Hall's First TD, 'Didn't Go As Planned'
September 13, 2015 | General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
When Jake Browning looked back on the first touchdown pass of his college career, the true freshman said, “It probably should have been picked.”
“It was a bad read on my part,” he said. “It went through a guy's hands.”
But, with the ball hanging in the air, senior Marvin Hall made a play. He corralled the tipped pass, sprinted toward the end zone, and scored his first touchdown during the Huskies' 49-0 win over Sacramento State on Saturday.
“It was a crazy play,” Washington coach Chris Petersen said. “All those ball drills he's done for hundreds and hundreds of hours, tip balls and blind balls, you see it show up there in a unique way.”
Hall has spent years preparing for this moment so, when the opportunity presented itself, he thought, “Let's make this happen.”
“We drew the play up to be perfection,” said Hall, who threw a touchdown pass last season at Arizona. “It didn't go as planned. The guy jumped in front and tipped the ball. It could have been picked, but he tipped the ball and it came right to my hands.”
There have been other moments in the receiver's career when he came close to finding the end zone. It every other instance, though, it was a slight step out of bounds or a touchdown-saving tackle that kept him from crossing the goal line.
This time, though, he refused to be stopped, even after a Sacramento State defensive player tried to trip him up on his way to the end zone.
“I was running,” Hall said. “The guy kicked my foot and I almost went down, but my determination wouldn't let me. I had to make this play for my team, so I did.
“It felt great to finally get in. It's been stressful always stepping out of bounds or getting caught on the 1-yard line. To be able to finally accomplish my goal, I was happy.”
The 78-yard completion was Hall's only catch of the day. He turned a potential pick into a touchdown during Browning's breakout performance.
“I had to make a play for my team,” Hall said. “I caught the ball and made it happen.”
