Quarterback runs backwards for an intentional safety, a breakdown

Dec 7, 2020 3.8M views 5:07

What Happened

In the 2020 Louisiana-Lafayette versus Appalachian State game, Louisiana's backup long snapper became the unlikely center of the broadcast after firing four straight bad snaps over the punter's head. Two went for nothing on punts, one botched extra point try turned into improvisation, and the fourth sailed out of the back of the end zone for a safety. With no usable snapper left, Louisiana later took an intentional safety on fourth and two to flip the field rather than risk a short punt, cutting their lead to three. App State drove down the field, got a pass interference call into the red zone, then missed the game-tying field goal as time expired.

Why This Matters

An intentional safety is a rare strategic choice. A team gives up two points to gain the ability to free-kick from its own 20 instead of punting from deep in its own territory, betting that better field position is worth the points. Louisiana's whole sequence was forced by losing their long snapper, which turned routine special teams into a logistics problem. The gamble nearly backfired. App State drove into field goal range and had the kick to tie before the kicker shanked it. The decision looked terrible right up until that miss, which is the gap between process and outcome that coaches always argue about. Louisiana held on to win, and the long snapper got hugs on the sideline instead of blame, which is the right read on a kid having the worst night of his season.

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Key Moments

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Rap.

we had something i'd never seen before

in the louisiana app state game

louisiana's

up 24 to 17. they got their long snapper

in

he has snapped two over the punter's

head

already that's why they're zooming in on

him here here's the replay there's the

first one just right over the head

there's the second one looks identical

right over the head then a high snap

on the extra point or field goal

whatever that was they try to turn that

into a trick play

good improvisational skills there so now

here here he is again

they need to punt it it's fourth down

over the head again

and this time goes for a safety four bad

snaps

really killing his own team burns kicks

it out of the end zone number 49.

boudreaux is that his name well you know

good good on all his teammates and

coaches i mean like it's all right it's

all right

you know four times in a row you gotta

it's it's past the point of anger there

it's

uh you know you gotta be a little

therapeutic and be like hey it's okay

because that

that dude's out of the game i think it's

accepted

louisiana has no long snapper they will

not be punting or kicking it's fourth

and nine for app state now

after that turnover and they don't get

anything going

tackled so now louisiana's got the ball

again they can try and run out the clock

pick up some first downs

they run the ball here for a gain about

one keep the clock rolling

they run it again the quarterback number

one he gets a couple yards keep

the clock rolling a couple more for a

first down and they got this thing

locked up

they decide to throw it on third down

which i don't really get

because once you just keep the clock

running that seems like a team that's

gonna go for it on fourth down if

they're throwing it on third here

the long snapper's like you guys need me

you guys need me i'm ready if you need

me and they're like we'd love it dude we

love it but no we are all set

they bring the quarterback back out it

looks like they're going for it it's

only fourth and two you get it

that's kind of the game close you don't

get it

you flip the field they have pretty good

pretty good positioning they'll be at

like the what 37 yard line

down five instead they take the

intentional safety because they really

want to flip the field more than

anything

they give them the two points by taking

the safety they don't run

that much time off never really seen

that before

kind of an interesting move so now it's

a three-point game lewis is like [ __ ] my

running yards are screwed puts on the

jacket gets cozy and then they kick it

off

and it's not really the best of kicks

and it's not really

the best of spots for louisiana he

brings it to the 45

so just to clear up anyone who's

wondering what happened

basically louisiana could have went for

it

they would have been like there if they

didn't get it but you know there's a

chance they get the first down

five point game with one minute and 51

seconds left instead

they took the intentional safety they

kicked off and now

app state has the ball there and it's a

three-point game

with 141 left but also if they tried to

go for it there's a good chance they

just get the first down so it's an

interesting situation they didn't have a

long snapper that's what they

tried to do to get through it so let's

see what app state does

they pick up the first down pretty

easily and that gets them across

midfield

and some then they're gonna pick up a

little bit of downs there on third and

two they get the first down

again now it's first and ten they're

going

down field they're going to throw it

deep that's going to be incomplete

third and six big down here looks

downfield

throws it down field and they're going

to get a pi there on number 20

no catch two flags on the field and that

puts them right in the red zone

offensive paners interference to that

guy i mean now

they're at the 13 yard line with 14

seconds left

two shots at the end zone and then you

just kick the field goal to tie it

and the intentional safety is looking so

stupid right now but they don't get

the call there or the catch they try

again on the other side let's see what's

going on over there

and this dude catches it but he can't

keep his feet

inbound his right foot comes down

on the yellow before his left foot comes

down on the block and i don't even know

if he had controlled the ball yet so now

they got to kick the field goal

and that intentional safety looks stupid

as stupid gets right now

but the kicker shanks it and all the

drama

and all the fun is kind of all for

naught

because app state kicker just kind of

he felt bad for the long snapper he was

like i don't want to win this way

not me meanwhile louisiana ragin cajuns

just giving her agent hugs on the

sideline

hanging out celebrating a victory with

his boy gotta love love

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