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The Biggest Play of the SEC Championship Was a Tackle Made by a Tight End

That’s a hustle play.

Tyler Lauletta

Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie tackles Texas CB Jahdae Barron after an interception.
Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie tackles Texas CB Jahdae Barron after an interception. / ABC
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Georgia is the SEC champion after a thrilling overtime win against Texas on Saturday.

It was a game filled with big moments—Bulldogs backup quarterback Gunner Stockton stepping up after Carson Beck was injured on the last play of the first half, a gorgeous fake punt that kept Georgia’s go-ahead drive alive, Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn bouncing back from two straight misses to hit the field goal that forced overtime—but it’s possible the biggest play of the game came from a tight end making a tackle.

With just over two minutes to play, the Bulldogs held a 16–13 lead and had a chance to clinch the win with a few more first downs. Facing third-and-13, Stockton threw a desperation pass to the sideline that landed straight in the hands of Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron.

For a moment, it looked as though Barron had a clear path to a pick-six, but Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie made the hustle play of the game, chasing him down and corralling him to the sideline before he could truly break free.

If Luckie doesn’t make the play there, Georgia could have easily been down 20–16 in the blink of an eye, needing a touchdown to win. Instead, the Bulldogs defense was able to hold the Longhorns to a field goal that sent the game to overtime—and then come out on top in the extra period.

Somehow, Luckie’s tackle wasn’t even his wildest highlight of the night, as he came down with an absolute circus catch earlier in the game that left fans across social media with their collective jaw on the floor.

While the catch might be the play that sticks on Luckie’s highlight reel moving forward, it was his tackle that will go down as his biggest play of the night.

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