The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics was hosting its annual competition known as "Design, Build, Fly" in which students from universities across the country are judged on their model airplanes.
Normally the planes have landing gear and are powered on takeoffs. That particular year the organization required planes to be launched by hand.
The student group from the University of Tennessee had a ringer.
"We just happened to have an NCAA quarterback on our team to throw it," said Robert Bond, senior lecturer in the school's aerospace engineering department who oversaw the project.
So did having Joshua Dobbs, starting quarterback in the SEC, result in victory?