The Wyoming Cowboys and Northern Illinois Huskies had a football game that was the latest scheduled NCAA game on Saturday night, with the game expected to start at 8:30 PM MT (10:30 PM ET) in Laramie.
Well that start time became much later, thanks to a severe weather delay of nearly two hours (10:20 PM MT kickoff).
And then the game went into triple overtime… ending at 2:35 AM MT (4:35 AM ET)!
The game itself was absolutely as nuts as the night in general was. That includes everything from the play on the field, to the referees, to the clock operator, to the CBS Sports Network camera workers. And guess what? I have some video evidence to show all that!
Let’s start with this play in the third quarter, where Wyoming takes the lead on a touchdown pass from Josh Allen to Tanner Gentry, and the CBS Sports Network camera guy has absolutely no idea that’s happening:
Let’s now fast-forward to the final two minutes of regulation, where Northern Illinois quarterback Shane Wimann hits Drew Hare for a 19-yard touchdown pass, to tie the game (after the extra point was made):
So, we have a 27-27 game heading into the last minute of regulation, and Wyoming is trying to get into field goal territory to win the game.
Well, the officiating crew and clock operator made that mission much easier on the Cowboys, because they completely ignored that Wyoming’s Tanner Gentry stayed in bounds for a 16-yard reception on 2nd and 20. Watch the clock here:
Gentry did not get a first down, clearly did not get out of bounds, and Wyoming did not call a timeout. But nothing happens. The clock just sits there at 37 seconds. Even the CBS Sports Network announcers made no mention of the clock stopping when it shouldn’t be. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone for this sequence and many others in this game (although I guess that’s what I get for spending my Saturday night watching a Northern Illinois-Wyoming game).
It results in Wyoming saving about 18 seconds (yes, I actually put a stop watch on this), or about half of the time left in regulation. Instead, the Cowboys are able to run four more plays and move down the field to attempt a 48-yard field goal as time expired… but missed. The football gods came through after the Huskies were screwed with the clock situation. 27-27 still. Overtime!
First overtime: Northern Illinois fumbles at the two-yard line, and then Wyoming misses a 37-yard field goal. The score stays 27-27. Pretty much as bad as a college overtime can be.
Second overtime: Both teams actually score a touchdown, of course. 34-34.
Third overtime: Northern Illinois misses a field goal, and it looks like Wyoming is doing their best to not score as well. But then on 3rd and 4, Cowboys quarterback Josh Allen pulls out this wacky Johnny Football-esque run — thanks in large part to some brutal Huskies tackling attempts — to score a Wyoming touchdown:
A 40-34 Cowboys win, and a fittingly bonkers play to end this bonkers/dumb game at 4:35 AM ET.
