Move over, Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh, and Mike Smith, Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill is coming for your “bad clock management” crown.
The Blue Raiders kicked off their 2020 college football season against the Army Black Knights on Saturday. It’s safe to say it was not a good start. After turning the ball over twice and going 0-for-4 on 3rd downs, the Raiders found themselves down 21-0 late in the first half. However, they had a solid chance to at least put some points on the board with 45 seconds left before halftime, thanks to a 1st and goal from the two-yard-line and two timeouts in the bank. If nothing else, they’ve got a chipshot field goal attempt in their back pocket.
This is possibly the worst clock management I've ever witnessed. Truly unbelievable. Down by 3 TDs, you have two timeouts and you let the half expire.
And how do the announcers not say a word??? pic.twitter.com/U1roUCMX6V
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) September 5, 2020
The first play was busted when Middle Tennessee botched the snap and quarterback Asher O’Hara was sacked all the way back at the 14-yard-line. Not great, but, again, with two timeouts available and 36 seconds left on the clock, the Raiders still had plenty of time to work with. Assumedly, Stockstill would either now call one of those timeouts or run a quick play to get back some of that field position in order to set up a field goal.
And yet…Stockstill did not call a timeout and the Raiders players showed absolutely zero sense of urgency. In fact, the team just let the clock run all the way down to three seconds before snapping the ball! O’Hara was able to find a receiver for a catch at the six-yard-line but he was immediately swarmed and tackled by Army defenders and the clock simply ran to zero. Not only did the Raiders not score but they left both timeouts on the board and didn’t even seem to notice that they had them available in the first place.
What. In. The. World?
The clock management and lackadaisical effort by Middle Tennessee was strange but the fact that the announcers didn’t even seem to notice what was happening was even stranger. It was as if everyone involved in the game was looking at a different clock than the audience at home.
And in case you’re wondering if everyone else noticed, well…they sure did.
And the winner for worst clock management of the year is locked up by Middle Tennessee in Week 1. Congrats!
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 5, 2020
Middle Tennessee with the worst use of clock management I think I’ve ever seen to end the half
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) September 5, 2020
Middle Tennessee State just left two timeouts on the board and didn’t even attempt a field goal despite having second and goal from the 15. What on earth was that?
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) September 5, 2020
A disastrous half for Middle Tennessee ends with the clock expiring in the red zone when they still had two timeouts. Woof.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) September 5, 2020
Should be a fun post-game presser today for Stockstill!
