Sarkisian in post game commented on the team win, “I thought defensively, just stifling defense.”
Time was running out. With just eight seconds on the clock before the half, Texas had already completed five back-to-back scoring drives amassing 31 points and 361 total yards.
Texas’ defense brutalized Sam Houston holding them to a total of 50 yards and needed something, anything, a field goal or best a touchdown.
The Barekats were stuck on the Texas 42 yard line, fourth down, and they needed four more yards for a first down. The only choice with eight seconds left – throw a deep ball.
Sam Houston sophomore wide receiver No. 0 Darrick Bledsoe III was the target.
Bledsoe was at the two yard line. The pass was already inbound spiraling through the air. As the ball approached, Bledsoe leaps high enough to dunk a basketball if he was on a court. The ball was on target for his outstretched hands. A perfect throw.
Bledsoe had two Texas defenders tracking stride for stride (6’0″ No. 3 Jaylon Guilbeau from Port Arthur, Texas & 6’2″ No. 4 Jelani McDonald from Waco, Texas).
All three go airborne. Guilbeau behind Bledsoe and just a little higher than Bledsoe, but the ball was out of reach by a 15 inches. It was on target to land perfectly in Bledsoe’s arms, right at his numbers across his jersey.
Texas’ McDonald does a superman leap like he had a Jetpack on, then towers at least by two feet over Bledsoe and intercepts a perfect spiral. Had McDonald not been there, Sam Houston was have scored a touchdown easily.
Horns Illustrated sports photographer Don Bender was there, field level, and captured the interception. It’s one of the greats in sports photography. Bender commented, “Got a good interception photo. Been trying to get one like that for a while.”
The canon went off, time expired, it’s halftime. Texas up 31-0.
An amazing shot of three athletes battling for air superiority high above the surface of the field. Here is what Bender saw through the lens in high fidelity?
No. 4 Jelani McDonald is a third-year defensive back from Waco, Texas with 30 games and eight starts under his belt. This is McDonald’s second interception of the season, snagging one in the previous game against UTEP as well.
Colin Simmons records two important stats in the game. A tackle that was also a sack for a two-yard loss and a quarterback hurry on this play that McDonald made the interception.
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