The Enjoyable Belt is gonna Enjoyable Belt

Every week after the Solar Belt delivered big wins from Appalachian State over Texas A&M and Georgia Southern over Nebraska, it seemed just like the convention was going to ship one other win over a Energy 5 staff. South Alabama went on the street towards UCLA and was in management in entrance of, properly, let’s say a sparse crowd:

South Alabama led 31-29 with simply over three minutes remaining, and have been in possession of the soccer. They confronted a 4th and a pair of on the UCLA 22-yard line, on the eleventh play of an extended drive that started on the Jaguars’ personal 10-yard line, and labored almost six minutes off the clock. With their offense rolling, maybe South Alabama would go away their offense on the sphere to select up the ultimate two yards and maybe ice the sport.

Or maybe they’d convert a area objective, giving them a five-point lead and forcing UCLA to attain a landing to eke out the win.

Each stable choices. Apparently, nevertheless, there was a 3rd:

Fairly than go away their offense on the sphere, or try to convert the quick area objective (school kickers, we all know) the Jaguars shift into an offensive formation and let holder Tanner McGee, a backup quarterback who final tried a go throughout the 2020 season, try to make a play.

He didn’t.

That opened the door for UCLA, who drove down the sphere on their ensuing possession to get into vary for his or her kicker, who delivered:

South Alabama’s failed pretend area objective delivered to thoughts one other pretend kick from years in the past, this tried pretend punt turned in by the Indianapolis Colts:

The win noticed Kelly and the Bruins enhance to 3-0 on the season, whereas dropping the Jaguars to 2-1, and sending them house questioning about what might need been.