Game 116 - N.C. A&T at Kent State

September 10 at Dix Stadium in Kent, OH
espn3.com

Michael Reghl and Jerod Cherry put together what I think will always be history's greatest three-hour performance of saying the word football.

I'm so excited to display the results, but first: Amanda Sauer made her debut as the first female head referee & that's a huge thing. And also Tarik Cohen looked like Barry Sanders' little brother Harry Sanders in helping N.C. A&T pull the upset with a four-overtime, 39-36 victory.

But this was the Michael and Jerod Show.

Gentlemen?


First quarter

"football" said 38 times

Reghl & Cherry: 19 times each

Second

44 times

R: 19, C: 25

Third

60 times!

R: 34, C: 26

Fourth

66 times!

R: 36, C: 30

Overtimes
1st - 9 total, Reghl, 7, Cherry, 2 (pick it up, Jerod)
2nd - 14 total, Reghl & Cherry 7 each (there we go, Jerod)
3rd - 10 total, Reghl 2, Cherry 8
4th - 15 total (what a finish!), Reghl, 10, Cherry, 5

Game totals: 256!
Reghl: 134
Cherry: 122

Top phrases

(ALL CAPS = screaming)

"Football lore"
"A slick football"
"Flying to the football"
"THAT FOOTBALL'S LOOSE!"
"Too fast of a football team"
"Basic, situational football"
"THAT FOOTBALL CAME OUT!"
"This young man is a football player"
"HE SIMPLY RIPPED THE FOOTBALL!"

Game 113 - Notre Dame at Texas

September 4 at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX
ABC

One of my favorite things about watching this sport and writing down what people say about it, is the amount of times the word "football" is actually used.

Let's take a look at Sunday's count from Joe Tessitore and Todd Blackledge:

First quarter
Said: 13 times

Second
15 times

Third
nine times

Fourth
10 times

2 overtimes (Texas won 50-47)
four times

Total mentions: 51

Top "footballs"

"Pretty good football player right there"
"This is just power football"
"This Texas football team"/"Texas football"
"I don't think Nick Coleman had any idea where the football was"

Game 105 - National championship

Clemson vs. Alabama
January 11 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ
ESPN

We hadn't had a "football" count for a specific announcer in a little while, but Kirk Herbstreit brought us all the way back with a phenomenal performance in Alabama's 45-40 win.

First half - said 12 times

Most notable: Said "got a hand on the football" three times, one for each replay shown of a blocked field goal attempt at the end of the first half.

Second half - 25

Total: 37

Notes

* The word "tempo" was said 18 times by both Herbstreit and Chris Fowler.

* Herbstreit used the term "Pylon cam" nine times.

Game 94 - New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings

December 27 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN
NBC

FOOTBALL announcers say the word FOOTBALL a lot. It's a ball, just like any other sport that uses a ball, but unlike other sports' broadcasters these guys love adding FOOT.

Let's take a look at the FOOTBALL count for Chris Collinsworth & Al Michaels:

Total times said

1st half: 17
Collinsworth - 13
Michaels - 4

2nd half: 9
Collinsworth - 5
Michaels - 3

And Sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya added:

"Serious football person."

Total times said: 26