Two separate teams and two different conferences, separated by 213 miles in Knoxville and Atlanta, faced a similar moment but with different outcomes. Aidan Birr executed a 55-yard field goal perfectly in the dying minutes to give Georgia Tech a deserving 24-21 win over Clemson at the Bobby Dodd Stadium last night. Meanwhile, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Max Gilbert went on to miss a 43-yard field goal with just 3 seconds left on the clock, pushing the game against the Georgia Bulldogs into overtime. On the surface, that missed field goal was a major upset, giving Georgia a 44-41 win over a hard-fought Tennessee team in overtime. But according to a prominent Tennessee reporter, people are quick to find culprits without dredging beneath the surface, and he is rightly worried for his son.

“I consistently tell my son he can be anything he wants to be as long as he isn’t lazy or an a-h-le. Those were my dad’s rules, and now they’re my rules. I really, really don’t want my son to be a football kicker either….Loneliest place in the world when things go wrong,” wrote Wes Rucker, an award-winning journalist from Knoxville, covering the Vols. Tucker is right. What happened in that last-second field goal play could have gone either way, and Gilbert will be taking a majority of the blame from the outside world.

Tennessee started the game dominantly, scoring a whopping three touchdowns, while Joey Aguilar continued to throw bullets. Before Georgia knew what hit them, the score was 21-7 for Tennessee in the first quarter. But Kirby Smart’s Georgia started piling on touchdowns starting from the second quarter, making the scores 17-21 in the first half. By the time the third quarter came, both teams were matching toe for toe, but Tennessee still led 38-30. But then rose Gunner Stockton to the occasion.

Stockton threw a clutch Hail Mary touchdown for a 28-yard pass to London Humphreys on 2:45. It followed an unexpected two-point conversion that leveled the scores. “I wouldn’t even have the stomach to make that throw in the video game, and Gunner Stockton did it on 4th and 6 with the game on the line. Incredible,” described ‘Solid Verbal’ podcast’s host Ty Hildenbrandt. However, 2:32 minutes were still left on the clock, and Tennessee had the ball. All the Vols needed was a field goal.

Tennessee controlled the clock well and just needed a 43-yard field goal from its kicker, Max Gilbert. Everything at that moment looked in Tennessee’s favor; the crowd was boosting the morale, and the team was looking pumped up. Except when Max Gilbert kicked the ball, it went wide off the field goal, sending an awkward silence in the jam-packed Neyland Stadium. Everyone knew Georgia was winning in overtime, and they did it comfortably. But was that field goal miss really changed the game?

Josh Heupel defends Max Gilbert after last-second debacle

Tennessee had performed exceptionally in the whole game, and even in that field goal attempt, it would have finished the job. Since initially, the field goal was on Georgia’s 35 and was well within reach for any decent kicker. However, a false start penalty became a critical error, and pushing back the field goal spot to 5 yards was the difference, extending the range. It sure played its part in the miss, because before that kick, Gilbert was 4-on-4 for field goals and even executed a 48-yarder earlier, giving Tennessee a 38-30 lead. Even in overtime, Tennessee could have won the game.

“I told the team it is a series of one plays that make the difference. As a specialist, sometimes your life gets showcased in a way where you get every imitated opportunities … I love the fact he came back in overtime and drains it,” said Josh Heupel, supporting his kicker.

The head coach also highlighted the uncertainty of plays and the ‘missed goal’ as a part of the job. “He had his head high. That is the life of being a kicker. I loved the way he responded. He will continue to grow. We’ve got great trust in him.” The comeback that Gilbert made despite the setback is surely commendable.

In overtime, Tennessee started weakly, gaining just a yard on their 3 downs, and were faced with another 42-yard field goal. This time, Max Gilbert rose to the occasion and sent it into the upright, giving Tennessee a 41-38 lead. However, Kirby Smart and Mike Bobo, courtesy of their experience and the quality of the team, enabled a 21-yard rush by Nate Frazier for a first down before Josh McCray scored a 1-yard touchdown, giving Georgia the win. All in all, that field goal might have made the difference, but the disappointment that Tennessee showed in overtime also matters.