College Football SMQ: The greatest forfeit games in college football history

1984: UNLV captures (forfeited) victory over unbeaten Cal State-Fullerton

Cal State-Fullerton arrived in Las Vegas on the second weekend of November with a perfect record. CSU-Fullerton was the first team in the country to reach 10 victories during the wild 1984 season. UNLV had lost only once, falling 16-12 on the road against Hawaii in non-conference play. When they met on Nov. 10, the top spot in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association was at stake.

UNLV featured electric quarterback Randall Cunningham, the dual-threat passer who would eventually make his mark in the NFL. CSUF starred Damon Allen, who enjoyed a long career in the Canadian Football League and is enshrined in the CFL Hall of Fame. Cunningham helped the Rebels stay ahead on the scoreboard with his arm, his legs, and even his foot. A 70-yard punt by the UNLV quarterback pinned the Titans in their own half of the field.

As a result, CSU-Fullerton was unable to complete a comeback. Cunningham threw a late touchdown pass to secure the winning margin in a 26-20 victory. As a result of this win, UNLV won the PCAA title and Cunningham wrapped up his final college season at quarterback for the Rebels with a bowl appearance.

CSU-Fullerton, meanwhile, was left out of the postseason as a result of missing out on the conference title. Four months later, though, the Titans were retroactively awarded the PCAA title after the NCAA discovered the use of ineligible players by the Rebels. Officially this game is a forfeit for the Rebels, but the school still celebrates the team as the best in program history.