Hail Mary touchdown pass makes ESPY's finals
The Central Michigan University Chippewas are in the final round for the 2015 ESPY's.
The awards will take place in Los Angeles next Wednesday. Though they lost during the inaugural Popeye's Bahamas Bowl, CMU is nominated for "Best Play" for their Hail Mary touchdown pass that took place during the game. Cooper Rush, Jesse Kroll, Courtney Williams, Deon Butler and Titus Davis will attend the awards ceremony. They will be accompanied by two athletics operations staff members, leaving July 14 and returning July 16.
The play received 69 percent of the vote in the first round of voting.
In December 2014 in Nassau, CMU made a last-second 75-yard, Hail Mary touchdown pass, almost allowing them to make a comeback against Western Kentucky University. The team called this play the "Hurricane."
Down seven points with one second left, the team was on its own 25-yard line. A pass from Rush was caught by Kroll.
He tossed the ball to Butler, who passed it backward to Williams, who lateralled it to Davis. Davis outran the Hilltopper defense and dove to the pylon in the end zone for an improbable score.
On a two-point conversion attempt, Rush threw a fade pass in the right corner of the end zone, but Kroll couldn't catch the pass. Western Kentucky defeated CMU 49-48.
The play was also named ESPN's No.1 play of the college football season in January. It was No. 2 of the year in 2014, behind the New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s one-handed catch. The play was also voted the Michigan Sports play of the year by the Detroit Free Press.
Voting is open for the last round of ESPY-nominated plays.
An ESPY Award is presented by ESPN to recognize individuals or teams in achievements and other sports-related performances during the previous calendar year. The awards will be presented on ESPN at 8 p.m. July 15.
