Wagner’s Burford helps pull off trick play
Nearly 62,000 fans inside Allegiant Stadium were still waiting for a jolt of lightning as halftime approached in Super Bowl LVIII. With about 4:30 to go, Wagner and UTSA graduate Spencer Burford finally helped deliver some sparks in Sin City.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy handled the snap and flipped a pass back to receiver Jauan Jennings. The crowed perked up when it saw the wideout pivot and uncork a pass to Christian Mccaffrey on the opposite side of the field. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton realized what was happening too, beelining toward the ball’s path for what might have been a pick-six — had Burford not intervened.
The 300-pound offensive lineman with San Antonio roots lunged and caught a piece of Bolton, averting disaster and springing Mccaffrey for a 21-yard catch-and-run touchdown to put the 49ers up 10-0 with 4:23 left in the first half.
“That’s the play that a lot of teams run,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game. “We’ve ran it in the past a number of times, and thought it looked good today. The guys did a hell of a job making that play.”
In the end, San Francisco couldn’t convert that momentum into a championship. The Chiefs went on to beat the 49ers 25-22 Sunday night in just the second overtime game in Super Bowl history.
Though he did not start, Burford ended up playing 44 snaps on offense and five on special teams in his first Super Bowl appearance. The 23-year-old still has one year remaining on his rookie deal, so barring a trade he’ll have a chance to help the Niners return to next year’s big game in New Orleans.