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At the time, we held a three-point lead in a slug-fest of a game where every time we got a lead, Oklahoma would answer. Oklahoma was moving the ball and was poised to either tie or take the lead when Ahmad Black reached out and stole a pass, giving the UF offense the ball with a full 10 minutes left in the game.
Enter Tebow.
First Down, UF 24: The shotgun snap is wildly off target to Tebow's left, and easily could have been a disastrous turnover. But Tim snags it with his left hand, maintains his composure, then turns 180 degrees because the option play is going in the opposite direction. He quickly reads the play and tosses the ball inside to Hernandez, who has an open lane and gains 13 yards.
3rd and 12, UF 35: After two weak run plays and a false start, UF's drive seemed sure to stall. Five wideouts spread out the OU defense, and Tebow takes the snap. OU only rushes three, but manages to get pressure up the middle. Tim rolls to his left to buy time, and finds Nelson, who is running the opposite direction on a drag route. Let me repeat that. Tebow, running to his left, threw a perfect pass over OU's LBs to a receiver running the opposite way away from him. Gain of 16 yards.
2nd and 11, OU 49: Tebow throws a laser strike to David Nelson on a post route deep downfield. The pass had to clear OU's LBs and Tim's run fake at the beginning of the the play caused the LBs to hesistate, giving him room to fit the pass in over their heads. He hit the well-covered Nelson right in the hands.
3rd and 6, OU 16: Two good Harvin runs were negated by another false start. The inside option to Hernandez works again, this time to the left side for 10 yards and a first down at the six.
2nd and Goal, OU 4: Tebow takes the snap, runs toward the line,then leaps up and executes a perfect jump pass to Nelson, who was well-covered. The pass is right on the money.
The score put UF up by 10 with 3:07 left in the game, and for all intents and purposes, the game was over. Four plays later, Tebow had the ball and ran out the clock by smashing over a few more defenders, a ref, and anyone else who risked life and limb by getting in his way.
I'm not trying to diminish the role other offensive players had in that clinching drive, or in the outstanding defensive play throughout the game. It was a team win and there were numerous examples of bigtime contributions from players on both sides of the ball.
But that drive was Tebow at his best, when his best was needed the most.
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Flea
(97.102.233.222) on 1/12/2009 - 3:04 p.m. says: ( 149 views
, 1 likes
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