Slight confusion surrounded the end of Florida’s 30-27 loss against LSU Saturday night.
After the Tigers forced a turnover with 24 seconds remaining, running back Terrence Magee had a 3-yard run, getting slightly closer to set up a game-winning field goal from kicker Colby Delahoussaye.
But as the clock wound down, Florida (3-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) players impeded LSU’s attempt to spike the ball and kill the clock — the Tigers (5-2, 1-2 SEC) had no timeouts.
"On the first down scrimmage play, the runner was ruled down with approximately 20 seconds remaining in the game," an SEC communications official said in a statement. "The officials determined the defensive team delayed the officials from making the ball ready for play by failing to unpile in a timely manner. The referee stopped the game clock in order to get the ball ready for play and he reset the game clock to the time at which he recognized the delay."
But in an identical situation laid out in the NCAA rulebook section four, article two, subsection II:
"(if) On a running play late in the half the Team A (LSU) ball carrier is tackled inbounds. Team B (Florida) players are deliberately slow to ‘unpile’ in an obvious attempt to consume time and prevent the officials from making the ball ready for play" then Team B should have been flagged for delay of game, and the game clock should have started on the snap of the next play.
The referee opted not to call the delay of game penalty, but did use a discretionary timeout he is afforded in section three, article one, part a:
"The referee may declare and charge himself with a discretionary timeout for any contingency not elsewhere covered by the rules."
In this case, that contingency is how much time should be put back on the clock.
It would appear that the referees in fact did not do enough, and in addition to adding the necessary time back on the clock, should have given the Tigers five yards after assessing a delay of game penalty on the Gators.
The game clock was in the single digits before head referee Mike Austin reset it back to 10 seconds.
LSU then proceeded to spike the ball with eight seconds remaining, Delahoussaye made the 50-yard go ahead field goal and LSU won after Adam Lane was tackled on the ensuing kick return.
Follow Richard Johnson on Twitter @RagjUF
Florida head coach Will Muschamp paces on the field during Florida's 30-27 loss to LSU on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
