the fourth quarter, McGee came down with a one-handed prayer to keep the game-winning drive alive.
The biggest game of the year in the ACC was the Clemson Tigers against the Florida State Seminoles in a Top 5 match up at that point.
Clemson came out red hot thanks to plays like this one from Sammy Watkins to Andre Ellington.
The Duke Blue Devils had a magical season.
But there was not a better moment for any Blue Devil than this game winning catch by Jamison Crowder to knock off their arch rival North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Miami Hurricanes Duke Johnson was an electrifying player in the ACC in 2012.
It was next to impossible to pick just one of his amazing plays as a freshman...
But this kick-off return showed off just about everyone of his moves and skills on the season and what Al Golden and Hurricane fans have to look forward to for a few more years.
Well the Virginia Tech Hokies did not have the season it wanted to for sure.
But there still were a lot of big plays for the Hokies...
None more impressive than this crazy catch by Corey Fuller...
The Miami Hurricanes had a crazy run of winning games on the last play for a few weeks in a row in 2012.
None, though, were better than this 62-yard game winner from Stephen Morris to Phillip Dorsett!
Stefon Diggs was a one man highlight film in 2012...
There are at least 10 Must See Moment videos!
He did things a freshman shouldn’t have been able to do...
So in Diggs honor, he gets a trio of plays...
A 99-yard kickoff return, a 103-yard kickoff return and an incredible one-handed catch.
Enjoy!
A truly great play is one that is made when the entire weight of the world is pressing on your shoulders.
That is exactly what E.J. Manuel felt when he found Rashad Green to lift the Florida State Seminoles past the Virginia Tech Hokies and clinch the Atlantic Division Title.
A lot was expected out of the North Carolina State Wolfpack in 2012...
And unfortunately, the Wolfpack could not live up to any of their hype.
But for a few hours on October 6, NC State and Glennon were world beaters...
These eyes have seen a lot of things in sports in 40 years...
Walk off homers, hail mary passes for winners, half court buzzer beaters...
You name it...
But something that is rare and these eyes have not seen is a punt return for a win.
And with that, let’s introduce the world to Gio Bernard...
The greatest thing about this play is that North Carolina Tar Heels Head Coach Larry Fedora called his lat two timeouts back to back to give Bernard extra time to rest.
It was like Fedora, Bernard and the entire Tar Heel team knew he was going to win the game on this one play...
Simply an amazing play that so happened to be the ACC Play of the Year for 2012.
-----------------------------------------------------------M Shannon Smallwood has over 10 years of experience in broadcasting and journalism in professional baseball and college athletics and is the ACC Football Guru, SEC Voice of Reason and College Football Comedian for Rant Sports. He is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the US Basketball Writers Association.
Follow him @woodysmalls.
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