Luke Fickell takes issue with postgame question following loss to Georgia
Both teams had clock management issues down the stretch in Georgia’s 24-21 Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati. But Georgia coach Kirby Smart got away with his late timeout only to punt, while Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell did not appreciate a question about his decision.
Asked by a reporter why the Bearcats snapped the ball with so much time on the play clock, about 20 seconds, with the lead, instead of draining the clock before Georgia got the ball, Fickell said there was a simple reason.
“Is that, really, are you serious? Because we’re going to play to win,” Fickell said. “We play to win. And you know, we do what we do. It wasn’t like we wanted to throw the thing. It was an opportunity. It was three different options to it. You know, we’re not going to go back wondering and trying to play the wishing and wanting game. We’re going to be aggressive. We are going to go and give our guys an opportunity. There’s a lot of different things we do different when you go by hindsight, but we are going to play to win.”
As it stood, Georgia got the ball back with 1:28 remaining from the Cincinnati 20-yard line.
Ultimately, the Bearcats blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter when Georgia kicker Jack Podlesny kicked a 53-yard field goal in the final seconds of Georgia’s victory.
Those seconds they gave back on that play may have been the difference.
Right. Running the clock down WAS playing to win. How can he not get that?
Of all of the things coaches hate to be called out on, time management seems to top the list because it’s usually completely indefensible.
He must think he is Mullin. Mullin said the same nonsense after not milking the clock at the end of the half. Gave Bama extra time to score which was the difference in the game.
There were 2-3 plays late in the game that were run out of bounds yet they continued to run the clock.
How could this be missed or have the rules changed?
Not trying to be snarky, I was like wtf?
Kind of snarky.
Kind of snexy.
Tough thing for coaches & players, who have so much emotion riding in these games, to be called out & 2nd guessed, in post game press conferences. I thought Fickell handled that pretty well.
Desmond Ridder did leave a lot of time on the clock on 2 different plays under 2 minutes left. With Georgia having no timeouts left that was critical. And the pass on 3rd and 2 will always be questioned. I would have expected a run, get a first down or get to 4th down with the clock still ticking away. As Pat Dye so famously said, “Hindsight is 50-50.” :- ))
Your right, with the horrendous passing by Cincy in the second half, a two year run would have been better than a prayer pass. This was not one of those 50 50 hindsight things. We so saw the horrendous mistake for what it was as it was happening.
I was listening to the radio broadcast and there was some strange clock management by the refs as well. Two straight plays Cincy ran out of bounds and clock never stopped. And they never did anything about it. Almost cost Dawgs the game.
SM, I saw that too, and was like, wtf.
How did everyone miss that?
There were at at least 2 plays on that drive that were run out of bounds yet they continued to run the clock.
How could this be missed or have the rules changed?
“We play to win”. Coach, you manage the game that gives your team the best chance to win. You do the things that help your team to win. By your logic, you should have gone for it on every 4th down and that would have given you the best chance to win. A fine cop-out answer to a question that you couldn’t just say, “we should have managed the clock better”. This gaff imo decided the game.
Irregardless, I was glad to see UGA upset Cincy!!! And this also tells me that JT, very promising but in no way would UGA have beaten LSU or UF had they play JT.. Just not there yet but will progress.
Finally a Georgia fan said it. JT is better than Bennet but barely, and only because he can make a cute throw here and there but in reality Bennet is far more mobile so it ends up bringing virtually the same thing at the table. JT might’ve kept the Florida and Bama games a touchdown closer but the difference in those blow outs were large enough for anyone to see that JT wasn’t the difference maker. Plus Georgia didn’t win this game, Cincy lost it. Georgia is a peripheral top 10 team this year either 9 or 10 depending on what you think about Cincinnati.
Probably some of the dumbest logic that I have seen. Whatever gets you off though. UGA went home with the W so your opinion and feelings are irrelevant.
that was weird. IMO JT is much better than Bennett. Also gwhite713 saying they would lose to LSU with JT at QB is asinine. The Dawgs defense would manhandle the offense and our defense could probably make y’alls offense look like Bama. Congrat Dawgs on the win
Dang! Sweet observations about JT and Stetson. The NE Patriots have some tough QB decisions to make next year. You’ll make a mint consulting Belichick on that.
I like that he was trying to put it away. However, UGA’s OC would’ve adjusted his play calls and they likely could’ve been in the same situation to kick for the win at the end of the game.
I also think he was trying to keep the ball out of JT Daniels’ hands. He saw the writing on the wall.
Living in californe I only get to see the Dawgs on Tv,truly loved seeing the team jell and get the victory.
That’s a lot of words for a non-answer.
This guy is destined to coach at Tennessee one day :(
Never ceases to amaze me the amount of Head Coaches who are unable to manage clock. It should be instinctual situational football by now. Luke’s far from alone.
What was the deal with the clock not stopping when Cinci ran out of bounds, untouched, for a first down at about 02:15 left in the game? It ran while they took another 20+ seconds to take the next snap. I figured out of bounds or move the chains, or both should have stopped the clock.
I thought the same thing
I believe the rule is now the clock only stops long enough to reset the ball on plays that run out of bounds, until there is less than 2 minutes on the clock. They made that rule change a few years ago to speed the games up.
But the clock didn’t stop at all I believe.
Yes, I was incredulous…I guess there is an answer now?
Why, yes, yes, there it is :)
Learn somethin every day. thx SG!
Not a good rule in my opinion. I guess they don’t want them to try to get out of bounds at the end anymore…
Just go for TD’s?
If not for a phenomenal play by Stevenson, that was a TD and a dagger. Hindsight is 20/20. He went for the throat instead of a body blow and he missed. I think he’d make the same call again.
The 4th down call decided the game. Get 2 yards and the game is over.
Cinci was a worthy opponent. Lick you wounds back in Ohio coach ….you lost. The story (I thought) was UGA’s shut-down D in the 2cnd half.
Luke seemed fickle about the criticism! When you have a LEAD and time is RUNNING OUT then you do everything you can to help it along! Sure hindsight is 20/20, but there are MANY games from the past where a team was GIFTED a few precious seconds that made the difference. I admire that he was trying to WIN, but you still do it with the ultimate goal of winning with NO TIME remaining!
Bowl games are lame as F now.
Switch to an extended playoff format so the best teams play and leave the bowls to Madison Ave. aholes. lol