Tennessee vs. Georgia Hail Mary game: Remembering Vols' last-second 2016 win from Josh Dobbs
Tennessee vs. Georgia has been a largely one-sided rivalry since the turn of the century, but the game keeps its vitriolic atmosphere year in and year out.
Even so, the series is still close to being even, with Georgia leading it at 27-23-2.
Tennessee's most recent win also holds the distinction of being one of the most dramatic finishes in the rivalry's history, courtesy of Josh Dobbs, who is in the midst of an incredible NFL resurgence with the Minnesota Vikings. Dobbs completed a 43-yard touchdown to Jauan Jennings, who hauled it in as time expired amid a sea of red, to extend the Vols' win streak in the rivalry to two games following a five-year slide.
The play got off with four seconds left on the clock and Georgia leading 31-28. Even though Tennessee was on the road, Sanford Stadium completely erupted when Jennings hauled the pass in. Tennessee finished 9-4 (4-4 SEC) that year, but the pure drama of that play makes it one of the most memorable Vols games in recent memory.
REQUIRED READING: Kirby Smart dissects UGA defense on Hail Mary: 'Every kid on the field executed their job'
With that, let's take a look back at the legendary finish to the 2016 rivalry game, as well as its leadup:
Tennessee vs. Georgia 2016 highlights
Tennessee vs. Georgia in 2016 didn't have an overwhelming amount of hype heading into the game.
That was partially due to when it was played: The 2016 date was scheduled for Oct. 1, a game in which Georgia entered 3-1 whereas Tennessee was 4-0. The Vols were ranked 11th in the country, whereas the Bulldogs were No. 20.
Georgia jumped out to a 17-0 lead thanks to a Sony Michel 14-yard touchdown run, a Rodrigo Blankenship 27-yard field goal and and a stroke of luck fumble recovery in the end zone by quarterback Jacob Eason after a 10-play drive. Dobbs then engineered a key nine-play touchdown drive in 1:48 of game clock, punctuated by a 4-yard rushing score, to draw Tennessee to 17-7 at the half.
Tennessee then got itself a two-for-one with a touchdown to open the half: The Vols took 10 plays and 4:30 to go 64 yards for the score (a 19-yard connection between Dobbs and receiver Jalen Hurd) make it a three-point game. Things got hairy when Georgia then scored again (an Isaac Nauta 50-yard touchdown reception) to lengthen the Bulldogs' lead back to 24-14.
Another Tennessee touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter (a 16-yard touchdown reception from Alvin Kamar) made it 24-21. The Vols caught their first break of the game with just 2:56 left to play when Derek Barnett strip-sacked Eason in the Bulldogs' end zone; Corey Vereen jumping on it for a touchdown and 28-24 lead.
Georgia then got the ball back with a minute left in the game, needing a touchdown. Eason strung together four completions on four plays for 81 yards, capped off by a 47-yard touchdown to Riley Ridley, seemingly sinking the Vols with 10 seconds left.
While the Hail Mary itself will forever live on in rivalry lore, it doesn't happen without this sequence of events: After Georgia's touchdown, the Bulldogs were hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which Tennessee took on the kickoff. That pushed Blankenship back to kick from his own 20-yard line and allowed Tennessee returner Evan Berry to return the kickoff to the Georgia 40-yard line (it was eventually moved back to the 43).
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Josh Dobbs Hail Mary
With just four seconds on the clock following the kick return, Tennessee's only hope was a Hail Mary from Dobbs. The highlight speaks for itself.
Dobbs has frequently recounted the play since orchestrating it, and has said he didn't know whether Jennings caught it in the moment.
“My angle, I had a couple of taller defensive linemen in my way when I threw it," Dobbs recounted, per WLTV. "But, I did have a great vantage point. I could see his hands go around the ball, and then he went to the ground ... did he catch it? Did he maintain possession? Then, seeing the sideline, seeing them go crazy solidified it.”
"Go crazy" is an understatement. Then-coach Butch Jones fell to his knees in emotion after the catch.
The play left some scars on the Georgia program as well: Despite the Bulldogs' constant success the past few years, it was a bit of a stain on the Kirby Smart era, having occurred in his first year in Athens. The Monday after, Smart was more complimentary of Tennessee's execution than he was critical of Georgia's, saying, "To be honest, every kid on the field executed their job."
Elaborated Smart: "We got a little boxed out by [Jennings], but it wasn't like you can watch the play and say, 'This guy didn't do what I told him to do.'"
Sometimes, players just make great plays.
Tennessee is hoping to a six-game losing streak this year, after being unable to do so in last year's highly touted matchup where the Vols entered as the No. 1 team in country after the first College Football Playoff poll.
Perhaps Josh Heupel's team can harness some magic at home in Neyland Stadium as Tennessee looks to play spoiler, ending not only Georgia's 27-game win streak, but also the Bulldogs' six-game streak in rivalry.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee vs. Georgia Hail Mary game: Remembering Vols' epic 2016 win
