We all know teams need bye weeks to rest players and, in our case, implement some much-needed changes on defense. As a fan, I'm not too fond of Saturdays without Mean Green football, but I tolerate them and cope by rewatching the previous game to see anything I missed or what we can build upon. Saturday's replay session made one thing very clear. Chandler Rogers has the elusive clutch gene and ice water in his veins.
In the two drives that changed the game, Chandler Rogers put the team on his back and made the right plays when they counted the most. As you'll see below, he appeared calm, cool, and collected in the game's critical moments.
Fast forward - 1:56 left in the 1st half. LaTech just gashed our defense with a 56-yard run to cap off a two-play, 0:20-second scoring drive with a 19-yard TD pass to Smoke Harris. 16-14 good guys, but we've lost the momentum, and we're starting the drive from our 11-yard line.
1st & 2nd downs are both two-yard gains by Adeyi. Now 3rd & 6 with 1:06 left before halftime, Rogers stands tall in the pocket and throws an absolute strike to Damon Ward for 32 yards to the UNT 47. The delivery is spot-on, placed just over the cornerback's head and right in front of the safety crashing down on the play. Without this dime throw, we end up punting from our 15-yard line and hoping and praying our defense doesn't allow another quick scoring drive in the last minute. We have a fresh set of downs, we're in the hurry-up, and the momentum is turning.
The pass on 1st down is batted down at the line. On 2nd down, LaTech dials up a linebacker blitz. The extra man is picked up to perfection as Rogers reads his progressions and sees Roderic Burns gearing down his route in the soft spot of the zone. Rogers pulls the trigger for a 22-yard gain down the right-hash to the LaTech 31. The clock is moving, Rogers hurries everyone up to the line and takes a quick deep shot down the left sideline to Maclin. The ball is slightly overthrown and out of bounds near the goal line, but no harm, no foul.
0:27 left in the half… 2nd down. Chandler "Hit-Stick" Rogers delivers the block heard around the world. You know what block I'm talking about. The all-over-social-media-de-cleater sealed the backside and sprung Adeyi for 25 yards to the LaTech 6-yard line. 0:18 seconds left, North Texas timeout. LaTech is on their heels.
Out of the timeout, Rogers hits a leaping Damon Ward between three defenders for the touchdown. LaTech's defense is dejected, their fans are quiet, and all you can hear in-stadium is the UNT band fired up. Eight plays, 89 yards, 1:16 time of possession, executed to perfection. UNT 23 - LaTech 14 headed into halftime.
Fast forward again - UNT's defense is reeling (again). LaTech converts an onside kick and then quickly scores on a 3-play, 53-yard TD drive to cap off 17 straight points to tie the game. UNT's three-score lead has evaporated in under 7 minutes, the message board is a hot-mess, and the last time Rogers possessed the ball, he had a 10-point lead. The game appears to be headed for OT with the momentum and crowd firmly in LaTech's corner. But to borrow a legendary line from Mr. Lee Corso, Not so fast, my friend! There's still 1:04 left before OT. We later learn Coach Morris told Rogers before the final drive, "They left us too much time."
First down is a one-yard pickup from Adeyi. The clock's ticking... Out of the no-huddle on 2nd down, Rogers and Burns hookup for 23 yards to the UNT 49. The throw is almost a carbon copy of the pass before the half: a beautiful zone read, with a perfect strike to Burns. Move the chains. 0:47 left in the game. Clutch.
First down is a quick-hit six-yard out-route to Jordan Smart to the LaTech 45. The clock is stopped, and Rogers looks in full command of the offense. Second down is a pass batted down at the line of scrimmage. The pressure builds on a pivotal 3rd & 4 with 0:34 seconds on the clock. Our wide receivers line up trips-right, UNT calls a designed play that rolls Chandler to his right to throw on the run. The result is a well executed seven-yard pass to Burns on an out route to the sidelines at LaTech's 38-yard line — another big first down to keep the drive alive and stop the clock.
With 0:25 left in the game, Chandler drops back but finds his receivers covered. The pocket quickly collapses, and Chandler scampers to the right sideline for 3 yards to again stop the clock. His awareness and athleticism under pressure avoid what would have been a disastrous sack just outside of field goal range.
Now 2nd & 7, at the 35-yard line, Chandler tries for another downfield bomb, this time intended for Jordan Smart down the left sideline. The pass is right on the money; however, credit to LaTech, their defensive back does a great job breaking up the pass.
On 3rd & 7, with thirteen ticks left on the clock, UNT runs a beautifully timed draw play into a blitzing defense expecting a pass. Adeyi bolts for 21 yards out of bounds at the LaTech 14 with 0:07 left on the clock, putting us well within field goal range for the win.
You all know what happened next. Noah Rauschenberg split the uprights, Eric Morris notched his first UNT victory with a Stone Cold celebration to boot, and Chandler Rogers showed Mean Green Nation that he's a dawg with a clutch gene.
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