Mississippi State center Cole Smith may have committed the worst snap in college football history during Saturday’s game against Arkansas. It was so terrible that the Bulldogs were penalized.
Smith’s reaction made the entire play even funnier.
Backup quarterback Mike Wright made his first start of the season with Will Rogers out. He was lined up in the shotgun with his feet firmly on the wrong side of the end zone.
Smith went to snap the ball on 2nd-and-10 and lost his grip. The ball floundered around on the field just behind his feet, which forced Wright to jump all over the fumble in an effort to avoid disaster.
A whistle ultimately blew the play dead, but not before the Razorback defense tried to crash in and recover the loose ball. Smith was so upset with his mistake that he completely forgot to block.
Multiple Arkansas defenders swarmed the A-gap. It is the center’s job to pick up the blitz.
Completely distraught, Smith stood straight up and threw up his hands as if to say “oh no!” He completely forgot about his blocking responsibilities. He completely forgot about the play for a split second.
Fortunately, the ramifications of Smith’s all-time terrible snap were minimal. An illegal procedure penalty cost Mississippi State just one yard. It could have been so much worse and Smith got lucky.
However, to see him immediately freak out and initially forget to block while the ball bounced around the grass at his feet is a pretty funny visual. It’s the little things, like a reaction to a bad snap, that make college football so great.
Smith was on the wrong end of this one. His group chat is probably POPPING off in the locker room.
PANIC! Film is not going to be fun for Smith, especially if the Bulldogs lose. It happens, but a bad snap of such caliber is simply unacceptable on any level.