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Quiz about Clutch Plays and Players
Quiz about Clutch Plays and Players

Clutch Plays and Players Trivia Quiz


The highlights will forever replay in the hearts and minds of sports fans. From the heartpounding moment of truth to the triumphant victory celebration, these are some of those spectacular moments. How many do you remember?

A multiple-choice quiz by Sprink1234. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
Sprink1234
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
61,890
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
25
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
15 / 25
Plays
3863
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 25
1. In the 1987 AFC Championship game, John Elway led his team downfield against the Cleveland Browns in what would become known as 'The Drive.' Who was the receiver that caught the game-saving touchdown pass? Hint


Question 2 of 25
2. Wimbledon has seen some of the best tennis matches in history, including the 1980 Men's Final which featured a 34-point tiebreak between what two competitors? Hint


Question 3 of 25
3. During the 1999 Women's World Cup Championship (soccer) game against China, who kicked the eventual game-winning penalty shot for the United States? Hint


Question 4 of 25
4. In the 1996 Olympics, the fate of the US women's gymnastics team came down to one vault for the gold medal. Who was the gymnast that scored the winning points on an injured ankle? Hint


Question 5 of 25
5. In the 1981 NFC Championship Game, Joe Montana connected with Dwight Clark with 51 seconds left in what is often referred to as 'The Catch.' What team did this play help defeat? Hint


Question 6 of 25
6. In Duke's overtime victory against Kentucky to advance to the 1992 Final Four, Christian Laettner hit a last second turnaround shot from the top of the key. Who inbounded the ball from the far end of the court? Hint


Question 7 of 25
7. Which Yankee homered 3 times in game 6 of the 1977 World Series to earn the nickname 'Mr. October' ?

Answer: ( Two words, or just surname ... was voted World Series MVP twice)
Question 8 of 25
8. In the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, the underdog United States Hockey Team won the gold medal. What team did they defeat to win the gold medal? Hint


Question 9 of 25
9. Which 'Class of 83' quarterback hit John Brown for a touchdown on fourth down in the last minute to beat Georgia in the 1982 Sugar Bowl?

Answer: ( Two words, or just surname ... has a career full of fourth quarter comebacks)
Question 10 of 25
10. In one of college basketball's biggest upsets, who scored the winning buzzer-beater for NC State to win the 1983 NCAA National Championship over Houston? Hint


Question 11 of 25
11. Known as 'The Shot', Michael Jordan's buzzer beater from the foul line clinched Game 5 and the first round series in the 1989 NBA Playoffs. What team's season was ended by Jordan's shot? Hint


Question 12 of 25
12. In 1972, the Pittsburgh Steelers won a divisional playoff game 13-7 against the Oakland Raiders after a game-winning touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw. Who caught the pass now termed 'The Immaculate Reception' ? Hint


Question 13 of 25
13. Just weeks after returning from a near death auto accident and barely able to walk, what golfer made a spectacular comeback to win the 1950 U.S. Open after a famous 1-iron shot from the 18th hole forced a playoff? Hint


Question 14 of 25
14. Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie connected with Gerard Phelan on a fabled last play of the game touchdown pass in 1984. What team did this play defeat? Hint


Question 15 of 25
15. In baseball's 'The Catch', what legend made a miraculous over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series hit by Vic Wertz? This catch kept his team from losing the game to the Indians. Hint


Question 16 of 25
16. This clutch player is actually a team, for it was truly a team effort. In the last collegiate basketball tournament game without a shot clock, what underdog defeated an overwhelming favorite Georgetown team led by Patrick Ewing? Hint


Question 17 of 25
17. This clip can be seen in many NFL all-time greatest running plays highlights. The 43-yard touchdown run was made in Super Bowl XVII and helped defeat the Miami Dolphins and helped earn the runner the MVP award. Who rumbled his way down the field in this clutch play? Hint


Question 18 of 25
18. Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals was full of heroic shots and memorable plays. Boston eventually won 128-126 in triple-overtime after surviving a pair of buckets by Paul Westphal. Who did the Celtics defeat in Game 5 and eventually defeat to win the championship? Hint


Question 19 of 25
19. In the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, what US Greco-Roman wrestler defeated heavily favored Alexandre Kareline of Russia? Hint


Question 20 of 25
20. The 1999 Ryder Cup was highlighted by the biggest comeback in the tournament's history. In singles competition on the final day, which member of the US team sank a birdie on the 17th green to score the final half point to needed to win the Ryder Cup which resulted in a controversial gallery cellebration with Jose Maria Olazabal yet to putt? Hint


Question 21 of 25
21. To keep her Grand Slam hopes alive in the 1988 Championships at Wimbledon, Steffi Graf needed to win the 2nd and 3rd sets after losing the first set 5-7. She stormed back winning those sets 6-2, and 6-1. Who was her opponent? Hint


Question 22 of 25
22. In a game that has been labelled by some as "College Football's Game of the Century", tailback Jeff Kinney's fourth touchdown came with 1:38 left in the game to give his team the Big Eight title and the right to play Alabama for the 1971 National Championship. What two rivals played in this battle? Hint


Question 23 of 25
23. Perhaps one of the best games in Major League Baseball history, Game 6 of the 1975 World Series was won by a 12th inning home run by which Red Sox player? Hint


Question 24 of 25
24. The 1999 Stanley Cup was won on a goal scored in overtime at 54:51 to break a 2-2 tie. Who scored the game and series winning goal to defeat the Buffalo Sabres? Hint


Question 25 of 25
25. In Game 5 of the 1987 playoff game between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, Larry Bird stole an inbounds pass and fed Dennis Johnson who scored the winning goal with 5 seconds left. What Piston inbounded the ball? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In the 1987 AFC Championship game, John Elway led his team downfield against the Cleveland Browns in what would become known as 'The Drive.' Who was the receiver that caught the game-saving touchdown pass?

Answer: Mark Jackson

John Elway took his team on a trip, a 98-yard 15-play trip that lasted only five minutes. The drive ended with a 5 yard pass to Mark Jackson for a touchdown tieing the game and sending it to overtime. This clutch performance transformed Elway from a good quarterback to a great one.
2. Wimbledon has seen some of the best tennis matches in history, including the 1980 Men's Final which featured a 34-point tiebreak between what two competitors?

Answer: Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe

The match finished 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6. In 1980, Bjorn Borg of Sweden became the first player to win the Gentlemen's Singles title five times in succession since William Renshaw in the late 1880s when there was a 'Challenge' round. (From 1878 to 1921 the winner of the competition challenged the holder for the right to be the new Champion.)
3. During the 1999 Women's World Cup Championship (soccer) game against China, who kicked the eventual game-winning penalty shot for the United States?

Answer: Brandi Chastain

With an estimated 40 million U.S. viewers, the Cup final was the most watched soccer match in the history of network television, and the turnout of 90,185 at the Rose Bowl was the largest ever at a women's sporting event.
4. In the 1996 Olympics, the fate of the US women's gymnastics team came down to one vault for the gold medal. Who was the gymnast that scored the winning points on an injured ankle?

Answer: Kerri Strug

Kerri Strug was the last competitor for the USA team, and punctuated the victory with one of the most heroic moments thus far in the history of American gymnastics. Strug fell on the landing of her first vault, a Yurchenko with one and a half twists, injuring her left ankle.

The USA already had one low vault score, thus putting the pressure on Strug to hit her second vault. In a dramatic finish, Strug vaulted a clean Yurchenko with one and a half twists, landing with both feet but immediately lifting her left leg in pain. Where are they now? In August 2001, Strug started an internship in Washington, D.C. working for Senator John McCain.
5. In the 1981 NFC Championship Game, Joe Montana connected with Dwight Clark with 51 seconds left in what is often referred to as 'The Catch.' What team did this play help defeat?

Answer: Dallas Cowboys

Joe Montana led the 49ers on to win the first of 4 Super Bowls defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI.
6. In Duke's overtime victory against Kentucky to advance to the 1992 Final Four, Christian Laettner hit a last second turnaround shot from the top of the key. Who inbounded the ball from the far end of the court?

Answer: Grant Hill

The Blue Devils repeated as NCAA Champions in 1992 successfully defending their title against the 'Fab Five' from Michigan.
7. Which Yankee homered 3 times in game 6 of the 1977 World Series to earn the nickname 'Mr. October' ?

Answer: Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson earned the nickname 'Mr. October' for his World Series heroics with both the A's and Yankees. In 27 Fall Classic games, he amassed 10 home runs - including four in a row - 24 RBIs and a .357 batting average.
8. In the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, the underdog United States Hockey Team won the gold medal. What team did they defeat to win the gold medal?

Answer: Finland

Many remember the US team defeating the heavily favored Russians. This victory advanced them to the final game against Finland. They also defeated Sweden and Czechoslovakia along the way.
9. Which 'Class of 83' quarterback hit John Brown for a touchdown on fourth down in the last minute to beat Georgia in the 1982 Sugar Bowl?

Answer: Dan Marino

Dan Marino, who played at the University of Pittsburgh, had 37 come-from-behind wins - second only to John Elway with 43.
10. In one of college basketball's biggest upsets, who scored the winning buzzer-beater for NC State to win the 1983 NCAA National Championship over Houston?

Answer: Lorenzo Charles

Sixth seeded NC State defeated top seeded Houston's Phi Slama Jama. Charles caught an airball shot by Whittenburg from near mid-court and scored the winning bucket. In an often played clip, coach Jim Valvano runs ecstatically all over the court after the game.
11. Known as 'The Shot', Michael Jordan's buzzer beater from the foul line clinched Game 5 and the first round series in the 1989 NBA Playoffs. What team's season was ended by Jordan's shot?

Answer: Cleveland Cavaliers

Arguably the best clutch performer of all-time, Jordan has 25 game winning shots in his professional career. Twenty-four of those were in the last 10 seconds, 8 at the buzzer.
12. In 1972, the Pittsburgh Steelers won a divisional playoff game 13-7 against the Oakland Raiders after a game-winning touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw. Who caught the pass now termed 'The Immaculate Reception' ?

Answer: Franco Harris

The catch gave Pittsburgh the victory over the Raiders and their first ever NFL playoff victory.
13. Just weeks after returning from a near death auto accident and barely able to walk, what golfer made a spectacular comeback to win the 1950 U.S. Open after a famous 1-iron shot from the 18th hole forced a playoff?

Answer: Ben Hogan

'Bantam Ben', 'The Hawk', and 'The Little Texan' were all nicknames attributed to Ben Hogan. A four-time PGA Player of the Year, he is one of only four golfers (Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen and Gary Player are the others) to win all four majors.
14. Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie connected with Gerard Phelan on a fabled last play of the game touchdown pass in 1984. What team did this play defeat?

Answer: Miami

Flutie became the first Heisman Trophy winner at Boston College. The Eagles, led by Flutie, later defeated the Houston Cougars in the Cotton Bowl.
15. In baseball's 'The Catch', what legend made a miraculous over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series hit by Vic Wertz? This catch kept his team from losing the game to the Indians.

Answer: Willie Mays

The Giants won the game in 10 innings, 5-2. Many consider Mays' catch deep in the Polo Grounds as one of the greatest plays in baseball history.
16. This clutch player is actually a team, for it was truly a team effort. In the last collegiate basketball tournament game without a shot clock, what underdog defeated an overwhelming favorite Georgetown team led by Patrick Ewing?

Answer: Villanova

The Hoyas were the defending champions in 1985 and were favored to win again. Big East rival Villanova played a near flawless game shooting an amazing 79 percent from the field to upset Georgetown.
17. This clip can be seen in many NFL all-time greatest running plays highlights. The 43-yard touchdown run was made in Super Bowl XVII and helped defeat the Miami Dolphins and helped earn the runner the MVP award. Who rumbled his way down the field in this clutch play?

Answer: John Riggins

While helping Washington win its first NFL title since 1942, Riggins set a Super Bowl record with 166 yards on 38 carries. The Super Bowl marked the end to one of the finest postseason rushing performances in NFL history. Riggins had rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the Redskins' four postseason victories.
18. Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals was full of heroic shots and memorable plays. Boston eventually won 128-126 in triple-overtime after surviving a pair of buckets by Paul Westphal. Who did the Celtics defeat in Game 5 and eventually defeat to win the championship?

Answer: Phoenix Suns

In the second overtime, Havlicek hit a clutch shot to give Boston an apparent 111-110 victory. The team raced to the locker room and the fans charged the floor. However, the clock should have stopped after the basket with 1 second left. After the floor was cleared, the game resumed. Phoenix called a timeout - one they didn't have.

After a technical-foul shot, the Boston lead was 2. This was a brilliant call however on Phoenix's part. Instead of getting the ball under their own basket, they got the ball at half-court. One clutch shot later, by Gar Heard of Phoenix, the game was sent into a third overtime.
19. In the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, what US Greco-Roman wrestler defeated heavily favored Alexandre Kareline of Russia?

Answer: Rulon Gardner

Alexandre Kareline had never lost in international competition. Kareline had won three Olympic gold medals and nine World Championship gold medals. Gardner won 1-0 in the gold medal round.
20. The 1999 Ryder Cup was highlighted by the biggest comeback in the tournament's history. In singles competition on the final day, which member of the US team sank a birdie on the 17th green to score the final half point to needed to win the Ryder Cup which resulted in a controversial gallery cellebration with Jose Maria Olazabal yet to putt?

Answer: Justin Leonard

The first six U.S. players went out and won an average of four holes per match, accumulating 23 birdies and just three bogeys. The Americans' earning 8 and a half of a possible 12 points in singles was the best final-day performance since 1979.
21. To keep her Grand Slam hopes alive in the 1988 Championships at Wimbledon, Steffi Graf needed to win the 2nd and 3rd sets after losing the first set 5-7. She stormed back winning those sets 6-2, and 6-1. Who was her opponent?

Answer: Martina Navratilova

The 1988 Australian Open started a Grand Slam Tournament (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open) streak for Graf. She won 8 out of the next 9 tournaments. Steffi is the only player ever to win a Golden Grand Slam (all 4 Grand Slams and the Gold Medal at the Olympics).
22. In a game that has been labelled by some as "College Football's Game of the Century", tailback Jeff Kinney's fourth touchdown came with 1:38 left in the game to give his team the Big Eight title and the right to play Alabama for the 1971 National Championship. What two rivals played in this battle?

Answer: Oklahoma vs. Nebraska

"Kinney the Killer" ran for 171 yards and 4 touchdowns to help Nebraska win its 30th straight game (dating back to the previous season). Nebraska went on to beat Alabama in the Orange Bowl to win its 2nd straight National Championship.
23. Perhaps one of the best games in Major League Baseball history, Game 6 of the 1975 World Series was won by a 12th inning home run by which Red Sox player?

Answer: Carlton Fisk

Down 3-2 in the Series, the game-winning homerun kept the Red Sox alive against the Cincinnati Reds. Baseball's most durable catcher with 24 years behind the plate, Carlton 'Pudge' Fisk caught more games (2,226) than any player in history.
24. The 1999 Stanley Cup was won on a goal scored in overtime at 54:51 to break a 2-2 tie. Who scored the game and series winning goal to defeat the Buffalo Sabres?

Answer: Brett Hull

Brett Hull was the first NHL 50-goal scorer's son (father was Bobby Hull) to also score 50 goals in one season (1989-90).
25. In Game 5 of the 1987 playoff game between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, Larry Bird stole an inbounds pass and fed Dennis Johnson who scored the winning goal with 5 seconds left. What Piston inbounded the ball?

Answer: Isaiah Thomas

Bird led the Celtics to 5 NBA Championship games, winning 3 times. Bird is arguably one of the best clutch players in basketball history.
Source: Author Sprink1234

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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