Josh Heupel shredded for late clock management vs. Mississippi State
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Tennessee took over possession of the football at its own 26-yard line with all 3 timeouts and 1:23 remaining on the clock.
In a tie game, Tennessee needed only a field goal to escape Starkville with a win over Mississippi State. The Vols ended regulation after throwing a Hail Mary up for grabs from the MSU 44. In an absolutely baffling display of clock management, Tennessee bled the clock and played for a heave rather than attempting to set up a field goal to win it.
The drive began with a 3-yard run from DeSean Bishop. That play was stopped with 1:16 on the game clock.
Tennessee did not snap the football again until there were 42 seconds remaining on the clock.
Joey Aguilar hit Miles Kitselman for a 13-yard gain on second-and-7, then the Vols showed some urgency. Aguilar snapped it again with 29 seconds on the clock and scrambled for 9 yards. He didn’t get out of bounds, though, and Tennessee burned its first timeout with 24 seconds to play.
No matter. The Vols still had 2 timeouts.
After a lengthy play that resulted in an incompletion, Tennessee faced third-and-1 with 16 seconds to play from the MSU 49. The Vols ran Bishop for 5 yards and a first down, but opted not kill the clock with a spike or a first down. Aguilar didn’t snap it again until there were 9 seconds remaining.
He danced in a pocket for a beat and then fired another incompletion that hit the ground with 4 seconds left on the clock.
Suddenly, Tennessee was down to 1 final play. That throw fell incomplete and the 2 sides went to overtime.
Perhaps coach Josh Heupel didn’t trust his kicker. Max Gilbert hit a 38-yarder in the first quarter and a 27-yarder in the third quarter. But he missed a 47-yarder in the second quarter. He also missed a would-be game-winner against Georgia earlier this season.
Still, Tennessee fans and even media members were flummoxed by the management late in the game. Some even ripped into Heupel.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
