LITTLE ROCK — Lost in the chaos of Saturday’s game in Oxford, Miss., was the fact that Ole Miss played well enough to win.
The Rebels had 426 yards of offense to LSU’s 290, and the home team had possession 33:36 to 26:24.
Yet, the end of that game was bizarre because Les Miles, the LSU head coach, lost control of the game.
He was to game management what short people are to the NBA.
The Tigers pulled within 25-23 and recovered an onside kick at their 42 with 1:17 to play.
A second-down pass was good for 26 yards to the Ole Miss 32. At that point, it was like Miles guzzled an extra large frozen margarita and got brain freeze.
Maybe there should be a warning on frozen drinks: Do not use this product and try to drive a team.
A field-goal try at that point would have been from 49 yards, and Josh Jasper had already kicked a 50-yarder. He averages more than 61 yards on kickoffs, so he has the leg.
What most coaches would have done was run the ball down the middle three times and kick the game-winning field goal.
Not LSU.
That light at the end of the tunnel was a train, one that had lots of Miles on it.
A pass was called - Miles claimed he thought about changing the play - and the quarterback was sacked for a loss of 9 yards.
Then he completes one for a 7-yard loss with 32 seconds to play.
Suddenly, it was like a second margarita had been chugged, and this time, the brain freeze lasted 17 seconds.
That’s how long after the play it took for LSU to call a timeout, which it did with nine seconds remaining. Then, LSU throws a Hail Mary, which was caught by an LSU receiver at the 6,temporarily stopping the clock with one second on it until the chains could move.
A Baton Rouge television station caught Miles signaling frantically to spike the ball.
Later, he would deny he called for a spike, so maybe the camera was lying.
The television announcers asked where the fieldgoal team was and said that you can’t stop the clock with a spike when there’s only one second left.
Miles didn’t know as much as the TV announcers.
LSU tried to spike the ball, and the game was over. Ole Miss, which played well enough to win, had dodged a huge bullet.
More than likely someone’s head will roll next week after the regular season is finished, but it won’t be the guy who was ultimately responsible, Les Miles.
Miles is the head coach. He had on head phones, and he’s the one paid millions to win games for LSU.
Saturday, he had too many brain freezes and cost LSU a victory.
Bill Curry was the final speaker for the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s luncheon Monday, and he might have been the best in the history of the club.
His entertaining and motivational talk can be heard for free on www.wholehogsports.com.
Cliff Lee and A.J. Burnett accounted for half of the World Series victories (Lee won two for Philadelphia, Burnett one for New York) and along with numerous other major leaguers will be conducting a camp for 8- to 18-year-olds at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock on Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The camp is $65, and for $25 more, campers can have a picture taken with one of the major leaguers.
That night the players will be at a dinner reception and silent auction with live music at 615 President Clinton Ave.
Price is $65 per person and $100 per couple, and proceeds go to the Miracle League.
To register for the camp or buy tickets, (501) 940-3405.
Sports, Pages 15 on 11/24/2009