A List Of Events In The Waning Minutes Of Tennessee-LSU

The fourth quarter is well underway in Death Valley. The sun slithers down the horizon. Tennessee, finding heretofore unseen reservoirs of depth and energy, intercepts Jarrett Lee in the endzone. The clock reads 9:54. The Vols lead, 14-10.

Tennessee drives from their own 20 to the LSU 31 before getting Tauren Poole stuffed on fourth-and-one. A reasonably mighty defensive stand follows ... until LSU converts 4th-and-14 with 1:12 remaining. The next play gets them to the Tennessee 10.

0:54. Stevan Ridley gets two yards to the Tennessee 8.

0:46. Lee throws incomplete pass, Vols called for pass interference (a penalty that is mildly criticized by the announcers; it's unclear whether Marsalis Teague even knew the ball was headed his way); the line of scrimmage is moved to the Tennessee 2.

0:36. Jarrett Lee throws it out of the endzone.

0:32. Jordan Jefferson enters the game. Both teams are out of timeouts. Jefferson tucks and runs but is stuffed inside the 2.

0:25. The clock runs. And this is about when everything goes sideways.

Here, you can watch:



Bedlam reigns on the field. Players of both teams scamper on and off. The clock runs.

LSU's final snap is botches as time expires. It sails back through Jordan Jefferson's hands. He skates back, falls on it, rolls, and Tennessee linebacker Nick Reveiz comes up holding the ball.

Announcer: "It is over! It is over!"

The word "final" appears on the screen. The score: Tennessee 14, LSU 10.

And then a runner hands a headset to an official. Tennessee is being penalized for illegal participation. Video review shows two extra players on the field in the melee before the now-penultimate play.

The lines reform. LSU's Stevan Ridley runs it in on an untimed play. LSU 16, Tennessee 14.

Announcer: "A miracle! A miracle!"

It is not a miracle. It is Les Miles.

LSU outgained the Vols 434-217, but this is how they had to win. And that is the genius of Les Miles. It is not his, but it is of him, and once in a very great while, that 20-sided die tucked under his hat that calls every play will land balanced on an edge.