Clashmore Mike provided one.
Now lets's turn the tables, Rhode Island, YOU are ND's Head Coach so YOU call the time out where you felt Kelly should have with ND trailing 31-17. Here's the Play-by-play of the last 6 minutes and 43 seconds of the game. Southern Cal consumed all of it driving from the ND 49. Mark up your time outs!
Note, on the first play (ala Clashmore's comments) Curtis ripped off 15 yds, FIRST DOWN.
On 3rd and 5, Curtis ripped off 14 yds, ANOTHER FIRST DOWN.
After a USC Timeout on 3rd and 4, with 2:41 remaining, Curtis ripped off a ANOTHER FIRST DOWN at ND 4, FIRST AND GOAL!
And about 2:30 remaing in the game, and note, USC burned up all of that going only 2 yds.
I'd love to call it an heroic goal line stand but considering that USC was 4-5 in the Red Zone already, 3 TDs, 1 FG made, 1 FG Missed and they had ground out 45 yds in 7 straight rushes (6.4 yds/carry) by the same RB, but they ran out the clock. They had FIRST AND GOAL at the 4 and ran the same RB till the clock expired. They still had another freaking down!
10 straight rushing plays by a single RB, that's a record. (ND's record is 8). Not a single pass by Southern Cal.
What was the point of ND calling a time out? To give USC the additional time to score.
Did you not watch the last 6:43? They gave the ball to the SAME guy. "YO, ND! Curtis is going to get the ball. Stop him if you can." ND stopped him ONE time for a loss. 10 carries, 47 yds, 4.7 ypc and 6:43 seconds consumed. 403 seconds. What do your 3timeouts achieve? Besides giving Curtis a breather?
OK coach, take that last 6:43 Play-by-play and insert your time outs. Now providing Kiffin doesn't use the time outs to rest his troops, then call Play Action which ND sucked on all night and sent Woods after Wood again, or had Barkley bootleg into the end zone, give me your plays now that ND has the ball on their own 2 with 30 seconds left. 98 yds away down 2 or 3 scores.
Do you send out Rees to throw "the bomb" when they drop 9 (and Floyd couldn't get away from one) or do you send in Hendrix to run the option read Air Force play with 13 laterals ala Stanford? Remember you used up your time outs "stopping" SC.
Step up "coach". Make the decisions you find so easy to chide. Call the time outs and set up your offensive drive.
I've seen Mark Green, Phil Carter, and Larry Conjar each run the ball 8 times. Holtz, Devine, and Parshegian did the same thing Kiffin did. It's meant to be a backbreaker. Leahy had Neil Worden do the same thing against #4 OU in '52. "Stop us if you can" ND couldn't. Harsh reality, USC let the clock run out.
Clashmore Mike nailed it.
