Two days after the worst case of clock management since… well… ever, Les Miles is still in the same boat I and many other people are currently bobbing about in. No one has a clue what exactly happened at the end of the LSU-Ole Miss game.
Most notably, the Tigers head coach himself.
According to the Shreveport Times, here was Miles’ opening statement from yesterday’s press conference:
“Felt like we played a very inspired game. Felt like it was a very competitive game. I can only tell you that the management at the back end of the game was the issue. I think without question, my quarterback’s got to be able to throw it away. We’re calling a timeout to save as much clock time as we can, but didn’t get it relayed to the field.
“And again, I take that myself. So down to the 5 with one second, they had a difficult time getting the chains moved. We could’ve got lined up to kick the field goal with one second. That would certainly have been the end of the game that we would have foreseen.”
OK, all together now: huh?
That rambling, nonsensical opening salvo did not help Miles’ case as he attempts to swat down critics flinging all types of insults in his general direction. Nor did this damning piece of video evidence, courtesy of a local Louisiana television station:
One second left on the clock, and Miles is pleading for quarterback Jordan Jefferson to spike the ball? My wife does not know a lot about the game of football, either the college or pro version. She viewed the video, and asked “why the hell would a coach want them to spike the ball with a second left? Any idiot knows you can’t spike it with a second left.”
Apparently, according to the numerous LSU fans who have written in the last 48 hours or so, Miles is not just any idiot.
Miles then compounded that mistake immediately after the game by doing his best Sgt. Schultz and claiming he knew nothing about Jefferson spiking the ball.
“I do not know who told him to do that,” Miles said following the loss. “You cannot clock (spike) that ball. I’m going to have to find that one out.”
Just go to the video tape, coach, and you’ll find that one out.
Well, I watched the ending of that game, and I couldn’t figure out what in the world Miles was thinking.
He looked clueless on the sidelines – just clueless. I could not believe that he did not call timeout sooner and give his team the most time possible to win the game. Instead, it looked like ametuer hour on the LSU sidelines.
It’s a pity. The great thing was seeing Houston Nutt and how happy he was. I am not an Ole Miss fan, but I truly enjoy people who show their passion for the game of football.
Maybe Miles can coach Notre Dame next year.
i am an ole miss fan. & les miles (and his special teams’ coach) did blow the situation.
what most people (especially the national media) who see this don’t know and aren’t taking into account is that ole miss dominated the game in every catagory. the game should never have gotten to a situation where LSU had the opportunity to win it. on 21 november, ole miss was clearly the better team.
i am an ole miss fan. & les miles (and his special teams’ coach) did blow the situation.
what most people (especially the national media) who see this don’t know and aren’t taking into account is that ole miss dominated the game in every catagory. the game should never have gotten to a situation where LSU had the opportunity to win it. on 21 november, ole miss was clearly the better team.
I doubt they could have gotten the field goal team out there on time. What they could have done, of course, is take one more shot at the end zone. The spike call was a brain freeze, plain and simple. How can you get paid that much money as a coach, practice that many hours a week, and not be ready for that situation?