In 40 years of watching college FB . . .

[Jacie]

. . . I don't recall seeing a play like the bounce-pass-off-the-helmet-of-the-receiver-to-the-deep-man.

It is not unusual for a player, doesn't matter if it is a WR or a DB, to snag a ball off a deflection, tipped balls happen all the time. What happened on that particular play, however, was beyond anything I have ever seen in college ball and made me think of The Immaculate Reception but without the controversy that surrounds that play.

That was an 87-yard pass and run for a touchdown. Kendall Wright was in full stride when the ball dropped into his hands. To watch it in normal time it looks like they planned it to happen as it did.

It was a unique combination of skill and practice crossed with an incredible amount of luck.

As it occurred during the third quarter, the touchdown does not mean that it was the deciding factor in Baylor's victory, as with that much time remaining, one cannot say for certain how things would have ensued had it resulted in an incompletion. Rather, it was just one more long pass play the Sooner defense surrendered to the Bears and is representative of how it was all night.

[Pricetag]

We got one similar against OSU in 2008. Gresham got it.

[yermom]

and Bradley in 2004 against OSU as well

[BoulderSooner79]

It wasn't off the helmet. It actually was a good play by our defense as Wort had the underneath coverage and deflected the pass with his hand. When that one happened, I knew we were in deep sheet and the game felt just like the ISU/OSU game the night before.

[rainiersooner]

I would complain about the bad luck, except for the fact that not too many plays before that, the Baylor receiver gave us a gift from heaven by dropping a ball that was already in his hands on his way to the endzone.

[jkjsooner]

What was amazing is how the receiver kept running full stride. It rally did look like he expected the ball to bounce to him all along. My only guess was he was trying to run his defender deep and out of the play but the defender of course had already committed to the short pass (as he should have done).

I remember some of the plays where we were the benefit of the lucky bounce but never one so dramatic. That ball bounced something like 25 yeards in the air. Crazy play.

[FtwTxSooner]

I would complain about the bad luck, except for the fact that not too many plays before that, the Baylor receiver gave us a gift from heaven by dropping a ball that was already in his hands on his way to the endzone.

Exactly, and there were more than a few other instances where RGIII just flat out missed a wide open receiver due to a blown coverage that could have easily gone for a TD as well.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

There was a play like that to win it on the last play of the game for LSU several years back.

[EatLeadCommie]

it was an omen. God hates Bob Stoops!

[cyclonesooner]

If the DB covering Wright on the deflected pass was hustling his azz off instead of loafing and relaxing, it might not have been a catch and 87 yd. TD pass ! Nice effort !

[BoulderSooner79]

If the DB covering Wright on the deflected pass was hustling his azz off instead of loafing and relaxing, it might not have been a catch and 87 yd. TD pass ! Nice effort !

Incorrect. He abandon coverage on Wright when he saw the ball thrown at another receiver and was getting in position to help make a tackle if needed. He was doing what he was coached to do.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

If the DB covering Wright on the deflected pass was hustling his azz off instead of loafing and relaxing, it might not have been a catch and 87 yd. TD pass ! Nice effort !

The true 20/20 hindsight answer would have been "If he had tackled his guy when he saw the ball deflected"

[BoulderSooner79]

The true 20/20 hindsight answer would have been "If he had tackled his guy when he saw the ball deflected"

I assume you are joking, but our guy broke coverage when the pass was thrown and was 10 yards from Wright by the time it was deflected. Also, the deflection led Wright so perfectly, I doubt our guy could have done anything regardless. You don't often see a well defensed play turn into an 87 yard score against you, but them's the breaks.

[oSuJeff1997]

We got one similar against OSU in 2008. Gresham got it.


and Bradley in 2004 against OSU as well

Ha... I was about to say... as an OSU fan, I've seen plays like that happen countless times... usually in the Bedlam game.

I guess the difference is that it's "Sooner Magic" when it happens in your favor, and "bad luck" when it goes against you.