Week 1 of the college football season has already produced an incredibly bizarre ending in a game between D-II Virginia State Trojans and FCS Norfolk State Spartans.
Virginia State held a three-point lead with six seconds to go, but had to navigate a 4th-and-7 inside their own five-yard line. In theory, the right play would be to burn time off the clock so the game ends, even if it led to the offense taking a safety.
In practice, things did not work out that way. Reserve quarterback Jordan Davis inexplicably came out of the end zone on a run and failed to make it to the first down marker with time still left on the clock.
That set up Norfolk State on a chip shot field goal that would have tied the game. Incredibly, they fumbled the snap, and Virginia State returned it for a touchdown to clinch a 33-24 win.
The last two plays of Virginia State – Norfolk State.
THIS IS COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!! pic.twitter.com/xvvEiJEwmC
— Mr Matthew CFB (@TheMrMatthewCFB) September 2, 2023
Virginia State will be feeling incredibly lucky to have gotten away with such a basic mistake. Norfolk State will simply feel sick.
Such is the joy of lower-division college football. Sometimes the finishes are hard to believe, no matter how often you see them.
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