The Blueprint of a Comeback

By: Patrick Walsh

Mercer’s rallying drive in the waning moments of its game at VMI Saturday may have finished in 19 seconds but it was born 10 years ago.

Regardless of the fact that Mercer’s football program was still deep in hibernation at that point, yet to be revived, the comeback started with a play ran in the Fiesta Bowl in the desert of Arizona. The Bears learned something from the Broncos.

It all started on Jan. 1, 2007 when Boise State faced Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, then part of the Bowl Championship Series, with one of the most famous plays in college football history. The hook and lateral play – called “Circus” by Boise State – forced overtime against OU as Boise State trailed 35-28 with 1:02 remaining.

That famous play is one of those moments where, if you are a football fan, you know exactly where you were the moment it happened.

“I must have been 13 years old but I remember that play,” Mercer quarterback John Russ said. “I watched it live. After that game … I remember, because they ran the Statue of Liberty play and Ian Johnson proposed to his girlfriend after the game.

While Russ is a redshirt senior and is 22 years old, sophomore Cole Fisher is a few years younger and also remembers the iconic play. For Cole, it was a fluke accident while hunting that had him glued to the television watching the bowl games that year.

“I would have been nine or 10 years old but like John said, I do remember watching that game. That was the year my dad and I had been deer hunting and he had an accident after falling out of a tree and shattering his ankle. So he was laid up all of December and January that bowl season, so we just hung out and watched the bowl games that year.”

Fisher and his father watched as Boise State engineered was is said to have been one of the most momentous wins in college football history, or at least in the BCS era.

But while Boise State had 1:02 to work with, Mercer faced a kickoff return with only 19 seconds on the clock.

“I’ve been in a lot of games but I don’t know that I’ve been in one where there’s 19 seconds on the clock and you are receiving a kickoff and win the game,” Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb said.

Chandler Curtis returns the VMI kickoff out to the 32 to set up the hook and lateral play that Mercer calls “Bronco” in homage to Boise State. While Mercer has played in a lot of close games over the last two years – 10 of the last 13 games have been decided by one possession – this was the first time the team has had a chance to run this play.

“We’ve had it installed for years, ever since I’ve been here,” Russ explained. “Every team in America has some type of variation for it. I’ve never run it in a game, but I’m happy that it worked.”

“I was kind of angry [we had to run it] because we were losing. I don’t ever want to [have to] run that play again, to be honest.”

Following the kickoff return, 13 seconds remained. Russ completed the pass to freshman Kelby Brock, who was immediately hit by multiple Keydets. Brock pitched it to Jordan Marshall, who ran down the field and stepped out of bounds before he was tackled drawing an extra 15 yards on the personal foul.

“Lo and behold, there’s four seconds left and we kick a 42-yard field goal,” Lamb recalled. “Cole Fisher knocks it through the pipes to give us new life in overtime.”

After forcing VMI to a field goal, Russ connected with Avery Ward for a game-winning touchdown.

“Great throw by John [Russ]. Great catch by Avery [Ward]. A big sigh of relief for our coaching staff,” said Lamb.

Mercer will play at No. 3 Chattanooga on Saturday before returning home to host Western Carolina on Oct.15. Tickets for that game are still available for purchase by calling (478) 301-5470 or by visiting tickets.mercer.edu.

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