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Football

Top 10 catches of David Shaw Era

#10 - September 19, 2015 at No. 6 USC - Austin Hooper Beats a Pair of Defenders
October 26, 2017 at Oregon State – Kaden Smith Leaps to Convert on Fourth DownAustin Hooper leaped between two defenders and hauled in a 24-yard pass from Kevin Hogan that pushed Stanford to the USC 1-yard line and set up a Remound Wright one-yard plunge into the end zone. Hooper totaled four catches for 79 yards and a touchdown in the 41-31 victory on the road at No. 6 USC.

Trailing 14-9 on the road, Stanford decided to go for it on fourth-and-10 at the Oregon State 40 with 2:19 left in the game. Keller Chryst hit Kaden Smith with a 25-yard pass to keep the drive alive, ultimately leading to a game-winning touchdown catch from JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Smith, blanketed by a defender, leaped and secured the catch just over the top of the outstretched arms of the Beaver safety.
 

#9 - 2013 Rose Bowl (Wisconsin) - Jamal-Rashad Patterson Makes Full-Extension GrabWith Stanford lined up in the Wildcat on its opening drive, running back Anthony Wilkerson took a snap, and by way of two pitches, got the ball to receiver Drew Terrell who unleashed a 34-yard pass to Jamal-Rashad Patterson downfield. Patterson, draped by a Wisconsin defender, turned back toward the play and soared into full extension to high-point the football and secure the catch as he fell backward to the turf.
 

#8 - September 24, 2016 vs UCLA - JJ Arcega-Whiteside Out-Jumps Defender for TouchdownTrailing 13-9 with 2:05 left and no timeouts, senior quarterback Ryan Burns drove Stanford from its 30-yard line to the UCLA 8-yard line. With 31 seconds remaining, he lobbed a pass in the front-left side of the end zone to 6-foot-3 JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who outjumped a Bruin defender and kept one foot in bounds for the game-winner with 20 seconds to play. The touchdown was the first of Arcega-Whiteside's career.
 

#7 - October 26, 2019 vs. Arizona – Brycen Tremayne Stretches to Secure One-Handed TouchdownBrycen Tremayne got a step on his defender on a route into the end zone before stretching to make an athletic one-handed grab that handed Stanford a 14-10 lead in the second quarter of a 41-31 victory over Arizona. The touchdown grab was Treymayne's second on his second career catch.
 

#6 - September 22, 2018 at No. 20 Oregon – Colby Parkinson Tips Touchdown Pass over DefenderColby Parkinson nabbed a 23-yard touchdown pass in overtime to complete a 38-31 comeback victory at No. 20 Oregon. Parkinson reached back to tip a K.J. Costello pass up over a defender and into the end zone where he secured the catch for the eventual game-winner.
 

#5 - October 1, 2011 vs. UCLA – Coby Fleener Hauls in One-Handed Touchdown GrabTight end Coby Fleener caught two touchdown passes on his way to a four-catch, 78-yard performance to help guide Stanford to a 45-19 victory over UCLA. The highlight came on Stanford's opening drive, as Fleener made a one-handed grab in the end zone with a defender on his back to complete an 18-yard play.
 

#4 - November 17, 2012 at No. 1 Oregon – Zach Ertz Grabs Game-Tying TouchdownDown 14-7 on the road at top-ranked Oregon, Kevin Hogan hit Zach Ertz with a 10-yard scoring pass to tie it at 14 with 1:35 to go, setting up a 17-14 overtime victory over the Ducks. Ertz fought with a defender to gain control of the ball, eventually securing the catch as he fell to the turf on top of a Ducks player. The play was initially ruled incomplete, but a video review overturned it for the game-tying touchdown.
 

#3 - October 1, 2011 vs. UCLA – Andrew Luck Snags One-Handed Catch on Sideline Andrew Luck made an incredible one-handed catch in a 45-19 victory over UCLA, taking a throw down the sideline from receiver Drew Terrell on a flea flicker. The catch, at first ruled an incompletion but reversed upon review, came on Stanford's first drive of the game and set the tone in the rout of the Bruins.
 

#2 - October 19, 2013 vs. No. 9 UCLA - Kodi Whitfield Makes Spectacular One-Handed Touchdown GrabKodi Whitfield's first career touchdown catch, a spectacular 30-yard grab, broke a 3-3 third-quarter tie and sparked a 24-10 victory over No. 9 UCLA. With tight coverage by UCLA's Ishmael Adams, Whitfield leaped high for the pass with his right hand. The Bruins' Anthony Jefferson converged from behind on the play, thinking he had an interception, only for Whitfield to snag the pass one-handed, backhanded out of mid-air while being hit by Adams.
 

#1 - October 15, 2015 vs. UCLA – Francis Owusu Makes Catch of the YearWith Christian McCaffrey lined up in the shotgun and quarterback Kevin Hogan wide right, McCaffrey handed to Bryce Love on a reverse and pitched the ball to Hogan curling back around the pocket. Hogan took aim downfield and threw deep to Francis Owusu who had beat his defender. Turning back toward the play, and completely blind to the ball as Bruin safety Jaleel Wadood closed in, Osuwu reached for the pass, wrapped his arms around the defender, and caught the ball behind Wadood's back. As they fell to the ground, Owusu pinned the ball against Wadood with his left arm, securing the catch for a 41-yard score and a 42-17 lead. The play was widely hailed as the catch of the year in college football and video of the spectacular catch instantly went viral.
 

Honorable MentionOctober 15, 2015 vs. UCLA – Christian McCaffrey Tips Pass to Himself and Makes One-Handed Grab
With Stanford leading 28-10 in the second quarter, Christian McCaffrey fielded a screen pass from Kevin Hogan, tipping the pass to himself and making a fingertip one-handed grab while being held from behind by a UCLA lineman. Stanford would ultimately hand to McCaffrey on the next five plays – the last a 28-yard touchdown run.

November 16, 2019 at Washington State – Connor Wedington Spins for One-Handed Catch on Sideline
Connor Wedington spun away from a defender on a ball thrown to his back shoulder, reaching up to make a one-handed grab while tip-toing the sideline and getting out of bounds for a 25-yard reception at Washington State.

September 28, 2019 at Oregon State – Davis Mills and the "Stanford Special"
Quarterback Davis Mills made an athletic leaping grab for a touchdown from tight end Colby Parkinson on a play that has been termed the "Stanford Special" to help the Cardinal defeat Oregon State 31-28. Leading by seven points early in the fourth quarter, Stanford called a reverse as Mills pitched left to running back Cameron Scarlett, who handed to Parkinson, who then lofted a pass into the end zone for Mills. Mills used every inch of his 6-foot-4 frame to out-leap two Oregon State defenders for the score.