ESPN’s iconic “College GameDay” descended upon the University of Cal-Berkley for an unprecedented first-time visit last Saturday.
The campus was abuzz as students and fervent college football fans flocked to claim their spots behind Pat McAfee and his team, without Lee Corso, all eager for the match-up between Cal and the highly-ranked University of Miami.
In typical fashion, the convivial McAfee spotlighted a student enthusiast from the rowdy group of fans, offering up a cash prize for a successful field goal kick.
- Lee Corso abruptly absent from College GameDay as Rece Davis provides health update
- Stephen A. Smith uses brutal NFL example to justify $100M ESPN contract demand
Daniel, who professed to have camped out since the prior evening and introduced as a civil engineering student, got the nod for a grand $75,000 prize on a 33-yard effort. Decked in laid-back slip-on Vans and boasting of his soccer playing days back in high school, he prompted Kirk Herbstreit’s call for a zoom-in on his casual footwear:
“Can we get a shot of the shoes? ” implored Herbstreit to the production team. Despite Daniel’s near-miss to the right, McAfee and Herbstreit were taken aback by his robust kick.
“Not bad” praised Herbstreit, while McAfee interjected, “Wait a sec, wait a sec,” seizing the moment to grant Daniel a do-over, echoing his routine generosity. Sweetening the deal, McAfee vowed to raise the stakes to $100,000 and tack another $100,000 to the generous half-million-dollar pledge ESPN had made to aid those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Daniel’s last-second heroics with a successful field goal whipped the Berkley crowd into utter chaos, as he bagged the cash prize and carved his name into campus legend. He is now celebrated as the first since a lucky Texas A&M fan who snagged $50,000 in Week 1 with a field goal of their own.
The kick for cash has become a fascinating part of College GameDay since Pat McAfee came on board (
(Image: Getty Images))
The spotlight was on Cal this Saturday, yet there remains a selective group of six Power Four schools that “College Gameday” hasn’t checked off their list: Illinois, Maryland, Rutgers, SMU, Syracuse, and Virginia are still waiting for their turn in the limelight.
Riding the wave of an impeccable 5-0 record, the Hurricanes stormed through their latest challenge with a nail-biting 38-34 win against Virginia Tech. Spearheading their charge is senior quarterback Cam Ward, whose stellar performance has shot him to the top with an unmatched 92.7 QBR in the nation.
Tasting defeat for the first time this season, the 3-1 Golden Bears fell short in a grueling 14-9 clash against Florida State on their turf in Tallahassee. They’re looking to bounce back from last year’s Independence Bowl heartache and vying to surpass the heights not seen since the glory days of Jeff Tedford and Aaron Rodgers nearly two decades ago.
In other news, a notable absence on the latest episode of College GameDay stirred concern as host Rece Davis reported that Lee Corso was sidelined by illness.
Leave a Reply