With 1:16 left in the fourth quarter, the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] had just completed an effortless drive to score a touchdown to cut the lead to two. In an attempt to tie the game, the Knights’ offense stayed on the field and lined up for a two-point conversion.
Quarterback [autotag]John Rhys Plumlee[/autotag] took the snap and slung it out to his left to [autotag]Xavier Townsend[/autotag] who then looked to throw the ball. The Sooners’ defense, led by [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], was all over it.
They covered it beautifully. From [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] taking away his main read to Dolby and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] staying out wide and defending the cutback to make sure he didn’t try to run it in as well. Ultimately, Dolby was the one who wrapped him up for an eight-yard loss, which essentially sealed the Sooners’ win.
Dolby talked to reporters after the game about that play. “Adversity is going to happen, Dolby said. “Coach (Venables) preaches that to us all of the time. Next play, that’s our mindset. It’s how I was thinking on that.”
The biggest thing that stood out about that two-point stop was that everyone on defense simply did their job. That’s not something we’ve seen from Sooners’ defenses in the past. At times those units seemed more concerned with making the big play as opposed to doing what the defense asked them to do.
Dolby was asked about Townsend wanting to throw it, and he said flat out his job was to play the ball and not worry about the throw. The throw was Bowman’s and Washington’s responsibility. Both of them did a great job taking that away as well. And because of it, the Sooners avoided overtime and remained undefeated on the 2023 season.
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