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Each week, we take a look at the weekend’s biggest moment in SEC football and analyze its overall significance according to the following criteria: The uniqueness and excitement of the moment itself, the stakes involved/overall impact of the play and the degree to which the college football world reacted.
This Week’s Biggest Moment
Late in the fourth quarter, Tennessee had done what Tennessee does. The Vols were down 28-7 early in the third quarter and looked dead in the water at Texas A&M. As the Vols seems to do every week. Sure, UT roared back to cut the lead to 28-21. But A&M was running down the clock and looking for the big play to seal the game. It was 2nd-and-8 from A&M’s own 28-yard line.
Trayveon Williams, the phenomenal A&M back who had a huge game, busted a long run down the left sideline. The clock was ticking under two minutes, and all that had to happen was for Williams to go down with a first down. Instead, Williams broke free — and A&M had this game by the throat.
The only problem was that somebody forgot to tell Tennessee, and Vol DB Malik Foreman gave chase. He ran down Williams and between the 5-yard line and the end zone, reached out and knocked the ball cleanly out of Williams’ grasp. The loose pigskin promptly tumbled out of the end zone. Instead of a game-sealing touchdown, it was a touchback to Tennessee, and the Vols suddenly had life again.
There were many further memorable plays left. Few were surprised when Tennessee promptly moved downfield for a game-tying touchdown. Or when A&M missed a near-automatic 38-yard field goal that would have won the game again. Or when the game went to a second overtime. The game reached its end in the second overtime as Joshua Dobbs forced a pass that turned into the Vols’ seventh and final turnover of the night.
But the play that captured the SEC’s imagination again was when Tennessee somehow made lemonade from lemons, as Trayveon Williams busted a game-sealing run that turned into another chance for a Tennessee miracle.
The Uniqueness of the Moment
How many 71-yard runs end in disappointment a step from the end zone? Or how often does a back break into the open field only to ultimately disappoint his own fans? And in the 2016 SEC race, how many times do opponents have to leave Tennessee a final opening for a shot at victory? It’s been a wild season, and it’s only half over.
Score: 9 of 10
The Stakes Involved
Two top 10 teams facing off with mutual perfection on the line? This was a big game, and Williams’ play that should have slammed the door instead left it hanging wide open. The stakes lessen a bit because A&M found a way to slug out a victory, but at the moment it happened, this play was gigantic. It loses a bit of luster because it didn’t ultimately decide the game, although it certainly prolonged UT’s shot at the upset.
Score: 7 of 10
The Fan Reaction
Emerge a “Yougottabekiddingme!” from the A&M contingent.
From Vol Nation? Here’s one slightly profane example:
Holy shit. Best play I have ever seen https://t.co/yQbwuZntIa
— BHam (@B_Hammm) October 9, 2016
Score: 7 of 10
Overall Final Score: 23/30
Previous 2016 Kick Six editions:
Week 1: LSU picked off late
Week 2: Arkansas makes two big plays late
Week 3: Eason’s first huge UGA moment
Week 4: LSU miracle a second late, Miles fired
Week 5: Tennessee’s ‘Dobbsnail Boot’
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
