So far, Saturday night’s game between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon has lived up to the hype.
In just over a quarter of action, fans have seen some controversial calls, an Oregon player ejected for spitting in the face of an Ohio State player, a botched extra point, a few incredible receptions, and more.
But the most unlikely play? A stunning recovery by the Ducks of a loose ball when they kicked off after a touchdown.
Early in the second quarter Dillon Gabriel connected with Evan Stewart on this impressive ten-yard touchdown reception:
Stewart was able to haul in the throw despite a defender being draped on him in coverage. Adding insult to injury for the Buckeyes is the fact that a defender was flagged for a face mask penalty, the 15-yard infraction to be enforced on the kickoff.
After Ohio State stopped a two-point try, Oregon teed it up at the 50-yard line for the ensuing kickoff, still trailing 14-12. That’s when this happened:
Oregon kicker Andrew Boyle hits what looks like a squib kick, that rockets into the arm of one of the Ohio State up men. While that player tried to get out of the way and let someone behind him field it, the kick still deflected off his arm, and the loose ball was live for anyone to recover.
Boyle and reserve tight end Roger Saleapaga dove for the loose ball, with the tight end managing to recover the football to give Oregon another possession.
Here is another look at the play:
Shortly after this play Noah Eagle, on the NBC Sports broadcast, dropped an incredible “Stefon” reference from Saturday Night Live, saying that this game has a “little bit of everything.”
Including a kick recovery like the above, which you do not see every day.
