NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener expects to remember the game for the rest of his life.
In 2021, Haener was playing quarterback for Fresno State. That September, the Bulldogs faced a No. 13 UCLA team that was fresh off a victory over LSU. Heading into the fourth quarter, Fresno State actually held a lead after a field goal, up 26-17.
Then it fell apart. The Bruins scored two unanswered touchdowns to take a 30-26 lead.
After the second touchdown, then-Fresno State coach Kalen DeBoer walked over to Haener on the sideline. DeBoer had been talking with his offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, on the headsets. Grubb was up in the booth, and he had a message he wanted sent to the quarterback.
“Ryan told Kalen to walk over to me,” Haener told The Tuscaloosa News, “and said, ‘Hey go tell Jake he’s going to be remembered for the next 7:27 and that’s all people are going to care about, what he does in the next 7:27.'”
Message received. On the ensuing drive, Haener led a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped off with a 19-yard touchdown pass.
His work wasn’t done yet, though. UCLA returned the favor, scoring with 54 seconds left to take the lead.
No problem, said Haener. He led a 6-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in 40 seconds to take the 40-37 lead with 14 seconds left, which was enough to win.
“That was a pretty wild moment and something I’ll always remember,” Haener said.
Haener had a first-hand look at DeBoer and Grubb working side-by-side before they went to Washington in 2022 and 2023. There, they had a top-15 scoring offense in each season, en route to coaching in the national championship game this past season. And now, the duo has ended up in Tuscaloosa to coach Alabama football. Grubb hasn’t officially been announced as offensive coordinator, but he has been spotted on the road recruiting for the Crimson…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/inside-kalen-deboer-ryan-grubb-101512598.html
Author : The Tuscaloosa News
Publish date : 2024-01-29 10:15:12
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
