This Is Why Football Is Amazing!!

(Brad Nessler) — CBS Play-by-Play

"The coin toss is complete, and Arkansas will receive the opening kickoff. We'll introduce him to you shortly, but I suspect you already know exactly who Arkansas's quarterback is today."

(Brad Nessler)

"Here comes the Arkansas offense. This young man right here — a member of the Gators, Feleipe Franks. In 2017, he became Florida's first true freshman starting quarterback since 1998, and the following year he led the Gators to a 10-3 record and a No. 6 national ranking — a genuinely capable player. But last season he suffered a season-ending injury against Kentucky, and this year he transferred to Arkansas. Here's the interesting part: the reason behind his transfer was the very man he's facing today — Dwayne Moi Stone. The Gators had written him off, convinced their recruiting was already settled."

"Offensive unit—!!"

"Hurry up! Move, move!"

"Let's Go—!"

Arkansas's opening drive lasted all of thirty-nine seconds.

They still had one attempt left, but it was going to be a punt all the same.

A punt means the offense, facing fourth down, decides the risk of turning the ball over on the spot outweighs the chance of converting — so they kick the possession away instead. The returner can try to bring the kick back upfield, or, if advancing looks too dangerous, call for a fair catch.

A fair catch means the returner is declaring: we'll start our offense from right here.

In exchange, no one is allowed to touch him. If a defender does?

Obviously, that's a penalty — and it costs yardage.

Arkansas's punt sailed out of bounds, and a flag had already come down before it did.

But there was no time to care about that.

"Let's see what Arkansas's defense brings."

"Yes, sir."

"Base look. Alpha Jackson, Rainy Day Watt."

"Yes, sir."

After receiving the first play call from Coach Monken, I led the offense out onto the field.

(Brad Nessler)

"We're about to see this young man's first play. The 6-Star quarterback — Dwayne Moi Stone. Out of Kahuku High School in Hawaii, he led his team to three straight state championships and was named Hawaii Player of the Year three years running. And — wow."

Our first drive began at the Arkansas 34-yard line, and I lined up under center immediately.

(Brad Nessler)

"And this is exactly the point. A moment ago, Feleipe Franks lined up in the shotgun — but Dwayne Moi Stone is a quarterback who can operate from under center. That's a remarkably unique trait for a true freshman."

(Gary Danielson) — CBS Analyst

"When you have a quarterback like that, your playbook expands enormously. It's one of the reasons Georgia's season is so highly anticipated."

People who don't know football well tend to ask: what's so great about under center, anyway?

For one thing, taking the snap directly behind the center dramatically reduces the chance of a fumble. Even if the snap timing is a hair off, the ball almost never hits the ground.

But above all — the defense comes into perfect view.

Where the defensive line's eyes are pointed. Which of their planted fingers carries the weight. Where their hips and knees are angled. What the backs beyond the line are doing. Watch an opponent's eyes, expressions, and stance long enough and you start predicting their movement — you get a feel for whether the play you're about to run is going to work or not.

And for the same reason, you can change a play in an instant.

The audible.

The last advantage is a surprisingly practical one: standing close to the linemen means my voice carries. On a day like today, when the only crowd is family and the marching band, a shotgun QB could shout just fine — but in a stadium packed with ninety or a hundred thousand, you'd genuinely have to scream.

The play we'd already called in the huddle. After reading the defense, I set the receivers' routes.

"Red 45!! Ready—! Hut!!"

The instant the snap hit my hands, I whipped my body around and handed the ball off to Zamir.

The lines collided at the line of scrimmage, and Zamir carved a path between them.

Four yards? No — three?

It was only the first attempt, so as long as we didn't lose yardage, the play was a success.

By now, the play tower had watched the footage, passed it down to Coach Todd Monken, and rolled it into his next call for me. I caught his hand signal with my eyes.

Huddle. Right away.

"X-Runway, Jimmy Chip, Left Swing."

"The timing?"

"We're going turbo set."

"Whew — we're pushing tempo?"

"We'd better. Let's do this right. Go!"

Clap!!

(Brad Nessler)

"Second and six — Georgia's second attempt. And once again, under center. Fascinating."

On the first play we'd had two tight ends; now one had given way to an extra wide receiver.

X-Runway. That's our X-receiver, Pickens.

Jimmy Chip.

The two Y-receivers were decoys.

Left Swing — the tackle blocks to the left.

When the line flows left, the defense braces for a running back or slot receiver attacking to the right. We were turning that assumption against them: we'd attack through the left X-receiver instead. That's why we'd deliberately set up shop on the far right edge ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the inbounds line.

Now — time to set the routes again. I checked the D-line and the cornerbacks.

"Re—d 80!!"

With only one receiver holding an option to catch the ball — George Pickens — the route call ended in zero: the right receiver was free to run whatever he liked.

And then—

"Turbo, Set!!"

I took the snap on timing far quicker than the first call, dropped back two steps, and fired the pass immediately. From the snap to the release — probably under two seconds. Which meant George hadn't been able to get far downfield.

But it didn't matter. This play wasn't chasing a touchdown, just a first down — all George needed was to pick up the remaining six yards.

Just as I already knew he would, Arkansas's right cornerback was playing soft and deep. So when George burst off the line, then broke back on his comeback route, there was a pocket of daylight between him and the corner.

George hauled it in cleanly.

First down, ours.

(Gary Danielson)

"Wonderful. Did you all see how fast Moi got rid of that football? He took the turbo set snap and released the pass in under two seconds. Against that, there is simply nothing a defensive line can do. Georgia has executed a beautiful offensive design to perfection."

Starting at the Arkansas 34, we gnawed our way into enemy territory, yard by yard. The first attempt had been pure rushing; from there we mixed in passes in measured doses — keeping it short, for now.

And something I'd felt all through practice hit home again.

Damn. These guys are good.

Center Trey Hill's snaps land in my hands like they were cast there. Everyone runs exactly the route I ask for. I haven't felt the offensive line's impact yet — there simply hasn't been time — but I know.

They're going to be great.

Jamaree Salyer, the left tackle protecting my blind side, might not be the absolute best in NCAA D1, but he belongs comfortably in the top five. Alongside Peter Skoronski — the true freshman who shoved the returning starter aside to win the right tackle job — the two of them will wall off every edge rusher we face. And the tight ends, Tre McKitty and John FitzPatrick, are a step behind as receivers but outstanding blockers.

Of course, just as we have players this good, the teams ahead of us will be stacked with them too. We're competing among the one percent, after all — and within that one percent, the SEC is where the very top of the top gather, season after season.

Every one of those facts sent a thrill through me I could barely contain. My mind was spinning at a pace that felt like I'd swallowed NZT-48.

Oh — NZT-48. The drug from the movie Limitless. The one that fires your brain up to a hundred percent capacity.

(Brad Nessler)

"Moi's pass finds its mark again! OH MY— OH MY— that's five-for-five on completions! Georgia is now inside the Arkansas 28-yard line!"

Now the personnel shifted into scoring configuration. Two running backs came on, along with one tight end and two wide receivers.

While the substitutions churned, a play surfaced in my head — the formation limited our options, and one of them—

Coach Monken called it. Just as I expected.

"Left Trip, Short Pants, Right Swing."

Clap!

(Gary Danielson)

"The huddle tempo is blistering. The rhythm of this entire offense is something else. Georgia's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drive is flowing so smoothly you'd scarcely believe it's being orchestrated by a true freshman."

Left Trip — we're taking a trip to the left. In other words, that's where the ball goes.

Short Pants — the method of delivering the ball to the running back. At the snap, the back closest to me takes it. In this case, James Cook.

Right Swing is the mirror of what we did before — the tackle fires to the right. Since this is a straight rushing call anyway, the line's only job is to block.

"Black— 22!! Black 22!! Ready—! Hut!!"

The moment I barked "ready," my right foot was already moving. James Cook swept across on the jet sweep in rhythm with it, and after placing the ball in his hands, I faked the follow-up handoff to Zamir. Then I wrapped my arms around a chest that held nothing at all and rolled out to the right — pure theater, that too.

Nobody's fooled by the last part, of course.

Because James Cook is running the other way.

(Brad Nessler)

"James Cook — sprinting to the left and into the red zone! Every single Georgia play so far has succeeded. There hasn't been one moment where they've lost yardage."

(Gary Danielson)

"The blend of run and pass is superb. And I'd say Moi continuously accelerating the tempo is a major factor. In the very first game of the season, when bodies haven't fully loosened up, pushing a defense like that makes it desperately hard for them to get their bearings."

Tallying everything we'd shown so far, I judged we could go straight for the kill. First steps inside the red zone — the 19-yard line. We had a play we'd drilled for exactly this.

Coach Monken was apparently leaning toward a rushing call, so I wagged my left hand and flashed a different signal. A beat of hesitation from Coach Monken — then his thumb shot up.

Permission granted.

Substitutions reshuffled to fit the new play, and I quickly built the huddle.

"We're making pasta."

"Whoa—oh! That your idea?"

"Yup. Listen up. East Stack Hard-Boiled Egg, Left Trick, Dummy Triple, Pasta One-on-One."

Clap!

The longest, most complicated play call of the day — because it had to be precise. The one thing I'd personally decided was the pasta itself; everything else was improvised assembly around it.

Why pasta? Because it's George Pickens's favorite food.

Pasta, one-on-one. We're throwing him against a cornerback, man to man, alone.

The rest of the call was instructions for everyone else.

East Stack — that marks the formation side: a tight end lines up on the right of the offensive line.

Hard-Boiled Egg — the pocket shape. When this play begins, the O-line forms the pocket into the shape of an egg.

And Left Trick — the entire left side becomes the bait.

How? Dummy Triple. Three decoys.

Five linemen and a tight end. One running back. Three wide receivers. And me.

(Brad Nessler)

"This is Dwayne Moi Stone's first red-zone play of his college career. Across four years of high school, he produced a staggering 137 touchdowns. Considering he played barely half of most games his senior year, that number is almost impossible to believe."

(Gary Danielson)

"The reason this young man's passes are special is simple: they're fast, and they're accurate. Every quarterback in the country is judged on exactly those two things — and only a handful can actually deliver them."

Back under center, I swept my gaze around the formation. Were my teammates set right? What was the defense showing? Once I'd confirmed everything, I gave myself the green light.

All of it, in a matter of seconds.

"Re—d 5!! Ready—!! Hut!!"

Snap. Ball in my hands. Turn — and fake the handoff to Zamir. Then, as I pirouette, the defense loads its weight to the right, dragged by the two wide receivers sprinting the same direction Zamir is flowing — left.

That's what we wanted.

Did it actually happen?

The first thing I saw was the line. The pocket was holding beautifully. Peter and Ben Cleveland — our two right-side O-linemen — had sealed their men completely. Darnell, lined up on the right, was just as airtight.

The team's third-string tight end. And a freshman at that.

Why is a freshman tight end on the field in a moment as critical as a red-zone play? Because the kid is 6'7" (201 cm) and 265 pounds (120 kg).

Tre McKitty (193 cm / 111 kg) is smaller than him, and while John's frame is nearly identical, Darnell is the more naturally powerful of the two. Since this play asked the tight end to do one thing — swallow a defender like an O-lineman — we needed the third tight end's strength and blocking.

Damn!! This is why I love football!! Not a single man out here who doesn't matter!

A pocket protected to perfection — and inside it, I savored the freedom.

Two wide receivers would be sprinting on the left, but I had no intention of looking that way; and with Zamir and another teammate guarding my blind side, I wasn't worried there either.

George was running his heart out. That speed. That stride length. The route I'd dialed in at the last moment. Run the whole equation—

And I threw the ball toward a patch of earth where no one stood. It didn't need to be high. Just quick, at the right height. That was enough.

What remained was—

"…"

"…"

Nothing but the hope that every piece fit together perfectly.

And then—

"!!"

Right where I stood, I threw both hands into the air.

(Brad Nessler)

"TOUCHDOWN—!! Georgia strikes first, six points on the board!! And Dwayne Moi Stone, with the first touchdown pass of his career!! He kept Georgia's very first college drive alive, march after march, and finished it with a 24-yard scoring strike!! And joining him on Georgia's first touchdown — George Pickens! He just showed everyone why he's one of the premier wide receivers in the SEC!"

(Gary Danielson)

"An unbelievably flawless piece of offensive assembly. From the moment Georgia's drive began to this very instant — 66 total yards, 11 offensive plays, 3 first downs converted. Five minutes and seventeen seconds, all of it utterly dominated by a true freshman quarterback."

(Brad Nessler)

"Ladies and gentlemen, commit this name to memory right now! The 2020 6-Star quarterback — Dwayne Moi Stone!"

So thoroughly, so perfectly beaten that there wasn't even room to be angry — that was the honest assessment of Arkansas's head coach, Sam Pittman.

He'd inherited last year's 0-8 conference record, a 2-10 final mark — the single worst team in the SEC — and set about rebuilding it from the ground up. He'd dragged a program nobody wanted to join, a team everyone wrote off as hopeless, up to No. 29 in the recruiting rankings — No. 12 among transfers, no less. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠A team carefully assembled under desperate circumstances.

Sam Pittman had been certain. Even a 6-Star quarterback was still a freshman — he wouldn't be pushed around so easily.

Trevor Lawrence had struggled in his first start too.

But what Sam Pittman saw now was a picture of himself being gently, effortlessly swept aside. A picture of his defense offering no resistance at all. That is how shocking the sequence of plays had been.

(Brad Nessler)

"Georgia adds the extra point. Jack Podlesny knocks the kick through without trouble. Georgia leads 7-0 — and the ball now goes back to Arkansas."

While a shaken Sam Pittman sent his special teams out, an entirely different atmosphere was unfolding on the far sideline.

George Pickens, still cradling the touchdown ball, walked over and handed it to Moi.

"Congrats on your first touchdown pass."

"Haha. Thanks."

"One per game. Deal?"

"You're hilarious. Two."

"Now that's the answer. Bruh."

As the celebration rolled in around Moi, Todd Monken walked over and settled in beside him, nodding as he raised his open palm. Moi met it with his own.

Clap!

"You son of a bitch. Just how far does that nerve of yours actually go?"

"The feeling hit me, Coach. Pasta this time."

Just as Sam Pittman had felt it, Georgia's entire sideline felt it too: the first drive Dwayne Moi Stone ever led was a miniature of what Georgia's offense would be all season long — proof that they had acquired the elite quarterback everyone had been praying for.

The relief and confidence flowing from that realization melted swiftly into the team's mood, and Georgia's morale shot through the roof. And then—

(Brad Nessler)

"INTERCEPTION!! Georgia comes down with it!! And he's running!! 35!! 40!! Midfield!! He's still going!! And he goes down near the Arkansas 35!! Tyson Campbell!! Georgia's left cornerback has the first interception of the season!!"

Georgia, riding the wave, looking to pour it on — and Todd Monken shot up from his seat.

"Looks like nobody plans on letting you rest, kid."

"Fine by me."

"Cocky little brat! Keep it exactly like that!"

Whack!

Todd Monken rapped his knuckles against Moi's helmet — and Georgia's quarterback was smiling.

※ Blind Side: The direction a quarterback cannot see — his vulnerable side. For a right-handed quarterback it is the left; for a left-hander, the right.