LEXINGTON, Ky. — As Kentucky prematurely celebrated victory Saturday, with fans chanting “L-S-who?” rushing the field and players dumping the water cooler on UK head coach Guy Morriss, the miraculous occurred.
It was the immaculate tip and bobble that led the LSU Tigers to the 33-30 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats and may go down as one of the greatest plays in school history.
With two seconds on the clock, LSU lined up for one last shot at the endzone, a chance to avoid a second straight Southeastern Conference road loss.
The Tigers last chance for a win was called “Berlin,” a play that sets up a “Hail Mary-like” play with help. When run correctly, quarterback Marcus Randall throws the ball as far downfield as possible. Then, receiver Reggie Robinson plays the middle and tips the ball to another LSU receiver. Devery Henderson runs underneath to catch a short tip, and Michael Clayton goes deep to catch a longer tip.
However, the play did not work as planned Saturday. Clayton said they had to re-route and he ended up in the middle, and Henderson ended up deep. Clayton went up to tip the ball, but two of the four Kentucky defenders downfield tipped it right into the hands of Henderson.
“We kept going and made the play,” Clayton said.
Kentucky free safety Quentus Cumby tipped the ball at the 25-yard line and over the head of teammate Morris Lane. Then, UK cornerback Earven Flowers got a hand on it at the 21-yard line, and it went right to Henderson. He bobbled the ball at the 18, again at the 16, and then gained possession at the 15, heading into the endzone past diving Kentucky cornerbacks Derrick Tatum and Leonard Burress.
“I just ran down the field and tried to put myself in the best position, and it just came to me,” Henderson said of the play.
Other players shared Henderson’s shock of the game-winning score.
“It’s unbelievable luck,” said LSU strong safety Norman LeJeune.
Randall did not see the catch, but when he did, he leapt for joy and ran down the field to find the junior wideout.
“I still don’t believe it,” Randall said. “It feels like a dream.”
The LSU players were not the only ones to feel the shock of the win. The Kentucky sideline had all but sealed the win with a 29-yard field goal, which left 11 seconds for the Tigers to overcome the three-point deficit.
“It’s almost surreal; we felt like we had it won,” said Wildcats wide receiver Derek Abney. “It blows my mind that we lost.”
“The Hail Mary,” which has worked only a handful of times in the history of college and professional football, is titled so because the throw is such a desperate heave.
“That’s the kind of thing you only see in the movies and maybe every once in awhile in the NFL,” said Wildcats running back Artose Pinner. “I never expected it to happen.”
Saban said the team practices the play every Thursday at the end of practice but never has completed it successfully.
“Two seconds left, and we have a 75-yard play,” Saban said. “It’s not a unique play — you’re just lucky when it happens to be tipped to your guy.”
While many of the onlookers could not believe their eyes, players and fans alike had doubts the last play could work.
“To be honest, I thought it was over,” said mechanical engineering junior Jeff Dunaway, who rushed the field after the game.
There were many signals indicating Kentucky had won the game, including fans hanging off the far goalposts before the clock reached zero.
“I heard the fireworks and thought the game was over,” said offensive lineman Stephen Peterman.
As soon as Henderson ran across the goal line and Kentucky fans left the field, a new wave of people appeared on the grass — LSU fans.
“I drove 13 hours to come to this game, and it was well worth the drive,” said sports administration graduate student Sheri White.
Not only were the fans excited about the win, but they also said they would remember it forever because it was such a great win.
“It was one of the greatest moments in LSU football history,” said LSU alum Scott Duet.
The moral of the story seems quite clear — play until the clock runs out. Kentucky players and fans will remember it and so will Saban.
“We always say to play for the full 60 minutes, and this is why,” Saban said.
Clayton said it is about not giving up until the last second ticks off the clock.
“In games like this, you can’t give up ’til the clock says 0:00,” he said.