Clock issue may have cost Clemson points before half (Video)
An issue with the game clock may have cost Clemson points at the end of the first half in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
When Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson hit Zac Brooks for a first down at the Alabama 26, there were 15 seconds left on the clock when Brooks hit the turf. The clock should have stopped at that point to allow the chains to be reset, but three additional seconds ticked off.
Clemson wanted to spike the ball after the first-down gain in order to save its final timeout, but the clock began running before the ball was even set, forcing Tigers coach Dabo Swinney to burn the team’s final timeout.
The clock briefly stopped, but Clemson definitely lost a few seconds and could have run another play. pic.twitter.com/tSiIiLBNzF
— Dr. Saturday (@YahooDrSaturday) January 12, 2016
Originally, there were six seconds remaining in the half when the timeout was called, but the officials added three seconds, setting up a first-and-10 from the 26 with nine seconds to go.
If the clock stopped at 15 seconds and Watson quickly spiked the ball, Clemson would have had a timeout at its disposal, allowing another play to be run with about 12 seconds left without the risk of time expiring.
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Instead, without a timeout, Swinney opted to bring on the field-goal unit and Greg Heugel’s 44-yard attempt was blocked. The field-goal attempt could have been closer if the Tigers would have been able to run another play.
Swinney was not happy about how it played out.
In hallway on way to locker room, Dabo Swinney screamed repeatedly at officials “you made us use a time out” on late first half scenario
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) January 12, 2016
At the half, Clemson and Alabama are tied 14-14.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
