Mario Cristobal failed to take knee late in similar game at Oregon

The debacle of Mario Cristobal failing to take a knee with 33 seconds remaining in the game and the Miami football team having a chance to run out the clock had a similar occurrence at Oregon. Chris Vannini of The Athletic wrote that Cristobal made a similar decision that cost Oregon a game versus Stanford in 2018.

Vannini tweeted “I completely forgot Mario Cristobal had almost the EXACT same thing happen to him in the 2018 Oregon-Stanford game, ran the ball instead of kneeling and fumbled.” Vannini posted a picture following the Oregon loss to Stanford in 2018 during the first season with Cristobal as head coach from the SF Gate.

To make the loss to Stanford worse in 2018, Oregon lost a 24-7 second-half lead. With Oregon driving to add to the lead Joey Alfieri had an 80-yard fumble return for a TD to cut the Oregon lead to 24-14. That 14-point swing was monumental for Stanford to be able to rally for a victory.

Oregon appeared to ice the game with 4:39 remaining on a Cyrus Habibi-Likio one-yard run to extend the Ducks’ lead to 31-21. Following the Oregon TD, Stanford drove 79 yards on three plays in 1:29 to cut the Oregon lead to 31-28. That drive is reminiscent of the Georgia Tech drive to win the game on Saturday night.

Georgia Tech only needed four plays to go 75 yards in 25 seconds for the game-winning TD. The Yellow Jackets got the ball back after a Don Chaney Jr. fumble. The fumble should have never occurred. Miami had a chance to run out the clock by having quarterback Tyler Van Dyke take a knee.

With 51 seconds remaining in the 2018 Stanford game at Oregon, Cristobal called for a C.J. Verdell run. Verdell finished the game with 20 carries for 115 yards and one TD. Chaney had a nearly identical 23 carries for 103 yards without a TD. Verdell fumbled giving Stanford the ball at their 40 with 51 seconds remaining.

Stanford drove 46 yards in seven plays before a Jet Toner 32-yard field goal sent the game to overtime. The Cardinal scored on the first possession of overtime to take a 31-24 lead. Current Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw an interception in the end zone ending the game.

The difference between the Oregon loss in 2018 and the defeat by the Miami football team to Georgia Tech on Saturday night was that the Ducks had a chance to redeem themselves in overtime. Miami lost on the final play when their scramble on the kickoff return failed to produce the same 2015 miracle ending they had at Duke.