Arizona State head coach pulls a Marshawn Lynch

Sep 9, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona State Sun Devils hung on to defeat the Texas State Bobcats, 31-28, on Thursday night but not without a little controversy that left head coach Kenny Dillingham fuming.

With the final seconds ticking off the clock, ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt took the fourth-down snap, stepped back, and kneeled to the ground. From his vantage point, the clock had hit 0:00 and the Sun Devils were victors.

As the team began to celebrate, officials came together and proceeded to clear the field. They called the players back and informed Dillingham that they were putting one second back on the clock and giving Texas State a final play from their own 30-yard line.

The Bobcats ran a bubble screen followed by a lateral that was fumbled and eventually recovered by ASU to secure the win, but that didn’t make Dillingham any happier about what had just transpired.

After the wild finish, Dillingham was approached by ESPN sideline reporter Harry Lyles Jr. That’s when the Marshawn Lynch card was officially played.

“You and I are finally speaking because, after a while, they put a second back on the clock and ran another play,” Lyles Jr. said to Dillingham. “Can you explain what the referee told you there?”

“Yeah, I’m only out here right now so I don’t get fined. That’s all I got to say because that was ridiculous,” Dillingham answered.

Lynch, of course, was famous for repeating the line, “I’m only here so I don’t get fined” during most of his mandated press conferences. He hated speaking to reporters and that go-to served as his loophole.

While it was amusing to see Dillingham break the old school gem out, replays did appear to show that Leavitt took a knee with one second remaining on the clock, leading to a turnover on downs.

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