Fans are brutally shredding Ohio State quarterback Will Howard on social media after his mistake capped the No. 2 Buckeyes’ loss to No. 3 Oregon Saturday night, but NBC Sports broadcasters Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge had to react to the play in real time.
They were both clearly stunned.
Ohio State trailed by one with six seconds remaining but needed to pick up a few yards on third down for an easier field-goal attempt. Instead, Howard couldn’t find a receiver, took off scrambling and slid down as time expired.
While fans on social media have been using all kinds of profanity to blast the Ohio State QB, Blackledge’s G-rated reaction right after the play spoke volumes.
“Oh my goodness,” Blackledge said, clearly stunned by Howard’s ill-fated decision.
Both Eagle and Blackledge immediately called out Howard’s terrible decision.
“Surprise mistake from a veteran quarterback in the biggest moment,” Eagle said.
“I think he knew that he had to get down and get a time-out called,” Blackledge observed. “He just tried to get a couple of extra yards and he ran out of time. Two plays in this last drive, Will Howard not on top of things with the clock. And it came back to hurt him.”
Howard was equally critical of himself after the game.
“It’s a b****,” Howard said (via Cleveland.com). “It sucks. A play like that, it’s just — you don’t want to lose a game like that. I thought I (got down). Obviously, I didn’t.”
[NBC Sports]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.