Breaking Down Denzel Mim’s Incredible Touchdown Against Kansas State

In the “Shawshank Redemption,” upon hearing of the warden’s suicide, Morgan Freeman’s character Red says, “I’d like to think that the last thing that went through his head, other than that bullet, was how the hell Andy Dufresne ever got the best of him.” I assume Bill Snyder could empathize with Red, as he likely left Waco thinking: how in the world did Denzel Mims really make that catch?

Down by a touchdown with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter, Baylor lined up in 11 personnel (three wide receivers, a tight end and a running back) against Kansas State.

Kansas State’s safety on the left side of the field has his attention and body slightly focused on the right side of the field. Baylor’s been pretty effective running the ball, and Baylor has four offensive weapons on that side of the field. That creates the opportunity for Mims to get a one-on-one matchup on the left side of the field. Brewer briefly keeps his eyes on the right side of the field, which draws the safety on the right side of the field, while Mims runs a go route into the end zone:

That gives Brewer the chance to hit Mims in single coverage. But when Brewer throws the ball, Kansas State’s defensive back, Kevion McGee, is also going to be in position to make a play on the ball:

This play gets absolutely nuts from here:

McGee then makes a nice play on the ball, which leaves Mims here:

And then he suddenly ends up here:

And completes the process of the catch.

Here is that sequence:

Saturday’s game was absolutely wild. Kansas State’s running back, Alex Barnes, ran for 250 yards and over 11 yards per carry. Baylor and Kansas State missed extra points. They both threw two picks, and they both struggled to field returns. These teams were so similar on Saturday. In a contest like that, one player made the difference when it mattered. Mims got the best of Kansas State.