BERKELEY, Calif. — California tight end Richard Rodgers never heard of "The Play" for most of his childhood, even though he was raised by one of its masterminds.
Growing up in Massachusetts, he had watched replays of the five increasingly improbable laterals that led to the winning touchdown on the last-second kickoff return into a band-blocked end zone, with Cal's Kevin Moen flattening a Stanford trombone player to punctuate one of the most iconic moments in college football history.
Not until about fifth grade did Rodgers realize his father tossed two of them.
Thirty years since those laterals lifted the long running rivalry into the national spotlight, the 115th Big Game at remodeled Memorial Stadium on Saturday will be a chance for the next generation of players to make their own memories.