With the ball at the Tennessee one-yard line with 2:11 remaining, redshirt freshman running back Christopher Rodriguez fell just short of the line of scrimmage on third down. And on fourth with the game on the line, quarterback Lynn Bowden rushed right on the option, faked the pitch, and cut upfield. Like Rodriguez, the junior playmaker was stopped short of the goal line, ultimately solidifying the Volunteer victory.
After the game, there was a bit of back-and-forth on social media about Bowden’s decision to not pitch the ball on the final offensive play, with some fans feeling Rodriguez had open space to make a play at the pylon.