Clocks stop working during CFB game

As a broadcaster, you have to be ready for any kind of situation that might arise during the game.

For instance, how might it impact the way you call a game if the clock stops working and you have absolutely no idea how much time is left in the quarter?

That’s the situation ESPN’s Bob Wischusen and Louis Riddick found themselves in Monday night when the clock stopped working at Doak Walker Stadium during the Florida State-Boston College game.

Because the stadium clocks weren’t working, there was no clock for ESPN’s broadcast to go off of. That left the announcers to do their best to keep track of how much time was left on both the play clock and the game clock at any given moment.

During the first quarter, sideline reporter Kris Budden explained how the officials were keeping track of time.

“It does get a little chaotic but you have to rely on communication,” said Budden. “There is one official who is keeping track of the clock. After each drive, they will go and tell each team what the time is. For the play clock, the back judge will put his hands, both hands, in the air when there’s 15 seconds left. He will drop one hand when there’s 10 seconds left and then count down from there.”

The insanity of trying to keep track of the game clock and play clock from the broadcasting booth came to a head in the final moments of the first quarter when Wischusen was unsure if they had just watched the final play of the quarter or if there was going to be one more.

“We’re told that’s possibly the last play of the first quarter,” said Wischusen following a Boston College run play in the red zone. “But again, not sure exactly how many seconds there are on the line and how that lines up with the would-be play clock. Or if BC has to snap it one more time. They’re in the huddle and a big third down coming here. It’s definitely not the last play of the first quarter if there’s still about two minutes on the clock.

“And now they’re announcing it is the end of the quarter. Ahh, we’re making this up as we go along.”

Thankfully, the clock started working in in the second quarter and the broadcasters can take that concern off their list.

The bad news for Florida State is that, clock or no clock, they find themselves in a world of trouble down 14-6 at the half in Tallahassee.

[ ESPN, AA on X , On3 ]

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