I realize that the people who watched this on TeeVee probably didn't see all this stuff, what with ESPN running constant replays while the clock ran. But if you were watching live and in-person, the ticking clock was INFURIATING.
Two minute time-out. Three time-outs remaining.
4th and 1 at our 46. Pick up first down and the clock momentarily stops at 1:55.
1st and 10 from the 50. Ball snapped at 1:48. Pass incomplete at 1:37.
2nd and 10 from the 50. We run the ball up the middle for no gain. We do NOT try to stop the clock, and at the next snap, the clock is down to 0.57, meaning we wasted FORTY SECONDS on one run for no-gain up the middle (meaning, we should not have needed a lot of time to regroup and get back to the line of scrimmage). WE WASTED 15-20 SECONDS HERE, and we were NOT so close to the end zone to justify the wasted time. Should have run a quick play or called timeout. In this situation, I would have preferred a no-huddle play call, you're in 4-down territory because you have already gone for one 4th down conversion a few plays earlier.
3rd and 10 from the 50. We pass for 16 yards and a first down. Clock down to 0:52 at the time he hits the ground. Clock stops at 0:51.
1st and 10 from the 34. Ball is snapped at about 0:47 (hard to tell because of TV running replays). Horton catches the ball, but there is a penalty, and the clock stops at 0:43. THE ILLEGAL SUBSTITUTION CALL IS MADE. BY RULE, THE CLOCK SHOULD GO BACK TO 0:47 OR 0:48 at the option of the offense. So either Miami was NOT GIVEN THE OPTION or Mario declined to have time put back on the clock (big mistake). In any event, 4-5 seconds were lost here.
1st and 5 from the 29, and 0:43 on the clock. Inexplicably, Miami burns a timeout on a stopped clock situation. ANOTHER MISTAKE when we had gone tempo and F$U is clearly flustered and committing penalties. Pass is incomplete with 0:37 left on the clock.
2nd and 5 from the 29, and 0:37 on the clock. Ward sacked at the 34 with 0:32 left on the clock, which Miami stops with a timeout. SMART.
3rd and 10 from the 34, and 0:32 on the clock. Completed pass down to the 13 for a first down. Tackle is made at 0:28. Clock continues to roll until 0:24 when it is belatedly stopped for the 1st down. 3 or 4 seconds are wasted on an obvious clock error.
1st amd 10 from the 13, the ball is snapped at 0:17. Ward runs for another first down to the 2 yard line and goes down at the 0:09 mark, though the clock does not stop until 0:07. Another waste of 2 seconds. Miami calls its last timeout.
1st and goal from the 2, 0:07 on the clock. Incomplete pass, clock stops at 0:03 mark, though it went incomplete at 0:04.
Miami kicks the FG.
Final analysis:
1. Anywhere from 5 to 8 seconds lost on the clock operator not stopping the clock properly AND the refs not reviewing the tape to reset the clock.
2. Loss of another 4 seconds due to improper application of BRAND NEW rule on illegal substitution, or else Mario blew his option to put 4 seconds back on the clock.
3. One wasted timeout on a penalty-stopped-clock situation.
4. A failure to use a timeout where we burned anywhere from 15 seconds (no TO, quick no-huddle) to 40 seconds (take a TO) after a run up the middle for no gain.
We should have had another 25 seconds (maybe more) and one more TO when we got to 1st and goal.
We should have scored a TD just before halftime, not a FG.
