Florida WR Kahleil Jackson makes amends with trick-play pass vs. Auburn

Three years after an intercepted trick-play throw against Vanderbilt, Jackson connected on a 48-yard pass to Amir Jackson in Florida's win at Auburn.

Kahleil Jackson got his do-over. The Florida wide receiver completed a 48-yard pass to tight end Amir Jackson on a trick play during the Gators' 44-39 victory at Auburn on September 19, three seasons after a similar attempt against Vanderbilt was picked off.

"I had to redeem myself," Jackson said, recalling the earlier throw that fell short of its target and was intercepted. He said he refused to repeat that mistake, and Amir Jackson hauled in the deep ball with a diving grab over his shoulder. The gain set up a Florida field goal.

The play began with a lateral screen from quarterback Aaron Philo, after which Kahleil Jackson lofted the throw downfield. Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner had installed the design two weeks earlier, and Jackson said Auburn's defensive alignment in the game matched what Florida had rehearsed all week in practice.

Head coach Jon Sumrall said he initially balked at approving the call but told Faulkner to "let it rip" once he saw Auburn in man coverage with no deep help. A former high school quarterback at Hawthorne, Jackson said the team ran the play roughly 20 times in preparation.

The completion capped a difficult stretch for the seventh-year senior, who missed the past two seasons with a torn ACL and follow-up knee surgery to repair torn cartilage. Jackson also received an extra eligibility year from the NCAA because of the 2020 COVID-19 season. He called the recovery a long, tough journey that required the right mindset to push through.