Tracy Claeys called Jerry Kill late Saturday, after the Gophers' 29-26 loss to Michigan, and it wasn't just to commiserate. Claeys needed advice on clock management.
For 21 years, those two had worked closely together, talking through key decisions over their headsets.
When Kill retired for health reasons Wednesday, Claeys stepped in as interim coach, with full confidence he can handle the job long term. In three days, he tackled countless tasks and somehow got his 13-point underdog team to outgain the Wolverines 461-296.
One thing Claeys didn't do was tab another coach to replace Kill as a second voice on clock management. He became a committee of one, even though he's a defensive coordinator, who has much to learn about the team's offensive playbook.
So, when the officials overturned a potential winning touchdown, ruling that receiver Drew Wolitarsky was down at the 1-foot line, the Gophers suddenly appeared lost in their own world.
There were 19 seconds remaining. The Gophers were lined up, but when the referee started the game clock, they went through a series of shifts and motions, costing 12 seconds before Mitch Leidner finally took the shotgun snap. When his throw landed incomplete, only two seconds remained.
"If I'd have known that motion shift's going to take that long, we would have [spiked] the ball," Claeys said Sunday. "It still would have left 16, probably 17 seconds to go … and we probably could have gotten two more plays out of it rather than one."
"That's on me," he added.