When Gophers freshman Justin Walley wrestled the ball away from Wisconsin receiver Kendric Pryor for the game-changing interception in a 23-13 rivalry victory, some 1,200 miles away in southern Mississippi, Larry Dolan immediately recognized that play and the competitive fire that produced it.
He witnessed it daily in practice two years ago at D'Iberville High School, where Walley would battle his older brother, Jaden, for the ball and family bragging rights.
"Some of the best battles I ever saw were between him and his brother," said Dolan, the D'Iberville coach. "They would want to compete and cover each other. We'd throw the ball up, and they'd come down in a pile, and I thought, 'We're going to get hurt in practice.' "
Said Justin, "It's always been a competition to see who was better, who was faster, who was stronger, who could score more touchdowns."
Jaden is now a standout sophomore receiver at Mississippi State, where he has caught 52 passes in each of the past two seasons. Justin, who confidently states that he's the better athlete in the family, has emerged on the scene as a budding star for the Gophers. His interception of Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz helped the Gophers turn a 10-6 halftime deficit to a 13-10 lead early in the third quarter on their way to winning Paul Bunyan's Axe.
Was the interception an example of Walley just wanting it more, just like those battles with his brother?
"I guess you can say that," Walley responded matter-of-factly.
As the Gophers prepare for Tuesday night's Guaranteed Rate Bowl against West Virginia in Phoenix, they will do so with a defense that ranks fourth nationally at only 284.8 yards per game. Walley, a true freshman, has helped his team garner that lock-down status, starting the final five games of the regular season and improving along the way. He has 28 tackles, that one interception, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and earned freshman All-America honors from 247Sports.