It looked like Tennessee had the game in the bag. The clock only had a few seconds left, and the Volunteers had the chance to score a field goal from the comfortable distance of 25 yards. To the surprise of everyone at Neyland Stadium, kicker Max Gilbert failed to score by a wide margin, and Tennessee failed to pull off the upset against No. 6 Georgia.
What surprised fans the most was the margin by which Gilbert failed. The field goal attempt was nowhere near the goal posts. Not only that, but the kick was a simple one while playing at home. The game went on to overtime, with Georgia winning 44-41.
The internet took no time to laugh at the Kicker’s expense.
Max Gilbert pic.twitter.com/8nIuLSFTIn
— Underdog (@Underdog) September 13, 2025
Remember the Pat McAfee kicking challenge? It seems fans think Gilbert’s kick looked like one of those.
Max Gilbert for the game pic.twitter.com/LrMge1NNaN
— perc 🪼 (@cookupperc) September 13, 2025
A kicker has just one job, right?
Max Gilbert you had one job
Get ready to door dash buddy pic.twitter.com/i8erdSbesA— Gio (@jsmove7) September 13, 2025
Worse than Jake Moody?
Max Gilbert worse then Jake Moody pic.twitter.com/45VawBEZfH
— 𝓩𝓪𝔂 🏖️ (@playoff_zay) September 13, 2025
Will Gilbert be able to enter the facilities on Monday?
Brian Daboll showing up to work Monday. #NYGiants pic.twitter.com/JkvMGSFqqC
— Dorian McLean (@Quartz87) September 7, 2025
His teammates can’t be that happy with his performance, right?
Max Gilbert when he gets back to the locker room after blowing the game for Tennessee pic.twitter.com/0R4RuBCT52
— Ant (@abruzzo_ant) September 13, 2025
Remember Brandon McManus’s own disaster?
Max Gilbert
— Will💔😵💫 (@HoodieWilll) September 13, 2025
What’s on Max Gilbert’s mind today?
POV: You’re Max Gilbert pic.twitter.com/SksZ0RNmdZ
— Frank Marion (@Patriot_FrankMa) September 13, 2025
Gilbert will likely want to be the invisible man today.
max gilbert for game pic.twitter.com/ye019TMzpJ
— j (@juskianoo) September 13, 2025
Tennessee’s coach, Josh Heupel, is apologetic towards kicker Max Gilbert
After the game finished, it didn’t look like Josh Heupel held the loss against his player. Speaking with the press in the aftermath, Heupel acknowledged that being judged for the failure was unfair for Gilbert, but that, sadly, that’s the life of a kicker:
“It’s a series of one play that makes a specialist,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “Sometimes your life gets showcased in a way where you get limited opportunities. That’s the life of being a kicker.”
Georgia and Tennessee were locked in a continuous back-and-forth throughout the encounter, with the Bulldogs seemingly always reacting to the Volunteers. In the first quarter, Tennessee scored 21 points, to Georgia’s seven. Georgia came back in the second quarter with 10 unanswered points.
In the second half, the teams traded punches, with Georgia 10 in the third quarter, 11 in the fourth, and six in overtime. Tennessee, in turn, went seven, 10, and three.
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