Fuller makes more history in Vanderbilt loss to rival
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sarah Fuller has a football keepsake from her historymaking moment. The ball from her second extra point likely is headed to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Being treated like just another athlete? That’s the best part of becoming the first woman to score in a power Five conference game, finally getting the chance to do more than squib a kickoff for Vanderbilt during a 42-17 loss to Tennessee.
“This whole time has been if I can do it, if I’m good enough to do it,” Fuller said. “It wasn’t if I was a girl or not. So that’s something I’ve really appreciated. At the end of the day, they treated me like an athlete and that’s the best I could ask for.”
She made history Nov. 28 as the first woman to play in a Power Five game, but was on the field only once, driving a low kickoff to open the second half as the Commodores got shut out at Missouri.
Vanderbilt interim coach Todd Fitch said special teams coordinator Devin Fitzsimmons had been charting kicks, especially close where the Commodores had struggled this season with few opportunities in games.
“So it was really, truly off statistics of the week’s preparation,” Fitch said. “It wasn’t about, you know, trying to do something special. It was truly who made the most of those kicks.”
With Vanderbilt (0-9) getting the chance to play after postponing last week’s game at Georgia, the Commodores played with just 49 scholarship players and finally gave the goalkeeper for the Southeastern Conference women’s soccer tournament champs an opportunity to put up points.
Fuller, listed second out of three available kickers on the depth chart, came out for the extra point that tied the game at 7 with 1:50 left in the first quarter.
The 6-foot-2 senior put the ball through the uprights and celebrated by pulling her fist in before slapping high-fives with teammates. She ran off the field with a big smile with her family in the stands all with their arms up in the air. Center judge Chris Garner handed her the ball on the sideline.
Fuller’s second chance came with 7:22 left in the fourth quarter at the other end of the field, and she kicked the ball through.
LSU 37, Florida 34
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — There were no shortage of eye-popping moments in this Lsu-florida game. Cade York’s 57-yard field goal. Marco Wilson’s inexplicable shoe toss. The dense fog that rolled in late and covered the Swamp. Kyle Trask’s three turnovers in the second quarter, including maybe the wackiest interception ever.
For the Tigers, those will be fond memories.
For the Gators, they will be nightmares.
Max Johnson threw three touchdown passes in his first college start, York delivered the kick of his life with 23 seconds remaining and reigning national champion LSU stunned No. 6 Florida on a cool and foggy Saturday night in the Swamp.
York drilled his kick through the eerie elements and the uprights after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Florida’s Wilson, who threw tight end Kole Taylor’s size 14 shoe following a thirddown stop. LSU would have punted. Instead, the Tigers got a first down and moved into York’s longdistance range.
The Gators (8-2) had a final shot, and Trask got them in position to tie. But Evan Mcpherson was wide left from 51 yards on the final play. LSU (4-5) celebrated wildly all over the field.
Georgia 49, Missouri 14
COLUMBIA, Mo. — JT
Daniels threw three touchdown passes, two of them to George Pickens as No. 12 Georgia broke away from Missouri.
Zamir White ran for 126 yards and a score while Georgia (7-2) dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Missouri (5-4) managed just 200 yards of offense after topping the 600-yard mark each of the past two weeks.
The game was tied at 14 when Pickens reached to his shoe tops to gather in a 36-yard touchdown toss from Daniels in the final minute of the first half. The pair connected again on the first drive of the second half, with Pickens catching a short pass on a slant route, stepping out of a tackle attempt and racing 31 yards for a score.
Daniels completed 16 of 27 passes for 299 yards. Pickens caught five passes for 126 yards and James Cook caught a TD pass and ran for a score.
Missouri’s Mason Pack blocked a punt deep in Georgia territory to set up Larry Rountree’s 1-yard touchdown run that made it 14-all with 1:20 left in the second quarter.
Rountree, who had rushed for more than 180 yards in each of the last two games against Vanderbilt and Arkansas, managed just 16 yards on 14 carries.
Connor Bazelak completed 17 of 28 passes for 139 yards and ran for the Tigers’ other score.