The University of Washington Huskies tried throwing one of the longest Hail Mary's in history - about 73 yards. For this pass, the ball's height over time was modeled by the function
h(t) = –16t2 + 64t + 6, where h(t) was the height in feet and t was the time in seconds.
Let's break down whether the Huskies ever had a chance.
1.
73 yards isn't just a long way to throw, it's a long way to run. To give his team the
best chance of running all the way down the field and catching the ball before it hits
the ground, the quarterback (passer) needs to keep the football in the air for a long
time. How long was the ball in the air?