One of the most unnecessary losses in college football history took place on Saturday when Miami fell to Georgia Tech 20-23.
With 1:18 left in the game, the Hurricanes had the lead 20-17 and the Yellow Jackets had no timeouts left. On 2nd and 12, all Miami had to do was take a knee two times for the game to be over and move to 5-0 on the season.
However, the team ran the ball on 2nd down, and then with 35 seconds on 3rd and 10 they bypassed the kneel-down again with running back Donald Chaney Jr. rushing for four yards before losing the ball. He fought for extra yards when he didn’t have to and Georgia Tech forced and recovered the fumble.
Georgia Tech then had 26 seconds to drive 75 yards which turned out to be four plays with the last one being a 44-yard touchdown pass that won the game! This was a shocking outcome and Miami has to be beside themselves for not taking a knee.
During the broadcast on ACC Network, analyst Tim Hasselbeck said this when Miami still had the ball: “Just take a knee. You should not be handing this football off. I don’t know what Miami is doing.”
After the fumble, he said, “You should not be running the football. You should be taking a knee. As soon as got that first down, used that last timeout. As long as you milk it all the way down, you don’t need to be doing this and you certainly don’t need to be fighting for extra yards.”
Deservingly so, Miami head coach, Mario Cristobal, is taking a ton of heat for why he didn’t take a knee to get the win. After the game, he said, “We should’ve taken a knee. We were moving the pile. We had a pretty good drive going. Not gonna make an excuse for it — say I should’ve done this or that. Sometimes you get carried away with it, finish the game running. But I should have just stepped in and said take a knee.”
This ending was absolutely bonkers and it’s hard to explain or understand what Miami was thinking, but there's no denying it was a foolish mistake.
While we can easily criticize Cristobal and Miami for not taking a knee when they had the chance, I wonder how often we bypass the kneel-down in our own lives. The Bible talks a lot about kneeling before the Lord in both prayer and worship, and it signifies a posture of surrender, dependence, humility, and desperation.
Unfortunately, we too, are foolish and just keep going as we “run a play” without taking a knee. We think, “I’ve got this, I won’t fumble” or “I’m just going to get a few more yards, then I’ll kneel.”
In life, there are times when we're looking for "a win" and it's in those moments we have to be willing to "just take a knee."
In Matthew 15 (ESV), there's a story of the Canaanite woman whose daughter was oppressed by a demon, and verse 25 says, “But she came and knelt before Him, saying, 'Lord, help me.'”
After Jesus asked her a question and she demonstrated her faith, He answered her in verse 28: “'O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.”
In the Old Testament, many are familiar with the story of Daniel and the lion’s den and the win he experienced through God’s protection. Before he was thrown into the den and delivered, Daniel rejected the King’s new ordinance that prevented everyone from praying to any god or man except for King Darius.
We're told in Daniel 6:10 (ESV): “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”
Daniel continued to kneel and pray as he trusted God and when he was thrown in the den of lions, he was miraculously unharmed.
Jesus also gives us the example of taking a knee in full surrender. Before the victory of the cross Luke 22:41-42 (AMP) explains, “And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.'”
The apostle Paul humbly “took a knee,” as well, in Ephesians 3:14 (AMP): For this reason I bow my knees before the Father ...”
Oftentimes, when we're looking for answers or struggling with something and need a win like healing, protection, or strength, we foolishly overlook embracing the "kneel-down." Of course, we can pray anywhere in any position and God hears us, but there's power when we humbly surrender ourselves and drop to our knees.
Today, let’s find victory instead of a fumble when we freely take a knee and seek the Lord.
As Psalm 95:6 (ESV) puts it, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”
I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the powerful ways You move in my life as I pray, worship, and seek You with a heart of surrender, humility, and total dependence on You. Help me to drop to my knees in complete desperation for You. Thank you for your healing, protection, and strength. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. What is your experience with praying on your knees? 2. What does the posture represent for you when you pray by taking a knee?
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