At the 5:35 mark of the 3rd quarter with UT leading [Florida] 20-14, Tennessee had just returned Florida's kickoff to the Vols 40. On first down, Josh Smith ran a wheel route out of the backfield. Dobbs correctly recognized that [but if] he led the receiver, Florida's safety would be able to make a play on the ball. So, he threw the ball short and high--again, the correct play--so his receiver was the only one who could make the catch. Smith went up and let the ball slip through his hands.
A successful catch and it's first and ten at the Florida 38. Instead, Tennessee lost four yards on the next two plays and punted from their 36. Smith dropping the ball isn't world shattering; players drop passes. Still, a catch surely would have helped to know the eventual game outcome, but so it goes.
What is inexcusable to me was the game analyst, a former college and pro player who has 20 some odd years of being an analyst, called the whole thing wrong. The play by play guy--correctly--said the ball went through the receiver's hands. The analyst jumped in and said if Dobbs had thrown the pass properly, Smith likely catches it in stride and makes a big play.
If Dobbs had led the receiver, the Florida defender--clearly in the picture--either breaks it up or intercepts the pass. If Smith had made the catch where he was, it was a 22 yard gain and a first down inside the Florida 40 before he tries to elude the defender. That is a big play.
Example two is when Tennessee ran the same play to the other side to Kamara with 50 left on first and 15 from their 37 and the Vols behind 28 - 27. This time, the receiver slowed and made the catch at the Florida 44 for a first down. Again, if Dobbs leads the receiver, it is an interception or breaks up. In this case, the receiver made the catch, and it was the biggest play of that drive.
On the first play, instead of correcting himself on the spot, the analyst decided to roll with the quarterback making a bad pass. As a result, everyone watching was led to believe what was an excellent decision and play the quarterback was instead a bad throw.
That analyst assessment stuck and was repeated by others throughout the year.
