A snap, 15 laterals, and a victory

Picture the ending of the Stanford-California game in 1982, without the band but with three times as many laterals.

Trinity University used 15 laterals after a completed pass on the final play of the game for an unlikely touchdown and 28-24 victory Saturday at stunned Millsaps. Call it the "Mississippi Miracle" for the Tigers, a Division 3 school from San Antonio.

"We couldn't do that against air if we tried," coach Steve Mohr said last night.

There were 2 seconds left, only enough time to snap the ball once, when Trinity (7-1) took over at its 40. Blake Barmore dumped a short pass over the middle to Shawn Thompson, who gained 16 yards before he ran into a defender and made the first pitch to Riley Curry. Then there was another lateral, and another and another.

Curry got the ball four times, the last after it was bounced off the turf into his hands around the 34 and he sprinted to the end zone. He crossed the goal line 62 seconds after the ball was snapped.

That bounce was the only time the ball touched the ground, and Mohr thinks that actually helped the Tigers. "Some of the Millsaps players stopped. That created the seam for Curry," said Mohr.

Seven Trinity players touched the ball, including two offensive linemen. Josh Hooten, a 266-pound guard, got it twice. Hooten was the recipient of the second pitch, then threw the ball over his shoulder. Luckily, it went to receiver Michael Tomlin.

"It was like he caught it and thought he's not supposed to have it," Mohr said. "It was comical."