The Dallas Cowboys started with the ball on its own 15-yard line, losing 14-10, with one minute and fifty-one seconds left in the fourth quarter. Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach managed a nine play drive to midfield against the Minnesota Vikings defense. From midfield, with 24 seconds now remaining, Staubach lined up in the shotgun formation, took the snap, pump-faked left, then turned to his right and threw a desperation pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson, who was being covered by Minnesota Vikings cornerback Nate Wright. As the ball decended downward, Pearson caught the ball by trapping it against his right hip at the 5-yard line and ran into the end zone to make the score 16-14 in favor of Dallas, and what would eventually be the winning touchdown. Wright was unable to defend the pass, as he had tripped over Pearson's leg just as the ball came down.
As Pearson strode into the end zone for the score, free safety Paul Krause complained to field judge Armen Terzian that an interference penalty on Pearson should had been called. An orange, thrown by a spectator in the stands, whizzed by Pearson at the goal line. The orange is visible on NFL Films footage of the play and was initially confused by some as a penalty flag. More debris was thrown from the stands by angry Vikings fans, enraged that no penalty was called on Dallas.
Defensive tackle Alan Page argued with officials and was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing kickoff. On Minnesota's next possession with 14 seconds left to play, a whiskey bottle was thrown by a spectator, striking Armen Terzian in the head at Minnesota's own 10-yard line, creating a large forehead gash and rendering him unconscious. (This is known by many Vikings fans as the real Hail Mary.) Terzian had to wear a bandage, later requiring 11 stitches, as he walked off the field and was replaced by substitute official Charley Musser for the final two plays.
A popular misconception among Viking fans is that Armen Terzian was solely responsible for judging the legality of the Hail Mary play. Head linesman Jerry Bergman was actually the responsible official on the play and ruled the play legal. Terzian was standing about 15 yards away from the catch, and agreed with Bergman's non-interference call, saying, "Both men were going for the ball. It's just one of those plays."
The term "Hail Mary pass" is believed to been used for the first time by Roger Staubach following the game in a post-game interview. Previous to this play, a last-second desperation pass had been called several names, most notably the "Alley-Oop". As Staubach, who had been hit immediately after throwing the ball and didn't see its ending, was asked about the play and he said, "You mean [Pearson] caught the ball and ran in for the touchdown? It was just a Hail Mary pass; a very, very lucky play." Staubach told reporters that he closed his eyes, threw the ball as hard as he could, and said a Hail Mary prayer.
