26 points in the game's final 3:30

[Bob Gill]

In the Southwestern League in 1973, the undefeated Oklahoma City Wranglers had a 17-0 lead over the San Antonio Toros, defending champs, with less than four minutes to play -- and then everything fell apart. The Toros scored on a short run at 3:28, went for a two-point conversion but failed. They tried an onside kick; the Wranglers covered it, but a fumble a couple of plays later gave the ball back to San Antonio with two minutes left. After three incompletions, they connected on a 14-yard pass to retain possession; then pass interference in the end zone gave them a first down at the 1-yard line, and on the next play they scored again, with 1:16 left. 17-12.

Another two-point try failed, but this time the onside kick worked. San Antonio took over on the OC 47-yard line, and five plays later tight end Roger Gill (no relation, but I thought I'd mention him anyway) scored on a short pass to give the Toros their first lead, 18-17, with 19 seconds left. They tried a kick for the extra point this time, but the kicker missed for the first time that season, so Oklahoma City still had a faint chance to pull the game out.

The kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback, and on the second play from scrimmage a sack caused a fumble; a San Antonio lineman recovered and waltzed into the end zone to make it 24-17. This time the Toros faked a kick for the extra point, and the holder ran it in for a two-point conversion. There were still seven seconds left, so the Toros had done all that damage in 3 minutes and 21 seconds. It might have been the greatest very late comeback in the history of pro football up to that point. Actually, for all I know it could be the best even now.

Incidentally, this turned out to be Oklahoma City's only loss of the season. The Wranglers won the rematch with San Antonio 42-14, then beat the Toros again three weeks later, this time 19-16, in the championship game.

[JohnTurney]

fans must have bee going nuts with a comeback like that

[Bob Gill]

fans must have been going nuts with a comeback like that

They were -- those who were left.

The article I saw specifically mentions that many of them (from an official attendance of 12,217) "streamed out of the stadium" after Oklahoma City picked off a pass to kill a drive earlier in the fourth quarter. I'm sure they regretted it when they found out what they missed.

As for those who stayed, the same article says that after the Toros scored the go-ahead touchdown "there were more on the field, it seemed, congratulating their team, than there were in the stands." Must have been quite a scene.