Butch Jones wastes timeout to yell at officials, costing Arkansas State chance at bowl win
In a fit of rage, former Tennessee football coach Butch Jones wasted a valuable timeout during Arkansas State's Camellia Bowl matchup against Northern Illinois on Saturday, costing the Red Wolves a chance at their first bowl win since 2019.
Arkansas State scored a touchdown off a 13-yard touchdown connection between Corey Rucker and Jaylen Raynor, though the team failed the ensuing 2-point conversion. That forced the Red Wolves, facing a two-point deficit, to vie for an onside kick. They managed to recover the attempt after the football bounced off a Huskies defender, but a controversial offside call negated the call, sending Jones into a tirade.
"You blew the call," Jones appeared to yell at officials repeatedly.
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This offsides call is what had Butch Jones bright red..
Thoughts?pic.twitter.com/oMq8S8HzF1— Barstool Sun Belt (@barstoolsunbelt) December 23, 2023
Even worse, Jones used one of his three timeouts seemingly just to yell at the officials; had he kept them, the Red Wolves could have forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with little less than a minute left and a chance for a go-ahead score.
The timeout took away any chance the Red Wolves had of getting a stop and the ball back from the Huskies, though it ultimately didn't end up mattering after Arkansas State surrendered a 12-yard run on first down. Either way, the Huskies had already clinched a 21-19 Camellia Bowl win.
Tennessee fans are no strangers to Jones' antics, as he coached the Vols from 2013 to 2017. He led Tennessee to 34-27 overall record, but just 14-24 in conference play. Jones has struggled in three seasons with the Red Wolves, winning just 11 games over his tenure, and a 6-7 record this season.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Butch Jones wastes timeout to yell at officials in Arkansas State loss