Sports

Montana State’s Catastrophic Timeout In Loss To Idaho Shouldn’t Be Allowed Per Egregious Clock Rules Error

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ESPN

Montana State was exactly one second away from victory during its college football game against Idaho on Friday night. And then head coach Brent Vigen called what might be the worst timeout of all-time.

The Vandals won in walk-off fashion on the final play of the fourth quarter and the ensuing two-point conversion.

The reigning FCS national champion Bobcats had won their last 19 college football games in a row. Their winning streak came to an end in Moscow because of a controversial clock decision that is actually two-fold.

Montana State called the worst timeout of all-time.

Undefeated Montana State took a 24-20 lead into the locker room at halftime and it looked like the Bobcats might pull away during the second half. The 0-4 Idaho Vandals managed to keep the score within seven points and gave themselves a legitimate chance to win the game. They trailed 34-27 with 49 seconds remaining. They had the ball at their own 20-yard-line.

The Bobcats needed to make one defensive stop but failed to do so. The first four plays of the final drive went like this:

  • 1st-and-10 at Idaho 20-yard-line — 16-yard run
  • 1st-and-10 at Idaho 36-yard-line — 6-yard run
  • 2nd-and-4 at Idaho 42-yard-line — 10-yard pass
  • 1st-and-10 at Montana State 48-yard-line — 23-yard pass

This is where things get weird. Idaho completed a pass over the middle as the clock ticked down from 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… 0… It looked like the game was over and Montana State barely hung on to win.

However, the wide receiver was tackled with one second remaining and the clock technically should stop to move the chains because he picked up the first down. Therefore, the officials put one second back on the clock for one final play.

The Vandals scrambled to the line. They were completely out of formation and nobody was on the same page. The clock was going to run and the game was going to end. It was chaos.

Although his defense had the clear advantage, Bobcats head coach Brent Vigen decided to call a timeout. That gave the offense a chance to talk it over. What happened next you have to see to believe.

Idaho scored a touchdown on a heave to the end zone. The Vandals went for two and won the game. Here is the full sequence:

Here is how Vigen explained his decision to call timeout after the game:

Montana State needed to make one stop on the final play and/or the two-point conversion. Timeout or not, it could not do so. The timeout did not directly lead to the loss. The timeout gave Idaho the chance to win.

College football officials gave Idaho an extra second.

Even if Vigen’s horrendous clock management allowed the Vandals to take one last shot to the end zone, he shouldn’t’ve had the opportunity to call a timeout in the first place. Per the rules as they are written, the game should’ve been over on what ultimately became the third-to-last play.

The officials reset the clock to 0:01 after the Idaho wide receiver caught the pass in bounds as time wound down to zero. They are not supposed to do so.

Replay rules only allow the clock to be reset when the clock starts on the ready for play signal. There must be three or more seconds remaining and the offense must be out of timeouts.

The reason for this rule is simple. It is impossible to snap the ball from 0:02 or 0:01 before the clock hits 0:00 if the ready for play signal is administered correctly and the clock starts on time. Onfield officials are specifically told not to reset the clock and let it go to replay. If the Vandals’ penultimate offensive play had gone to replay, replay would’ve allowed the game to end.

Idaho should not have received an an extra second and lost. Montana State would not have been able to call a timeout and won.