Mistakenly, ticking clock shows mercy
No, it wasn’t Pulaski Academy playing at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville on Saturday.
The team in blue and gold playing No. 7 Louisville was a bonafide Football Bowl Subdivision team from Conference USA - at least in name.
But the events of Saturday looked like a game being played on a Friday night in west Little Rock.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and Louisville rolled to a 72-0 blowout of Florida International on Saturday, a blowout so complete that FIU Coach Ron Turner may or may not have asked for a running clock in the second half, similar to what is used in high school blowouts.
The game was shown on ESPN3, ESPN’s Internet broadcasting arm, and it was reported during the game that Turner, in his first year at FIU, asked for the running clock.
Turner denied he did after the game. Louisville Coach Charlie Strong sort of admitted to the coaches agreed to let the clock run except for incomplete passes,changes of possession and runners going out of bounds.
“I don’t know when it started,” Strong told the Louisville Courier-Journal afterward. “I don’t think so much it was a running clock. We just said, ‘Keep the clock running.’ ”
Louisville led 38-0 at halftime.
Conference USA coordinator of officials Gerald Austin said in a released statement after the game that Turner told the officials during the game that “he wanted to run the ball in the second half.” That comment was “misinterpreted” by theConference USA officials, Austin said. Five times, Austin said, the clock kept running when it should have been stopped.
So, did he or didn’t he? Hard to tell. What is clear is Turner wanted to get out of Louisville as quick as possible.
“I don’t know where ESPN got that,” Turner said. “First of all, I don’t have that authority. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have. I wish I had that authority.”Warm welcome
Welcome to the life of Idaho Coach Paul Petrino.
On Saturday night, Petrino and his Idaho Vandals were beaten by Washington State 42-0 in Pullman, Wash. After the game, a brief exchange with Washington State coach Mike Leach ended with Petrino walking away and Leach appearing to say “f* you” to Petrino.
Petrino turned back toward Leach, and the two were separated before heading to their locker rooms.
Neither coach revealed what was said or why Petrino was upset, but reports were that he was displeased with Leach keeping his defensive starters in the game.
“That was between me and him,” Petrino told The Spokesman-Review out of Spokane, Wash.
“That would be strictly between he and I, so anything said between us would be private,” Leach said.
Petrino’s Vandals are 0-4 in his first season as head coach after serving as offensive coordinator for a 4-8 Arkansas team in 2012.
New rules
The Pittsburgh Steelers were looking for answers even before falling to 0-3 on Sunday night.
The Steelers fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2002 after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 16, and they are looking beyond their injury-plagued offensive line or troubling running back situation for the reason.
Some of the veterans seem to think too many younger players are spending too much time playing table tennis or billiards in the locker room.
So, when the Steelers returned to practice Thursday, Jory Rand of Pittsburgh TV station KDKA reported that there were signs in the locker room stating that players with less than three full seasons of NFL experience are not to partake in the recreational activities.
“Sucks to be a young guy, I guess,” said running back Isaac Redman, who is in his fourth season. “We need to win a football game here before guys are coming in worrying about who’s first on the pool table. So that eliminates that.”Quote of the day
“We need to block somebody. That would certainly help our running game.”
Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman, after reviewing tape of Saturday’s game against Rutgers
Sports, Pages 14 on 09/23/2013