AMES, IOWA — Not able to talk to the officials after the game, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said Saturday he would contact the Big 12 Conference office in an attempt to get an explanation about two penalties that cost CU would-be field goals at game’s end.
“The officials were out of there,” Hawkins said.
That’s what officials are trained to do on game-ending plays that require a ruling – make a call and not mill around afterward.
In quotes provided to the Iowa State sports information department afterward, referee Clete Blakeman said the first call was for delay of game, nullifying a 50-yard field-goal attempt by Kevin Eberhart that split the uprights.
“The foul is for the offense snapping the ball prior to the referee’s (being) ready for placing,” Blakeman said.
The scoreboard showed no time remaining after the first miss. But after huddling, officials ruled that one second be put on the clock.
Eberhart again kicked what appeared to be a game-tying 3-pointer, this time from 55 yards. But after another huddle, officials ruled the snap from CU’s Justin Drescher occurred after the 1 second had expired.
“Once the penalty was marked off, ready for play was going to be signaled, and then I’m going to start the clock,” Blakeman said.
“So that was done, the whistle was blown (to start play), and Colorado did not get the snap off prior to the clock expiring – because they had only one second.”
Drescher, a sophomore who only gets on the field as a deep snapper, said there was a lot of confusion on the field but he tried to snap the ball as quickly as he could after hearing the whistle begin play.
“I heard the whistle and I snapped it,” Drescher said. “The officials made the call. We have to live with it and move on.”
Hawkins said he thought CU had enough time to get off the first field goal without a problem.
“We always practice the hurry-up field goals on Fridays,” Hawkins said. “Typically, if you have eight seconds you can get it off. There was more than that. There was about 11.”
Footnotes. Iowa State’s 21-point comeback is the largest by either team in the 62-game series that began in 1946. … CU’s defense missed two starters in the secondary. Lionel Harris, a senior who was a starter in 2006, filled in for junior Ryan Walters (concussion). Junior cornerback Gardner McKay started in place of senior Terrence Wheatley (sprained foot). Harris had a first-half interception and strong safety Daniel Dykes said the new starters played well but added, “T-Wheat and Ryan are two guys that step up when times are tough.” … CU senior tailback Hugh Charles on his fourth-quarter fumble: “That should never happen. I have a burden in the back of my mind that it always happens at the wrong time.” … CU had won 10 straight games in Ames before dropping the past two.
Say what?
Confusion abounds about the referee starting the clock, which was reset to one second, on Colorado’s second field-goal attempt Saturday after calling a dead-ball penalty. The questions and possible answer:
The questions
Can the referee start the clock after a dead-ball penalty? Or, does the clock start on the referee’s whistle after an offensive penalty so the offensive team cannot gain a clock stoppage by committing a penalty? Why put one second on a clock knowing a ball cannot be snapped that quickly?
The rule
2007 NCAA Football Rules book for Rule 3, Section 2, Article 5, subarticle a4: “When the clock has been stopped, the referee shall declare the ball ready for play and the clock shall start on the snap unless it was stopped because one of the following situations: 4. To complete a penalty (Exception: After a delay foul by Team A while in scrimmage-kick formation).”
