University of Tennessee Athletics
Walk-On To Walk-On A Perfect Combo
November 23, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
UTSports.com
But when Butch Jones rolled the dice with a fake field goal call early in the second quarter, those facts changed for both players.
Ashford pulled the ball from his holder position and the former quarterback at Morristown West High School fired a ball over the middle to his fellow walk-on Ellis for a 31-yard touchdown that gave Tennessee a 10-7 lead.
"Coach Jones called it in from the sidelines, it was something we had been practicing the last three weeks," Ashford said. "Alex Ellis made a great play."
Jones was pleased with the execution on both ends that gave his team a spark at just the right time.
"Patrick Ashford did a tremendous job," Jones said. "It was just two players making a play and our kids protecting it. Alex Ellis did a great job of catching the ball. We felt like we needed a change in momentum there because we knew points were going to be at a premium."
Indeed they were. Tennessee had struggled to get anything going to that point in the game. But three consecutive first downs on rushes from Jalen Hurd, Joshua Dobbs and a pass from Dobbs to Alton Howard moved the Volunteers to the Missouri 33. Another pass to Howard got UT five yards closer, but a pair of rushes netted UT -3 yards and put the Vols firmly in no man's land.
Tennessee lined up for what would have been a career-long 48-yard field goal from Aaron Medley.
"Gut feeling," Jones said of the decision. "They had 11 men down on the line of scrimmage. It's something we've had in the playbook for a couple of weeks. Patrick did a tremendous job, here's a young man who's a walk-on that has done a tremendous job and gets an opportunity in a big-time game and delivers a strike."
What goes through the mind of a walk-on holder when the head coach calls a fake? The answer was reminiscent of the analytical style that one would expect from the player that normally throws all of the passes.
"Just execute the play, don't make a bigger deal of it than it is," Ashford said, channeling his inner Dobbs. "Just find Alex and get him the ball."
The last time Tennessee successfully converted a fake field goal for a touchdown was also against Missouri. Tyler Drummer, another walk-on holder, ran for a TD on a field goal fake in overtime against the Tigers in 2012.
Jones was glad to see the touchdown, but was also happy to see his players execute when their numbers were called.
"I love those kids," Jones said. "They give their all for Tennessee."
