Gus Johnson pulls out electric ‘Holy Chicago’ call after brutal Illinois fumble
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Gus Johnson never holds back in a crucial moment, or really any moment, and on Saturday during FOX’s Big Noon broadcast of the USC-Illinois game, he came through like he always does.
With No. 23 Illinois at the USC 12-yard line and with a 31-25 lead, the Fighting Illini were primed to put the game away and celebrate a huge ranked victory at home over the 21st-ranked Trojans. It was Illinois’s game to win, and nothing was going to stop the Illini from bouncing back after last week’s blowout loss at Indiana.
But hold on.
Ca’Lil Valentine was rumbling toward the end zone for that game-clinching touchdown, until he wasn’t. Instead, Valentine fumbled the ball into the end zone instead of carrying the ball into the end zone, and there was Johnson on the microphone doing what Johnson does.
USC’s Christian Pierce recovered the ball in the end zone, and Johnson went ballistic in a way only he can. Suddenly, the Trojans had life, and Johnson was screaming. In an ode to the big city down the road from Champaign, Johnson yelled “Holy Chicago!” as USC snatched the ball in a possible game-turning play with 6:21 left.
Here is the latest classic Johnson call:
Sure enough, USC turned the turnover into gold, scoring a touchdown on its ensuing possession to take a 32-31 lead with 1:55 to go.
In other words, it was a dramatic game that was perfectly suited for Johnson.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
