How close did DJ come to dropping the INT vs uga?

[BUZZ NATION]

My biggest probably with the refs in the game was not calling ugag for lining up over the center on the blocked extra point and fg.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Guess I had a different concern than most in that my initial concern was that there might be an interference call based on the contact with the receiver. Not that there should have been one, but I was worried it might happen and I was listening closely, while jumping around, to hear if a penalty was mentioned. I simply can't even think about that game without smiling.

You know I kept waiting for a flag to fly, too, just because it was Athens. I was literally holding my breathe for a few seconds until it was absolutely clear there was no laundry on the field.

 

[AE 87]

My biggest probably with the refs in the game was not calling ugag for lining up over the center on the blocked extra point and fg.

Yep. That was pretty awful, especially because I'm guessing CPJ said something after the first time. We got NC State for a 15 yard penalty when they did it to us. The rule is that you can't initiate contact with the center for 1 sec after the snap.

 

[4NatlChmps]

Yep. That was pretty awful, especially because I'm guessing CPJ said something after the first time. We got NC State for a 15 yard penalty when they did it to us. The rule is that you can't initiate contact with the center for 1 sec after the snap.

Spending time with CPJ since the game in Athens, he is still livid about those 2 no calls. He gets really aggravated when something is blatant (His argument is its a flagrant violation at all levels of football and it's one of the only things one ref is supposed to be watching on kicks) and a safety issue. And as mentioned he told them about after first violation.

I would imagine the ref responsible won't be back at it any time soon. Complete example of biased ref'ng - probably even told the thug to do it. Worse is in Saint Fng HypoRicht's post game presser he praised the thug for 'finding the extra effort to block two of their kicks' (errrrrrr.. did your dip sht spray tanned a$s mean - "I convinced my buddy the ref to let him Do it bc he's a senior and has no degree, no chance of NFL and no life after this game"). Damn, I'm angry - #TFHWG

 

[Northeast Stinger]

You know I kept waiting for a flag to fly, too, just because it was Athens. I was literally holding my breathe for a few seconds until it was absolutely clear there was no laundry on the field.

I said in a post right after the game that I was still looking for the flag to come down during CPJ's comments after the game.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

As badly officiated as the Duke game was, the one in Athens seemed worse. In addition to the no calls on lining up over the center on kicks, how many times did the Georgia offensive line tackle one of our defenders in pass protection? Some may object to my use of the word tackle but you are not supposed to grab nor are you supposed to stick your hand in someone's face guard. Ordinarily I would just say these things happen, but it gets to be a little much with all the other underhanded no calls and missed calls.

 

[GT21]

While the topic of the thread is not specifically the refs, they have become The Issue in this thread as they are part of the reason The Pick could have been just an incompletion if DJ lost the ball in the act of downing it for a second time. Those ref's late whistles had already cost GT a 14 point swing and Smelter's ACL.

The 3rd Quarter "fumble" started out as 3rd & Goal from the 2. JeT moved beyond the LOS. JeT was stripped of the ball at the 3. The distances involved and the time it took all indicate that JeT should have been called down by forward progress. Except the professional referees that were at the game somehow did not see it that way. To me there are only two answers as to why this is:

A) The crew at the game was actively giving the SEC team an edge.
or
B) The crew at the game was incompetent, thus they let this play go as a fumble.

Then we have the 4th quarter "fumble". JeT either committed Intentional Grounding or threw an incomplete pass. Except no, the refs called a fumble. This leaves me with the same A or B from above. While I will admit that this call is not as cut-and-dried wrong as the first "fumble" it is unconceivable that this crew made this kind of call twice in the same game.

I do not have non-game-tape proof that the ref were actively giving the mutts an edge, but the game itself if proof that either they were or they had no business calling anything other than a pee wee rec game. Gold colored glasses or not.

COFH 2014, with its highs and lows will probably go down as the most incredible COFH in my lifetime. In a way those refs helped make the game what it was. If GT had lost this game the level of despair around the program would have been unbelievable - it would have been an awful way to lose, just ask the mutts. Would GT had done as well against F$U in the ACCCG? Would GT have even been invited to the Orange Bowl?

This game is in the past. GT won. Why did GT win? Because GT's players never gave up and even though those refs sucked, God was watching.

THWG

Gospel spoken !!!

 

[Animal02]

I kind of reluctantly agree with the fumble/progress part of this, though I am less inclined to give referee bias the credit actually due incompetence. But my take on the field goal was them making sure each called the same thing. Had they given that hesitation and called it short, well ...

My understanding of how field goal extra point reffing works is one ref is stationed under each upright, they have to make sure the ball passes inside the upright. They confirm to each other that their "side" was good before signalling.

 

[Skeptic]

Spending time with CPJ since the game in Athens, he is still livid about those 2 no calls. He gets really aggravated when something is blatant (His argument is its a flagrant violation at all levels of football and it's one of the only things one ref is supposed to be watching on kicks) and a safety issue. And as mentioned he told them about after first violation.

I would imagine the ref responsible won't be back at it any time soon. Complete example of biased ref'ng - probably even told the thug to do it. Worse is in Saint Fng HypoRicht's post game presser he praised the thug for 'finding the extra effort to block two of their kicks' (errrrrrr.. did your dip sht spray tanned a$s mean - "I convinced my buddy the ref to let him Do it bc he's a senior and has no degree, no chance of NFL and no life after this game"). Damn, I'm angry - #TFHWG

You contain it admirably.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

What really sucks is the ACC refs are too scared to give us home cooking at BDS. In fact, they call the game the other direction they're so scared. End result, we have to beat the refs EVERY year.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

As much as my gold colored glasses want to blame the refs on JT's second fumble, he has to take some responsibility for it. Regardless of the accuracy of the call, JT never should have been so reckless with the ball in that situation. Throw it away or eat it, never put it at risk in that situation. Good news is we still won and he still gets the benefit of learning from it (which I'm sure he has).

 

[TheGridironGeek]

Oh you gotta be kidding me with this. The FG was barely made. Whenever that happens the officials are trained to look at each other and confirm that they agree or discuss why they disagree. Go watch the replay. As soon as the ball goes through they look at each other, nod, and make the call. There's no hesitation or reluctance. What do you want them to do? Throw a party while they make the call? To use that as some evidence that the crew was rooting for UGA is absurd.

Ref bias exists IMO, but is probably more subtle than people realize. Do officials wake up in the morning, twiddle their handlebar mustaches and say "Ooooh, let's go cheat for Georgia University today"? No, but they're human beings, susceptible to the same internal & external pressures as anyone.

It's a tricky issue and reminds me of a lot of social-political debates. (I know this breaks a board rule but bear with it.) For instance if you comment that there might be a few holes in materialist science, suddenly you're a religious-cult zealot who must think the earth was created 300 years ago by the lead singer of Spinal Tap. Believe it or not there is a POV between "the officials are never biased, it's just fan imagination" and "the officials are Chinese double-agents paid by the mafia to cheat for the SEC."

Bias seems more likely to occur once an official becomes familiar with programs and players. An ideal referee probably would not be a fan at all, and never learn the names or tendencies of the athletes. I've seen Larry Fitzgerald make a reception, go down and very quickly toss the ball to the striped shirts -- by current NFL rules where you have to stuff the ball down your jersey, run 50 yards, then recite the Pledge of Allegiance while standing on your head to have a completed catch, they should probably rule those plays incomplete -- but it's Larry Fitzgerald, probably the greatest set of hands in the modern era, and the officials trust that once he grabs the ball it's a solid completion.

So do I think the referees were considering calling the "Kick" no good? Did they have black-market bets placed on Georgia? No, but nor is it ridiculous to examine their demeanor and facial expressions. Considering the atmosphere & SEC-centric culture it's possible they subconsciously thought "Tech ought not to have come back, they're playing an SEC team on the road. Did that just happen?"

I also believe if Western Carolina rushed 2 players over the snapper on field goal attempts that day, they'd have been flagged.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Ref bias exists IMO, but is probably more subtle than people realize. Do officials wake up in the morning, twiddle their handlebar mustaches and say "Ooooh, let's go cheat for Georgia University today"? No, but they're human beings, susceptible to the same internal & external pressures as anyone.

It's a tricky issue and reminds me of a lot of social-political debates. (I know this breaks a board rule but bear with it.) For instance if you comment that there might be a few holes in materialist science, suddenly you're a religious-cult zealot who must think the earth was created 300 years ago by the lead singer of Spinal Tap. Believe it or not there is a POV between "the officials are never biased, it's just fan imagination" and "the officials are Chinese double-agents paid by the mafia to cheat for the SEC."

Bias seems more likely to occur once an official becomes familiar with programs and players. An ideal referee probably would not be a fan at all, and never learn the names or tendencies of the athletes. I've seen Larry Fitzgerald make a reception, go down and very quickly toss the ball to the striped shirts -- by current NFL rules where you have to stuff the ball down your jersey, run 50 yards, then recite the Pledge of Allegiance while standing on your head to have a completed catch, they should probably rule those plays incomplete -- but it's Larry Fitzgerald, probably the greatest set of hands in the modern era, and the officials trust that once he grabs the ball it's a solid completion.

So do I think the referees were considering calling the "Kick" no good? Did they have black-market bets placed on Georgia? No, but nor is it ridiculous to examine their demeanor and facial expressions. Considering the atmosphere & SEC-culture around the sport it's very possible that they subconsciously thought "Tech ought not to have come back, they're playing an SEC team on the road. Did that just happen?"

I also believe if Western Carolina rushed 2 players over the snapper on field goal attempts that day, they'd have been flagged.

or, they simply remember how the refs that gave the benefit of the doubt to GT in the Jasper Thanks fumble were vilified and kicked out of the SEC reffing universe. To me, the refs just looked gun shy and in fear of the almighty SEC "big brother" looking down from on high, scrutinizing every call.

If you want to see the ultimate ref bias depicted in film, go watch the cheesy Sly Stallone movie, Victory. (Allied POW's vs Nazi soccer team during WWII)

 

[eetech]

So are you saying that the refs were COMPLETELY unbiased in that game?

I don't think the refs were biased, but they consistently did a terrible job of blowing the whistle throughout the game.

Ian fact considering how the rest of the game, I don't think the calls that went against were due to bias at all, but the remarkable incompetence they showed in not blowing plays dead until a few seconds after the play was clearly over.

 

[Skeptic]

My understanding of how field goal extra point reffing works is one ref is stationed under each upright, they have to make sure the ball passes inside the upright. They confirm to each other that their "side" was good before signalling.

Makes sense.

 

[Skeptic]

As much as my gold colored glasses want to blame the refs on JT's second fumble, he has to take some responsibility for it. Regardless of the accuracy of the call, JT never should have been so reckless with the ball in that situation. Throw it away or eat it, never put it at risk in that situation. Good news is we still won and he still gets the benefit of learning from it (which I'm sure he has).

Sometimes, when one has spent a season making big plays -- and would again with 18 seconds left -- he believes he can make another one, to get the defender off his feet and slip past for a first down and play the game out. Thus the fake pass that he lost. Bad play, but I think a good call in the sense it was right.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Sometimes, when one has spent a season making big plays -- and would again with 18 seconds left -- he believes he can make another one, to get the defender off his feet and slip past for a first down and play the game out. Thus the fake pass that he lost. Bad play, but I think a good call in the sense it was right.

But we didn't need a big play. I don't mind the call as much as I mind the execution. A veteran qb, which JT is not, understands game situation (score/time/field position) and is able to make correct decisions based on risk/reward. We had the lead. We could have easily run clock and forced Uga to burn timeouts. Even if we didn't score, we could have pinned them deep with no timeouts.

Maybe CPJ was having flashbacks to the end of the UNC game and didn't want to leave it up to his defense, who knows? Like I said, I don't mind looking downfield for an easy score provided it's wide open, everybody in the stadium was expecting run. What a qb needs to know instinctively is what to do if it doesn't play out as expected. Toss the rock into the 11th row out of bounds the instant you know the pass route is covered. CPJ should have at least reminded him of that scenario before the play.

 

[DrJacket]

But we didn't need a big play. I don't mind the call as much as I mind the execution. A veteran qb, which JT is not, understands game situation (score/time/field position) and is able to make correct decisions based on risk/reward. We had the lead. We could have easily run clock and forced Uga to burn timeouts. Even if we didn't score, we could have pinned them deep with no timeouts.

On the way out of Sanford Stadium that day, I remember saying to my wife-- "If we were cats, we burned about 8 lives today." Plays like that one wore me out. Thankfully all worked out well.

What I would love to see is for JT to get better about unloading the ball into the stands. Twice this season, he threw way too close to the sideline and we got burned. Orange Bowl being the second of those, IIRC. I'm sure everyone, not the least of which is JT himself, want him to have learned those lessons for moving forward.

 

[GTL]

Not long after that day, I saw a story where Tremayne McNair said, "He looked like was going to run with it. I was yelling at him to get down....get down!!"

I was screaming at the TV "GET DOWN!!!!"

 

[rduck]

As much as my gold colored glasses want to blame the refs on JT's second fumble, he has to take some responsibility for it. Regardless of the accuracy of the call, JT never should have been so reckless with the ball in that situation. Throw it away or eat it, never put it at risk in that situation. Good news is we still won and he still gets the benefit of learning from it (which I'm sure he has).

I did not like the call for JT to be rolling out with the ball on the fumble down or the down before. There was too much time left to burn especially with Ga having a time out left. Just give the ball to Laskey and pound them off right guard like we had been doing the entire second half. They couldn't stop it. And even if they did, we kick the FG and are up by 7 with just over a minute left. Bad play calls by CPJ IMO...