That is, until linebacker Junior let the moment sink in.
By two points after a touchdown pass of 4 yards Montee Ball in the final minutes of the Rose Bowl on Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers was a possible force play of overtime.
Wisconsin elected to spend the attempted two-point conversion. And the intended receiver, tight end Jacob Pedersen, was open.
Tank to the rescue.
Carder touched the ball down, and TCU was able to run the clock for a 21-19 victory that capped a 13-0 season.
"It did not seem that big of a play until it sank," said Carder, the Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year.
"In the last play, I thought it would be a race ...", he added. "I was a bombing and was blocked and could not get through the warehouse. So I just stopped, backed up, saw him (Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien) cock his arm back and gave me a jump, and that was the end of the same. "
The pass was a curious call considering the Badgers (11-2) won 59 of his 77 yards in the final scoring drive behind the powerful performance of John Clay. Wisconsin, finished with 226 yards rushing, Ball in the lead with 132, and Clay added 76 in a reserve role
"If I had a chance to enter it, but their defense did a nice reading the quarterback's eyes, put his hands and locked," said Wisconsin coach Bret Bieleman.
TCU coach Gary Patterson added: "If you saw the movie, the guy was open and the tank is knocked down. We were lucky tank was in the game. ... So sometimes things are meant to be."
Carder, that does not fit the "built like a tank" formula of 6-foot-3, 237 pounds, was named defensive player of the game after six tackles (three for a loss) and a sack.
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