BEST written paragraphs in history of LSU sports articles

Hail Tigers! Henderson, LSU grab miracle win
Advocate - Baton Rouge, La.

Author:
CARL DUBOIS
Date:
Nov 10, 2002

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky fans rushed the field as LSU quarterback Marcus Randall threw the football far downfield, the final two seconds of game time having expired moments earlier. Some began trying to pull down the goal posts behind Randall in the south end zone while the ball flew northward.

Beyond the other end zone, choreographed fireworks exploded high above Commonwealth Stadium, where only seconds before Kentucky appeared to have pulled out a most improbable comeback victory over No. 16-ranked LSU.

But there was still the matter of the descent and resolution of Randall's wing-and-a-prayer heave, which seemed to be no more than a doomed formality, the ultimate last-ditch act of duty and optimism on a Saturday afternoon which seemed destined to end with the Tigers licking their wounds after repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot.

Then everything became tangled up in blue - Kentucky's celebration, its upset-in-the-making - before it literally slipped through the Wildcats' hands, and legend bounded into the waiting hands of LSU wide receiver Devery Henderson.

As Kentucky's victory fireworks whistled and popped high above him, Henderson bobbled then caught the tipped pass for what turned out to be a 75-yard touchdown, dodging two would-be tacklers and racing the last 15 yards with the ball for perhaps the most spectacular finish to an LSU victory in 109 seasons of football.

The scoreboard said, simply: LSU 33, Kentucky 30. The moment, the aftermath, the replays said: Unbelievable.

"I don't know what I compare that to," LSU defensive back Norman LeJeune said, shaking his head and still trying to gather his wits nearly 30 minutes after the game. "It's just like winning the lottery, I guess. Your number being called."

The play enabled LSU (7-2) to stay in the driver's seat in the Southeastern Conference Western Division at 4-1. Kentucky (6-4, 2- 4) nearly sidetracked the Tigers' march to Atlanta, where they hope to defend their SEC championship.

Instead, LSU spoiled the Wildcats' bid at playing spoiler and wrapped up a perfect 3-0 sweep of its SEC East opponents this season.

LSU coach Nick Saban, who was on the losing side of a similar Hail Mary, tip-drill pass as an NFL assistant coach - albeit at the end of the first half rather than the end of the game - clearly liked being on the winning side.

"Well, you know we always say we need to play for 60 minutes," Saban said. "I guess that's the reason why, right there."

After 59 minutes and 49 seconds, Kentucky led 30-27 following a 29-yard field goal by Taylor Begley, the Wildcats' first lead since they scored the game's first seven points early in the first quarter.

After trailing 21-7 early in the second half, Kentucky rode the legs of running back Artose Pinner and the arm of quarterback Jared Lorenzen and took advantage of a late rash of LSU defensive penalties to tie the game with 2:24 left, then take the lead with 11 seconds showing on the clock.

Some of the Wildcats found coach Guy Morriss and dunked a cooler of Gatorade over him. Kentucky fans gathered near the south end zone, preparing to storm the field and yank down the goal posts for the first time since a 1997 upset victory over Alabama.

Then LSU's offense slam-dunked the Wildcats with a three-quarter- lengths-of-the-court pass that evoked memories of a Duke basketball player named Christian Laettner beating Kentucky on the way to the 1992 Final Four.

"This is the worst possible thing that could have happened to us," Lorenzen said. "We've had to overcome so much already. I never thought we'd have to get through something like this."

Said Kentucky wide receiver Aaron Boone, who caught three touchdown passes from Lorenzen: "We're just shocked. It was just so high and so low. It's just so hard. This was one of our last big games as seniors."

For LSU fans, it was a more breathtaking, wacky echo of another era. It marked the first time the Tigers won by scoring on the last play of a game since Nov. 4, 1972, when Bert Jones threw a 10-yard pass to Brad Davis as time expired, and Rusty Jackson kicked the decisive PAT in a 17-16 victory over Ole Miss.

Until Saturday, LSU's latest game-winning score since then had been a 6-yard touchdown pass from Rohan Davey to Michael Clayton - with 13 seconds left in the game - last season on this same field as the Tigers rallied for a 29-25 victory over Kentucky.

Davey's in the NFL now, but Clayton, a sophomore, played a big role Saturday as LSU topped itself with the sequel.

After Begley's field goal gave Kentucky a 30-27 lead, Henderson caught the kickoff at his 5-yard line and returned it 8 yards before running out of bounds. There were nine seconds left.

A delay-of-game penalty moved the Tigers back to their 8. Then Clayton caught a 17-yard pass from Randall to the LSU 25-yard line and fell to the ground to signal for a timeout with 2 seconds remaining.

The Tigers called a play they practice every Thursday. Clayton, Henderson and Reggie Robinson ran together downfield as Randall rolled right to elude pressure.

The plan called for Clayton to be the deep man, with Robinson between him and Henderson, ready to tip the ball for either to have a chance to catch. Kentucky defenders foiled that plan, holding up the trio and forcing them to improvise.

Randall's right foot, his back foot, was at his 17-yard line when he let the ball loose.

As the ball descended 58 yards downfield, Kentucky had eight defensive backs in the vicinity. Four were near the ball.

Henderson was LSU's deep man rather than the trailing receiver, and Clayton was in the middle hoping to make the tip. He didn't get the chance.

Kentucky free safety Quentus Cumby jumped and tipped the ball at the 25. The ball went through the hands of linebacker Morris Lane, and cornerback Earven Flowers tipped it at the 21.

In pinball fashion, the ball continued forward to the 18, where Henderson first tipped it into the air with his right hand. He touched it again at the 16, juggling it slightly and pulling it in with his left hand at the 15 between Kentucky cornerbacks Derrick Tatum and Leonard Burress.

Henderson slipped through the hands of Tatum inside the 10 and raced into the end zone with the ball, the comeback victory and a lifetime of free drinks and free meals awaiting him from the thousands of LSU fans who were - and will claim to have been - eyewitnesses.

It was the third touchdown reception of the day for Henderson but the biggest and most amazing of his career.

"I still can't believe it right now," he said more than 30 minutes after the game. "I looked at the clock when we had 2 seconds left, and I put my head down like I didn't know what to do. When the ball was snapped I was like, 'You might as well just run.'

"I'm not saying I gave up, but you know - there were 2 seconds left."

Randall said he believed anything was possible. A few days earlier, he'd been in the LSU locker room when he saw an ESPN replay of the Immaculate Reception, the 60-yard Terry Bradshaw touchdown pass deflected into the arms of Franco Harris to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a 13-7 first-round AFC playoff victory over the Oakland Raiders on Dec. 23, 1972.

"I was thinking, 'How often does that really happen?' You know, they keep playing that over and over. I guess they'll keep replaying this one," Randall said.

"This is the biggest play of my life."