ESPNNCAABy Jay Rigdon on

We’ve covered a lot of fun SkyCam plays here in the past, often involving kick return touchdowns.

The real magic of the SkyCam comes from presenting the sport in a way that helps put the audience closer to not only seeing the play, but feeling the action. It’s a dynamic shot, when done right and in combination with the right play. Obviously kick and punt return scores are some of the more exciting plays in football, which helps make that a great pairing.

Today’s Georgia-Missouri game gave us another one, when the Bulldogs blocked a Mizzou punt.

Having that off-center, low-slung angle is so, so much better than the usual broadcast view on a punt for a play like this. Being able to see the edge rush come free and then pivot to following the Georgia defenders as they race after the ball, tracking back with them to the end zone and then providing a look at the bobbled recovery attempt that meant it was a safety instead of a touchdown, all in one take: fantastic television.

Obviously it’s not feasible for every game; infrastructure and cost are real, after all. But when it’s an option, it would be awesome to see it utilized even more going forward. Seeing football from angles like this emphasizes the speed and movement inherent to the game, and unlike basketball (where the action is so back-and-forth attempts to employ various tracking angles can become disorienting if not outright dizzying), the sport lends itself to more of a cinematic sweep like this one. Just a really, really fun moment in the middle of what’s going to be a blowout win.

It wasn’t the only one of those from this game, either, as hot mics later caught Kirby Smart saying a very naughty word:

So two (admittedly very different) fun moments from just one half of a lopsided game, all made possible by ESPN’s presentation. Can’t beat that.

About Jay Rigdon

Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.

View all posts by Jay Rigdon