Hardin kicks the Florida Gators home

The maligned kicker trotted out to the 33-yard line with 2:27 to go and his team down one.

Austin Hardin had converted just three of his last nine field goal attempts dating back to last season and none of them had the weight that this kick would have.

Florida Gators were ranked No. 10 in the College Football Playoff poll to start the week, they were one game away from clinching the SEC East but for most of Saturday afternoon all of those things didn’t matter. A Ralph Webb 74-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave Vanderbilt a 7-6 advantage thanks to a missed extra point by walk-on kicker Neil MacInnes.

The 90,061 fans in attendance held their breath as Hardin lined up for the kick. Hardin went through his normal routine. Two feet down where he wanted Johnny Townsend to catch the ball and place it. One step back, another and then two to the side, a deep breath and one last look at his target.

Timeout.

This wasn’t Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason trying to ice the kicker, it was Jim McElwain, who for the second time this season, quickly and correctly called a timeout due to Tyler Jordan running out on to the field late.

Here we go again, now with even more time to have the weight of the moment start to sink in.

“He’s a very capable kicker. You can see that when he kicks off. It’s impressive,” McElwain said. “He’s got a very strong leg. He’s a very talented guy. Sometimes he probably lets some other things clutter and distractions get in there that mean absolutely nothing to doing your job.”

Two feet down, two steps back and two to the side.

Deep breath, find your target and nod.

“I had a towel over my head,” defensive lineman Alex McCalister said. “I was praying. I knew he was going to make it, that’s my boy. But that was nerve-racking.”

The snap was firm and on the money. Townsend caught it, placed the ball down and turned the laces out. Hardin went through his motion and clubbed the ball high and hard, never a doubt.

Hardin knew it was good before the ball crossed the uprights and the pure joy that overcame him was too much to hold in. He jumped up in the air, fists pumping. This wasn’t just the game-winning kick that sent the Atlanta native and his team back home to the Georgia Dome, this was redemption.

Hardin has been the target of boo birds before. The television cameras always find him on the sideline after misses. He sees it and hears it and it’s affected him. This kick today won’t make all of those other go in but what it should do for Hardin’s confidence can’t be understated.

“He did that last year against Tennessee. He’s clutch,” linebacker Jarrad Davis said. “He can be as good as he wants to be. I’m staying in his ear about that because he’s got to realize he’s important to our team.”