| Clockgate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | November 3, 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Spartan Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | East Lansing, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2001 Michigan State vs. Michigan football game, also known as "The Catch", "Clockgate", or the "Clock Game", was played on November 3, 2001 at Spartan Stadium.[1]
While the game was closely played throughout, it is the game's conclusion that is most remembered. On fourth-and-goal, with one second remaining in the fourth quarter, Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker threw a touchdown pass to running back T. J. Duckett as time expired to win 26-24.[2] Smoker spiked the ball with one second showing on the clock allowing the Spartans to have one last play.[3]
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The Wolverines came into East Lansing with a 6–1 (4–0) record and a number 6 ranking behind wins against Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan, Penn State, Iowa, and eventual Big Ten champion Illinois.[4] Michigan was the only team in the Big Ten without a loss four games into the Big Ten season,[5] and despite an early non-conference loss at Washington,[4] the Wolverines were considered national title contenders.[6] The Wolverines led the Big Ten in rushing defense, conceding just 54.4 yards per game, but looked to be challenged by Michigan State running back T. J. Duckett, who averaged 105.5 rushing yards per game going into the contest.[6] In the previous week, linebacker Larry Foote set a Michigan school record with 7 tackles for a loss against Iowa and seemed poised to put serious pressure on the Spartan offense.[7]
The Spartans came into the contest 4–2 (2–2) with early losses at Northwestern and at Minnesota[8] but led the Big Ten in passing yards (271.3 yards per game) behind star sophomore wide receiver Charles Rogers and sophomore quarterback Jeff Smoker.[9] The Spartans had won three of the previous four meetings against the Wolverines in East Lansing.[9] It was coach Bobby Williams' first home game against the Wolverines.[9] Kickoff return specialist and wide receiver Herb Haygood led the nation in kickoff return average (33.2 yards per return) and looked to give the Wolverines a serious challenge on special teams.[9]
By kickoff time at 3:30 pm EST, the weather was partly cloudy with a temperature of 59 °F (15 °C) and the wind blowing from the west at 15 mph (24 km/h).[10] The game was sold out to Spartan Stadium's capacity of 72,027 days in advance,[9] and the final attendance was later announced as 75,262.[10] ABC Sports carried the game live regionally with commentary from play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger, color commentator Gary Danielson, and sideline reporter Jack Arute.[9]
On the opening drive of the game Michigan State found itself in a fourth down situation on Michigan's 31 yard line and sent punter Craig Jarrett onto the field along with two wide receivers to attempt a fake punt. Although Jarrett's pass was incomplete, Michigan cornerback Marlin Jackson was flagged for pass interference for his coverage on Charles Rogers, which gave Michigan State a fresh set of downs and 15 extra yards.[11] Two plays later, Jeff Smoker threw a 17-yard touchdown to Rogers in the back of the end zone to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead.[11]
On the ensuing drive, Michigan kicker Hayden Epstein made a school-record 57-yard field goal to put the Wolverines on the board and cut the lead to 7-3.[11]
At 12:07 of the 2nd quarter, Michigan took its first lead on a 14 yard touchdown pass from John Navarre to Marquise Walker, capping an eight-play, 67-yard drive and making the score 10-7.[11]
On 3rd and 4, 7:45 into the 2nd quarter, the Spartans were driving on the Wolverines 13-yard line. Jeff Smoker threw an incomplete pass to Charles Rogers in the end zone, but Michigan was flagged for pass interference once again.[12] The penalty gave Michigan State a first down with goal to go, and on the very next play, T. J. Duckett ran 2 yards up the middle for a touchdown that put the Spartans up 14-10.[11][12]
The Wolverines struck back on the next series, as Marquise Walker caught a 32-yard touchdown pass to complete an 80-yard drive and give Michigan a 17-14 lead.[11][12]
The only scoring in the 3rd quarter came courtesy of Michigan State placekicker Dave Rayner, who kicked a 17-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining in the quarter to knot the score at 17-17.[11]
With 7:33 remaining, Dave Rayner hit another 17-yard field goal that gave Michigan State a 20-17 lead.[11]
A Jeff Smoker fumble on the Michigan State 38 yard line was recovered by Michigan defensive tackle Grant Bowman with just six minutes remaining.[11] On the ensuing possession, John Navarre threw a 20-yard touchdown to backup quarterback Jermaine Gonzales, who had lined up as a wide receiver, that gave the Wolverines a 24-20 lead.[11]
With 2:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, Michigan was forced to punt from deep in its own zone. Hayden Epstein's kick was his shortest of the day, a 28-yarder that gave the Spartans excellent field position at the Wolverines' 44 yard line.[11] On both first and second downs, Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker was sacked for two of the Wolverines' school-record 12 sacks.[11] Following an incompletion, the Spartans faced 4th and 16 from midfield.[11][12]
On fourth down, Smoker's pass fell incomplete, but Michigan defensive back Jeremy LeSueur was flagged for grabbing the facemask of receiver Charles Rogers, giving the Spartans fifteen yards and an automatic first down.[11][12] Two plays later, wide receiver Herb Haygood caught a pass over the middle for 17 yards and another first down.[13]
On 1st and 10, Smoker was sacked again by the Wolverine defense,[13] but Michigan was flagged for having 12 men on the field.[11][12][13] After an incompletion on the resulting 2nd and 4 from the 12 yard line,[12] LeSueur broke up a 3rd down pass intended for Duckett in the end zone to bring up 4th down.[12][13] Facing 4th and 4, Smoker completed a slant up the middle to Duckett for 8 yards that resulted in a first and goal on the Michigan 3 yard line.[11][12][13]
Michigan State rushed to spike the ball on 1st down, stopping the clock with 17 seconds remaining.[12][13] On second and goal, Smoker rolled to the right and ran the ball down to the two yard line, but was tackled in bounds, so the clock continued to run.[11][12][13] With time running out, the Spartans frantically lined up to spike the ball; when they did so, the stadium clock showed a single second remaining.[11][12][13] Michigan coaches, players, and the broadcasters argued that the clock should have expired on the play and that the timekeeper, known as "Spartan Bob", purposely stopped the clock before the ball was grounded.[3] Michigan commentator Frank Beckmann speculated that Michigan State had benefited from its home field advantage, even calling the unfolding controversy "criminal" on the air.[3][14] On the ensuing play, Smoker lobbed a pass into the back of the end zone where it was caught by Duckett, giving the Spartans a 26-24 victory.[11][12][13]
Heartburn over the last play continues to this day for many Michigan fans. Some contend that clock operator Bob Stehlin, known colloquially as "Spartan Bob,"[14] stopped the clock before the spike play had actually concluded, to give the Spartans one more chance. Other Michigan fans sent death threats to Spartan Bob.[15]
Further adding to the controversy is the fact that Michigan State used their final timeout after the play when Michigan was flagged for too many men on the field. The proper rules are to return the timeout to Michigan State since it was used in a dead ball situation. This would have given Michigan State a timeout to use with 12 seconds remaining, where they would have had possibly two plays remaining to win the game. This also would have prevented the above controversy.
The Big Ten changed its timekeeping policy for the 2002 season, having previously studied changing the policy prior to the Michigan State-Michigan game.[15] Previously, the home team appointed an individual of their choosing to keep the official time in the pressbox.[16] Now, time is kept on the field by a neutral official appointed by the Big Ten.[16]
In addition to agreeing to change its policy on timekeeping, the Big Ten began a study on the feasibility of an instant replay system in 2003.[17] In 2004, the Big Ten was the first conference to begin a trial replay system for all games played in conference stadiums.[17] In 2005, most NCAA Division I-A teams had the option of using instant replay for their games after the NCAA approved the Big Ten's proposal to allow individual conferences to experiment with their own replay systems.[17] Finally, in 2006, instant replay became standard across all NCAA Division I-A conferences.[18]
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:2001_Michigan_vs._Michigan_State_football_game 2001 Michigan vs. Michigan State football game] at Wikimedia Commons
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