Daily briefing: Inside SMU’s game-winning ‘Hail Mary’ against Louisiana Tech

SMU coach Sonny Dykes still sounded amazed Sunday night that the “Hail Mary” worked. Of course, it never worked in practice. Of course, so many things had to go right in the last 3:18 for the Mustangs to have the chance to throw it.

Louisiana Tech led 34-33 when Dykes had SMU try to convert a fourth-and-3 from the Mustangs’ 34. Didn’t work. But he still had three timeouts.

“What you have to do is try to manage every single second, from what you call defensively to how you use your timeouts to how you return the kickoff,” Dykes said.

The Mustangs held the Bulldogs to a 47-yard field goal by Jacob Barnes, which made it 37-33, but it cost SMU all three timeouts. The Mustangs needed a touchdown and had only 36 seconds to get one.

“We considered letting them score a touchdown,” Dykes said. “We still would be down only eight. All options were on the table.”

Louisiana Tech squibbed the kickoff and true freshman Brandon Epton had the good sense to fall on it at SMU’s 27. Tanner Mordecai completed three passes to move SMU 40 yards, to Louisiana Tech’s 33, with six seconds left.

“Tanner did a great job of being patient and getting 15-20 yards at a time,” Dykes said. “Just to make a first down on every one was important.”

That stopped the clock, and after the last two, Mordecai spiked the ball.

HAIL MARY AS TIME EXPIRES! SMU WINS ON A GAME-WINNING HAIL MARY!@SMU_Football pic.twitter.com/SfFO0BiwDC

— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) September 18, 2021

On the final play, SMU lined up with three receivers on the wide (left) side of the field. “You tell them to go to the near goal post,” Dykes said. “You want to set up there.”

Some coaches prefer the receiver intended to catch the tip to come in behind the other three. Dykes lined up senior Reggie Roberson on the boundary (right) side and set him up on the side of the scrum.

“Louisiana Tech covered it about as well as you could,” Dykes said. “They rushed five, held guys up.”

The righthanded Mordecai stepped up in the pocket, then moved to his left, away from the pressure. He squared up and let the ball fly. Sophomore wide receiver Rashee Rice raced into the end zone and blocked out the defensive back covering him. Rice is righthanded, but he leaped and tipped the ball with his left hand to his left, where Roberson stood uncovered.

He caught it easily, and the shock on Bulldogs coach Skip Holtz’s face said it all: SMU 39, Louisiana Tech 37.

“Rice made one of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen anybody make,” Dykes said. “His vertical is probably in the high 30s. He got up. The timing of it is more important than how high he jumped. He timed it perfect. And it was a soft tap. It was amazing.

“There are a lot of moving parts in that play. So many things have to go right.”

On this weekend seven years ago, Dykes’ Cal Bears lost to Arizona 49-45 on a 47-yard “Hail Mary.”

“Two to three times a year, I wake up and still think about that Arizona game,” Dykes said. “I felt terrible for Skip.”

INJECT THIS STRAIGHT INTO OUR VEINS pic.twitter.com/4S7IcMYTIY

— SMU FootbaII (@SMU_Football) September 19, 2021

(The game-winning play, as called by SMU radio play-by-play man Rich Phillips; it’s worth a listen)