COLLEGE STATION, Texas - No Tennessee player was happier to see Jauan Jennings come down with the Hail Mary touchdown on the final play of the win at Georgia last week than Malik Foreman.
The Volunteers nearly had the cornerback to thank for making the play that gave them an unlikely chance at another improbable win.
Foreman hesitated for a split second and allowed Georgia's Riley Ridley to catch a go-ahead touchdown pass for the Bulldogs prior to Jennings' heroics, but the senior made an incredible effort play Saturday, punching the ball away from Trayveon Williams as the Texas A&M back was running in to score the icing touchdown.
Tennessee drove 80 yards in six plays following the touchback to tie the top-10 showdown with 41 seconds left before losing 45-38 in double overtime.
"That play's just really a testament to what this season is so far and just never giving up," said linebacker Colton Jumper, a former Baylor School standout who led the Vols with 10 tackles. "He could have so easily just walked down the sideline and the guy could have scored, but that play's just a testament to this program and never giving up."
Somewhere in falling behind 28-7 in the third quarter or 35-21 with three minutes left in regulation and losing a half-dozen players to injury, Tennessee easily could have thrown in the towel against the Aggies. Instead the relentless Vols just kept coming.
Before leaking big plays late, the defense kept Tennessee in the game while the offense coughed up six turnovers. The Vols rolled up nearly 700 yards of offense.
Tennessee already was without four star players with running back Jalen Hurd, linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Darrin Kirkland Jr. and cornerback Cameron Sutton sideline with injuries. By the end of the game starting offensive linemen Dylan Wiesman and Jashon Robertson, defensive tackle Danny O'Brien and linebacker Cortez McDowell joined the list of absences.
Foreman, Emmanuel Moseley and Evan Berry all briefly left the game before returning.
"I said it last week, I said in our team meeting and I'll continue to say it again," Vols coach Butch Jones said. "Every team in this conference has marquee football players. The teams that win have great role players, and we had some role players step up and provide some valuable repetitions for us.
"But we need more individuals in those roles to step up, and when they get an opportunity, they make the most of it."
Foreman's effort play gave Tennessee possession with 1:49 to go, and Josh Dobbs hit freshman Tyler Byrd for 43 yards and fellow rookie Brandon Johnson for 7 to move the Vols down the field. Alvin Kamara caught a short pass and took it 18 yards for the tying score.
"Those are the kind of moments you dream about and live for," Dobbs said. "You dream about it as a kid. When you're down in the fourth quarter and you have the ball in your hand, you expect to go down and score."
The play Foreman made was an unexpected one, but it's one Jones likely will point toward as an example in the future.
"That categorizes everything," Jones said. "That play manufactured itself in practice two or three years ago with Devaun Swafford. We show that clip all the time in our practice. That's a never-say-die attitude. That's a never-quit attitude. That gave us an opportunity to put ourselves in position to force the game into overtime.
"That's a young man who didn't quit on the play. He could have quit and could have given up. That was a character play."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.