Today is college football’s “Week 0.” Apparently, that means it is a trial run for the broadcasts as well, based on what went down at the end of Rice vs. Prairie View A&M.
The game between the rebuilding Owls and FCS Panthers was broadcast on ESPN’s new subscription service ESPN+. The kinks are definitely still getting worked out.
Rice got everything it could handle from the Panthers. After going up 16-0 early, Prairie View A&M scored two very quick touchdowns at the end of the half to take a 21-19 lead.
The teams wound up in a 28-28 tie with 4:28 remaining in the game, when Rice forced a Panthers punt. The Owls got the ball at their own 44, and drove all the way down the field to set up a last-second, game-winning field goal.
Jack Fox knocked the 23-yard chip shot through to give Rice football the win, but actually watching him do so was an adventure.
The camera work on the play can only be described as bizarre.
this may legitimately be the worst camera work i've ever seen on this rice game winner. i know camerawork is hard but man come on pic.twitter.com/4qtFsnd3ZM
— patrick mayhorn (@patrick_mayhorn) August 26, 2018
Twitter had a good time with that, though with ESPN+ as a fledgling service, not too many people got to experience this wonderful moment.
In fairness what was worse that camera shot or the fact Rice needed a last second FG to beat Prairie view??
— Ryan Hunsader (@RyanHunsader) August 26, 2018
The defining image of Week 0 is the camera zooming away from Rice's game-winning field goal just as it was happening and giving us this snapshot of history https://t.co/JQfTyyNUTC
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) August 26, 2018
This camera work is exactly what Rice deserves. https://t.co/37eXtGIlU3
— Eric Press (@Eric_N_P) August 26, 2018
I didn’t get to see all of the game, but apparently the camera was kind of a mess all game long.
The camera work for Rice-Prairie View is truly something to behold.
— Richard?Johnson (@RJ_Writes) August 25, 2018
After how the end of the first half went, Rice will definitely take the win. It doesn’t matter if fans had to view it from the side, or behind the kicker, or way zoomed out from the opposite end zone.