On This Date: Frank Reich Comes Off the Bench, and Maryland Comes Back From 31-0 to Beat Miami (Nov. 10, 1984)

At halftime on Nov. 10, 1984, Maryland trailed Miami 31-0 at the Orange Bowl. Then Bobby Ross sent in a quarterback with a shoulder that had been separated 6 weeks earlier.

Maryland won 42-40. At the time, it was the biggest comeback in the history of major college football.

The Defending Champions

Miami had won the national championship the season before. In 1984, under first-year coach Jimmy Johnson, the Hurricanes had climbed as high as No. 1. They came into the Maryland game 8-2 and ranked No. 6, with Bernie Kosar at quarterback.

Maryland was 5-3 and unranked. Frank Reich, a senior, had started the season at quarterback, but he separated his shoulder against Wake Forest on Sept. 29. Stan Gelbaugh took over and played well enough to keep the job, even after Reich got healthy.

The 1st Half

Nothing went right for Maryland. Miami outgained the Terrapins 328 yards to 57 in the 1st half. Maryland threw an interception, committed 4 penalties and dropped passes. Miami led 31-0 at the half.

Ross benched Gelbaugh and sent Reich out for the 2nd half.

6 Straight Touchdowns

An interception gave Maryland the ball early in the 3rd quarter, and Reich threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Greg Hill 3 plays later. 31-7.

Reich ran a quarterback sneak for another touchdown. 31-14. Miami kicked a field goal. Reich threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Blount. 34-21 after 3 quarters.

Tommy Neal ran 14 yards for a touchdown with 9:20 to play. 34-28.

The Tipped Pass

Maryland got the ball back with 5:47 left. After a completion to Eric Holder, Reich threw deep for Greg Hill. Miami safety Darrell Fullington got his hands on the ball and tipped it, and Hill caught it and ran it in, a 68-yard touchdown. Jess Atkinson kicked the extra point, and Maryland led 35-34. It was the first time Maryland had led all day.

Miami fumbled the kickoff. Maryland recovered, and 2 plays later Rick Badanjek ran 4 yards for a touchdown. 42-34.

The Lost Cleat

It still wasn’t over. On a 3rd down, Reich lost a cleat and slipped, and Maryland had to punt. The snap was bad, and Miami took over at the Maryland 18.

Kosar threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Brown with about a minute left. 42-40. On the 2-point try, Kosar threw to Melvin Bratton in the flat. Maryland safety Keeta Covington tackled him at the 3.

Miami tried an onside kick. Maryland’s Joe Kraus caught it in the air and ran it to the Miami 1, and Reich knelt on the ball 3 times.

The Numbers

In the 2nd half, Reich completed 12 of 15 passes for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns, ran for another, and led 6 straight touchdown drives. Hill caught 8 passes for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kosar threw for 363 yards and 4 touchdowns and lost.

Maryland outscored the defending national champions 42-9 in the 2nd half.

What Came After

The previous record for a comeback in major college football was 28 points. Maryland’s 31 stood alone until Ohio State tied it in 1989, and it lasted as the record until Michigan State came back from 35 down against Northwestern in 2006.

Miami never recovered. Its next game, 13 days later, was against Boston College, and Doug Flutie beat the Hurricanes with a Hail Mary on the last play. Then Miami lost the Fiesta Bowl to UCLA. The defending champions lost their last 3 games by a total of 6 points.

Maryland didn’t lose again. It won the ACC, then came back from 21-0 down at halftime to beat Tennessee in the Sun Bowl.

Reich wasn’t done either. On Jan. 3, 1993, starting for the injured Jim Kelly, he brought the Buffalo Bills back from 35-3 down to beat the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime. It’s still the biggest comeback in NFL playoff history.

The same backup quarterback led what were, at the time, the biggest comeback in major college football history and the biggest comeback in NFL history. “One play at a time,” Reich said in 2025. “It doesn’t matter what the score is, whether you’re up by 31 or down by 31.”