In an absolutely crazy game that saw a total of 99 points and more than 1300 yards of combined offense, the Memphis Tigers came up with a huge last-minute interception to beat the Cincinnati Bearcats in a 53-46 thriller.
Cincinnati backup quarterback Hayden Moore filled in admirably after Gunner Kiel went down with a scary injury. Moore, a freshman, threw for more than 557 yards and four touchdowns, but it was the questionable decision on his final pass attempt that cost his team a shot at victory.
With under a minute left to go and the Bearcats 20 yards away from a potential game-tying touchdown, Moore felt the pressure of two Memphis pass rushers closing in on him. As he was being hauled to the ground for what looked like a surefire sack, Moore attempted to shovel the ball to a nearby running back in a desperation heave. The receiving back was caught off-guard and could not haul in the pass, instead deflecting it into the air for an easy game-ending interception for the Tigers.
The most baffling part of the whole sequence was the fact that Moore and the Bearcats had two timeouts in their pocket, meaning it wouldn’t have been too big of a deal for them to take a sack on first down. Instead, the inexperienced quarterback attempted to force a play and it only ended it heartbreak.
