UMaine receiver Montigo Moss caught the attention of the ESPN “Sunday NFL Countdown” crew for a 2-point conversion pass he completed during a game at Albany last Saturday. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

The play is called Capybara, and University of Maine senior wide receiver Montigo Moss was thrilled to hear it called in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon at UAlbany. That it prompted memories of a play run 22 years ago by his father, Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, was just a happy coincidence. The father of a teammate pointed out the similarities to Moss after Saturday’s game, a 34-30 Black Bears victory.

“He said, ‘Your dad did the same exact thing.’ I said no way. Then I saw the play and I said, ‘Wow,’” Moss said in a phone interview Tuesday. “It’s a confident play call. It was the end of a 12-play drive. We were all tired, but you get a confident play call like that, guys get fired up.”

The play caught the attention of ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show Sunday morning, which features former Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots standout receiver Randy Moss.

Host Mike Greenberg introduced Montigo’s pass by first showing a highlight of Randy’s Dec. 21, 2002, touchdown pass. On the panel along with Rex Ryan, Alex Smith, and Tedy Bruschi, Randy Moss looked overjoyed to share his son’s play and marvel at the similarity to his own touchdown pass, right down to the spin move to stay upright and complete the play.

“Right there, Greenie!” he said, laughing and pumping his right first.

 

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The Black Bears had scored to push their lead over the Great Danes to 25-14 with 7:04 left. Needing a strong 2-point conversion play, Maine offensive coordinator Mikahael Waters called Capybara. Montigo lined up wide left, and at the snap ran right to take a handoff from quarterback Carter Peevy for what looked like a standard jet sweep run.

Instead, Montigo pulled up, spun to avoid a would-be tackler, and lofted a pass to wideout Joe Gillette in the right corner of the end zone for the 2-point conversion and a 27-14 lead.

“It’s a play we’ve practiced since camp,” Waters said. “We practiced it once a week. It’s a play for when we need a 2-point conversion or a gotta-have-it play in the red zone.”

It was Dec. 21, 2002, in a game against the Miami Dolphins, when Randy Moss executed an almost identical play for the Vikings.

That play also came in the fourth quarter of a close game. The elder Moss started wide left and ran right to take a handoff from quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Moss spun to shake a tackler, then threw a touchdown pass to D’Wayne Bates in the back of the end zone. The 13-yard pass gave the Vikings the lead in a 20-17 win.

Montigo’s pass play was never designed as a homage to Randy Moss, Waters said. It’s actually been in the Black Bears’ playbook since before Montigo arrived on campus in the fall of 2020. Maine used it in a 31-17 win at Elon in 2019, when receiver Earnest Edwards tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jaquan Blair. When Waters, who previously served as tight ends coach and wide receivers coach at Maine before being promoted to offensive coordinator this season, saw Moss throw the football in practice, he knew he had a player who could run Capybara.

“To be honest with you, I forgot Randy threw a touchdown pass… We always look for creative ways to let our athletes be athletic,” Waters said. “Tigo’s a guy who always had a strong arm.”

It wasn’t even Moss’ first pass play at Maine. Last season, he completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Tavion Banks in a game at Richmond.

“I like to mess around with the quarterbacks if I have time,” Montigo said. “I like to think if I have the ball in my hands, I can make a play.”

The pass against Albany marked Montigo’s second appearance on ESPN. In 2022, his one-handed touchdown catch against Villanova earned him a spot on You Got Mossed, his father’s segment prior to Monday Night Football.

Moss is well on his way to his best season as a Black Bear. In five games, he has 24 catches for 266 yards, both more than halfway to the career highs he set last season, when he had 37 catches for 408 yards, with three touchdowns. Moss is third in the Coastal Athletic Association in receptions.