This summer, NCAA officials altered some of college football's rules concerning clock management with the aim of shortening games. Three weeks in, ACC coaches are learning to appreciate every second.
The NCAA instituted the changes during the offseason in an attempt to cut out between 10 and 15 plays per game in order to shorten television broadcasts. So far, average game times have fallen about 15 minutes.
The clock now starts when the ball is kicked-off, as opposed to when the ball is caught. Also, time starts on the referees whistle when possession changes, rather than when the ball is snapped.
"It's something new," North Carolina head coach John Bunting said. "You're more alert to it. I know I'm going to ask the referee before every game how he is going to call it because it's always a little bit different. At the end of the game and end of the half, you have to heighten your awareness to what's going on."
In making the change, the NCAA rules committee was hoping to limit games to about three hours. In the past few years, games have lasted closer to three and a half hours.
The rules played a significant role in week one, as rivals Miami and Florida State were in a three-point game with time winding down. The Hurricanes were trailing and had just given the ball back to the Seminoles.
In previous years, Miami head coach Larry Coker could have burned each of his timeouts after FSU's three downs, forced a punt and lost relatively little time. But the clock continued to run after the change of possession, so Coker said he had to "waste a timeout" earlier than he would have liked.
"I think [the rule changes are] making us really see how important timeouts are," FSU head coach Bobby Bowden said. "We've got to be more careful with them now. They seem more precious than they were before.. I can see why some teams are having problems with it."
Other ACC coaches had other concerns, such as the players' health.
Auburn head coach and NCAA rules committee member Tommy Tuberville said games that drag on this long in extreme weather each week could be detrimental to the athletes.
In order to ensure his players' health, Georgia head coach Chan Gailey takes special precautions before games.
"We feed a guy a pre-game meal four hours before game time because that's what's been proven over the years to be the most effective thing," Gailey said. "In the fourth quarter of a four-plus hour game, you're putting a young man in jeopardy. His energy level is low, and his nourishment is low."
Although some fans have complained about shorter games, and other coaches have voiced the added difficulties the rules puts on them, Gailey said this should not be the focus.
"Is it harder on us? Yes," he said. "But are we in this for us, or are we in this for the players?"
In another rule change in April 2005, The NCAA added the option to schedule a 12th game for Division-IA schools as a financial boost to the schools individually and the sport as a whole. Given the statistics so far this season, Duke head coach Ted Roof said he believes that about a game's worth of plays will be eliminated by the time rule changes, thereby making up for the additional game.
With or without the extra game, injuries and late-game weariness will likely decrease with players on the field for a shorter time each game.
"I'm sure glad the game's being sped up," Bowden said. "It's a long time to stay out there. I think we're taking a lot out of players, so anything to shorten the games and get them off the field is a good thing. There's other things they want to do rather than just play football."
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