Insanity in Death Valley

by Chris Paschal

College football is known to crush people’s spirits and dreams. One second you have victory in your clutches only to see it dashed away by a freak play, an ill-intentioned bounce, or a tipped ball. Just these past several years we have had Auburn’s Kick Six in the 2013 rendition of the Iron Bowl.

Just a week earlier, Auburn had defeated Georgia on one of the most improbable Hail Mary’s in SEC history.

In 2016, Georgia again was the victim of a Hail Mary when Josh Dobbs of Tennessee launched a game winning pass into the endzone from midfield.

Then, in 2017, Tennessee got a taste of their own medicine when Feleipe Franks chucked one into the endzone for the win.

From Cal vs. Stanford’s “The Play” to Flutie’s miracle heave against Miami, college football is full of examples of unbelievable endings.

But I am here to tell you that nothing, and I mean nothing, beats the craziness that ensued on 2010’s. LSU vs. Tennessee. It may not be as iconic, but it cannot be outmatched in terms of sheer madness.

Let’s set the stage. Are any of you at all surprised to find out that the most insane ending to a football game involved Derek Dooley, Les Miles, LSU’s Death Valley, and a season defining upset?

Image from Outkick the Coverage

This game throughout the first three quarters had been a defensive slugfest. Many expected LSU to dominate the Vols. The Vols were still reeling from the turmoil that was Lane Kiffin. While LSU was a few years removed from a National Title and a year away from appearing in another. In other words, LSU was loaded and Tennessee was a hot, steaming pile of trash.

But if the SEC has taught me anything it is that records, rosters, and pre-game predictions often mean nothing. This was freaking Tennessee, for crying out loud. They weren’t going to just lay down and allow LSU to steamroll them. In fact, by the final possession they had positioned themselves for an upset that would shake the SEC to its core. But this game was in Tiger Stadium. And things never go as planned in Tiger Stadium. Maybe it is the voodoo that is practiced in communities surrounding LSU, or the gumbo, or the magic of Death Valley, but in Baton Rouge SEC fans have come to expect the unexpected.

Even this unexpected? Sit back and watch the insanity that was the final three plays of this instant classic. Also, you can click on the on the team names to hear their radio announcers call the madness:

Tennessee  and LSU