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What happened in Tennessee football's final game before halftime against Kentucky?

What happened in Tennessee football's final game before halftime against Kentucky?

The first half of Tennessee's game against Kentucky ended strangely, with both coaches protesting in the final moments.

Kentucky led 10-7. Tennessee drove into Kentucky territory to try to set up a long field goal or Hail Mary pass, but there was no timeout left.

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava scrambled for a 4-yard gain and a Tennessee first down. He was down with 2 seconds left and the clock should have stopped for a moment to allow the first down chains to take position.

The officials ran the clock back two seconds and Tennessee lined up for one final play. But when the official signaled for the clock to start, Tennessee didn't immediately snap the ball. With time running out, the Kentucky players jogged to the locker room.

Officials then signaled both teams to stay on the field as Kentucky coaches protested. Then the official announced that halftime was over, prompting Tennessee coach Josh Heupel to protest.

Half was over. Tennessee never performed another play. Kentucky led 10-7.

Heupel told the SEC Network he wasn't sure what happened at the end of the half, but he said his offense was ready to snap the ball.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. e-mail [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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