Auburn's Matthews: Missed tackle on Fournette 'a business decision'

Tray Matthews could have tackled Leonard Fournette if he really wanted to. He just didn't really want to.

Last year, in one of the season's most memorable plays, Matthews found himself on the wrong end of a Vine courtesy of LSU's powerful star running back. Here's a reminder as to what that looked like:

But Matthews, a defensive back, told reporters at Auburn training camp that he intentionally went high on Fournette, rather than going low to tackle him, in an effort to avoid reaggravating a shoulder injury he was returning from.

"That's not me at all," Matthews said. "When I was going in - and that was my first game back from popping my shoulder out of place - actually didn't hit that whole week and I ain't gonna lie, that was probably the worst feeling I ever had in my life when I popped my shoulder out of place. Going into that game, I really didn't know what I was going to do.

"I saw him coming and I was, like, it was kinda like a business decision because I didn't want to pop my shoulder all the way out of place and miss the whole season. I was like, OK, let me hit him up high and try to grab him and bring him down. I actually jumped too high. My adrenaline was running."

Matthews' plan didn't work at all, as evidenced by Fournette's celebration in the end zone about two seconds after the rag doll tossing.

Matthews will get his chance at redemption early this season, as Auburn and LSU square off Sept. 24 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.