I started in on a typical recap post and quickly realized how pointless it would be to dive into such a lopsided game. Not that there weren’t some things to talk about. No quarterback really covered himself in glory. Yet another stall from the one-yard-line without the aid of defensive linemen made me wonder just what Matt Luke is doing in terms of development.

Instead I’d rather focus on the theme the team chose for the game. As Kirby Smart explained:

“I told them I wanted them to name the next chapter, because I didn’t want it to be a boring or monotonous chapter, and they said ‘sendoff.’ That was the name of the next chapter to send these guys off right, at least in Sanford Stadium.”

The starters did their job well enough: a 49-0 halftime score ensured that any and every available player would see the field. But there was no sendoff quite like this one:

Every few years we have to send off our favorites – maybe it’s a universally-loved star like Nick Chubb or maybe it’s a lesser-known reserve we got to know personally in some other way. I don’t know that anyone has ever had a sendoff quite like Jordan Davis’s farewell on Saturday. The formation shift that signaled a handoff to Davis on the goal line caused a anticipatory crowd reaction that reminded me of Todd Gurley coming out to return the kickoff against Auburn in 2014. That was a welcome bit of fan service in a game we knew would otherwise be rudimentary and without suspense.

That moment would have been a fitting curtain call for one of college football’s brightest personalities. And then this happened:

The newest Redcoat… pic.twitter.com/4CJZywPHLh

— dawgsonline (@dawgsonline) November 20, 2021

There are so many layers to this scene. Of course the fans are thrilled to show their love and appreciation to Jordan Davis. What’s noteworthy is the genuine joy and humility with which he received the adulation. It meant as much to him as it did to the Redcoats and the fans still in the stadium. His conducting is excellent – why wouldn’t it be? We’ve known about Davis’s affinity for the Redcoats since he went over to thank them after the 2000 Sugar Bowl win over Baylor. I also appreciate that Davis’s teammates shared in the moment. This team and especially this defense support one another, and they’ve all contributed to this special season.

Each time we send off our favorite players, it’s tough to imagine how they’ll ever be replaced. They usually are, and Kirby Smart is recruiting well enough that more jaw-dropping talent is surely on the way. New favorites inevitably emerge as we get to know them. I have to say though that as a former Redcoat I can’t imagine a more poignant day for a player, a school, and its fans.