Box Score | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Louisiana Tech | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
Idaho | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
Hail Mary pass on last play of the game pushes Vandals past Bulldogs 35-31
The Vandals will be seen on ESPN tonight. In fact, they will probably be seen on ESPN multiple times, probably in competition for the Pontiac Game-Changing Performance of the Year.
The Vandals got the ball back from the Bulldogs with only 19 seconds left on the clock following what would have been the game winning touchdown by LTU... The game stood at 31-28 in favor of LTU.
"I didn't think we'd be able to make it happen, all I was thinking about was getting close enough to get ourselve's a shot at a field goal to tie it up, Coach Guru said after the game. "Our WR Zach White made a nice play on the first play of the drive to get us to their 45, but it was still too far for a field goal."
The Vandals took a timeout with only one second remaining on the game clock and what happened next will forever be known as the Moscow Miracle.
QB Nick Foles looked to his right first (exactly what his coach told him not to do) pump faked once, spun around a defender and took of to the left side before letting a beauty of a pass fly towards a group of Idaho receivers.
It was Dewey Hale who cut in front of an LTU defender to secure the catch, but he still had 6 yards of ground to cover, he broke what would have been the game-ending tackle and made it into the endzone in one of the most improbable plays Coach Guru had ever been a part of.
"The funny thing is that I thought about cheating, but I decided it would probably be best to be straightforward about it and see what we could do with our last play, taking our loss if we had to. We had a lot of recruits visiting, too, you know, there was a lot of pressure. It was truly an amazing feeling to be able to pull off the win in a legitimate fashion that way. It was a special NCAA experience, it truly was."
The Vandals will need more than magic when they travel to Boise next week to take on their rivals Boise State... Who just so happen to be the #5 ranked team in the country.
Good luck Vandals, you're gonna need it.
Players of the Game
Game Statistics | ||
---|---|---|
Category | Louisiana Tech | Idaho |
First Downs | 12 | 24 |
Total Offense | 195 | 404 |
Rushes-YDS | 15-29 | 32-105 |
Passing YDS | 166 | 299 |
Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
Total Yards | 413 | 657 |
T.O.P. | 08:00 | 15:45 |