TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It wasn’t quite the same caliber as Terrence Cody’s block against Tennessee, but it brought back memories all the same.
Former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College head coach Chad Huff’s first impression of defensive back Saivion Smith didn’t come on defense. Instead, the nation’s No. 1 rated JUCO player first caught his coach’s eye on special teams doing the thing he does best: coming up when his team needed him most.
Trailing early to Itawamba Community College in last season’s opener, MGCCC was on the verge of falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter as its opponents lined up for a chip-shot field goal from 19 yards out. Field goals attempts from such distance are generally written off as an automatic three points. However, Smith had different plans.
Instead of conceding the points, the agile defender burst off the edge getting his hand on the kick to deny the score. The play ultimately swung momentum in MGCCC’s favor and ended up proving to be the difference in the Bulldogs’ 42-41 win.
"You don’t think about that at the time, but at the end of the game, him blocking that field goal was big for us," Huff said. "I look back and it was kind of like Terrence Cody blocking two field goals against Tennessee. To us, it was just as big.”
