• The KillerFrogs

Inadvertent whistle late in the SMU game

Fred Garvin

I service the entire Quad Cities Area
Between the scoreboard being a cluster all game the play clocks not working and the ref's microphone being garbage; we had a lot of trouble understanding the call late in the game where the refs blew an early whistle. Here's the situation - TCU up by 8 has recovered an onside kick attempt and has first and 10 at the SMU 45, with 1:04 left. SMU has all 3 of their TOs so we can't kneel out the game.

The Fox summary does not indicate on which play this occurred. I do not recall if the early whistle happened on the first down play where Miller ran for one yard or the following play on second down and 9 when he ran for three yards. If I had to guess between the two, I thought it happened on first down.

Miller takes handoff, runs into line, is never tackled and he is still fighting for yardage. Ref blows whistle, stopping play as Miller breaks free - clearly an inadvertent whistle. The white hat ref calls time to sort out what happens. Miller is credited with a one yard gain. There is no signal indicating SMU is charged a timeout. The next play stars at the snap of the ball. At this point, I was pissed because I thought SMU was getting a free TO.

What really happened?

I looked back at the play by play on Fox's website and it says SMU was charged with a time out before the next play. But that still doesn't explain something. When the offense has control of the ball and an early whistle stops the play, the offense should have the option of taking the result of the play or replaying the down. Did our coaches really accept a one yard (making it second and 9) or a three yard gain (making it third and 6) rather than replay the down? Then we throw an incomplete pass on third down. Thank goodness for the hurdling the shield call on the punt.

BTW - did anyone else notice the repeated home cooking when it came to running the game clock? As we were driving late in the half and got a first down near midfield, the clock operator had the clock running WAY before the first down markers were set. Several other times when SMU was driving where their plays took only a few seconds rather than what they actually took.
 

Eight

Member
Between the scoreboard being a cluster all game the play clocks not working and the ref's microphone being garbage; we had a lot of trouble understanding the call late in the game where the refs blew an early whistle. Here's the situation - TCU up by 8 has recovered an onside kick attempt and has first and 10 at the SMU 45, with 1:04 left. SMU has all 3 of their TOs so we can't kneel out the game.

The Fox summary does not indicate on which play this occurred. I do not recall if the early whistle happened on the first down play where Miller ran for one yard or the following play on second down and 9 when he ran for three yards. If I had to guess between the two, I thought it happened on first down.

Miller takes handoff, runs into line, is never tackled and he is still fighting for yardage. Ref blows whistle, stopping play as Miller breaks free - clearly an inadvertent whistle. The white hat ref calls time to sort out what happens. Miller is credited with a one yard gain. There is no signal indicating SMU is charged a timeout. The next play stars at the snap of the ball. At this point, I was pissed because I thought SMU was getting a free TO.

What really happened?

I looked back at the play by play on Fox's website and it says SMU was charged with a time out before the next play. But that still doesn't explain something. When the offense has control of the ball and an early whistle stops the play, the offense should have the option of taking the result of the play or replaying the down. Did our coaches really accept a one yard (making it second and 9) or a three yard gain (making it third and 6) rather than replay the down? Then we throw an incomplete pass on third down. Thank goodness for the hurdling the shield call on the punt.

BTW - did anyone else notice the repeated home cooking when it came to running the game clock? As we were driving late in the half and got a first down near midfield, the clock operator had the clock running WAY before the first down markers were set. Several other times when SMU was driving where their plays took only a few seconds rather than what they actually took.

what appeared to happen was miller was hit, but was sliding to a gap and an official responding to shouts of timeout from the smu sideline blew the play dead under the assumption miller was down when he clearly was moving

would suspect the whistle came from the side judge by the smu staff who could not clearly see miller

no choice was given to sonny as the play was blown dead and i think the only explanation given was oops
 

froginaustin

Active Member
That inadvertent whistle PLUS the official standing over the ball giving SMU's defense a chance to substitute when the TCU offense had not substituted and was trying to go fast . . .

Really?

Neither of these should be expected from an officiating crew working a college game. Both of these events happening in 1 game to the disadvantage of the same participant may be nothing more than a coincidence.

I would hope that a conference office or both conference's offices would quietly look into these developments. No public squawking from a coaching staff or an athletic department should be necessary. I don't know if a participating team can "blackball" an officiating crew, but I will be dismayed if TCU sees these officials again.
 

Froggy Style

Active Member
That along with the overturned PI after giving them three in a row...seemed awfully suspect. The ref almost seemed to be laughing it off in a close game.
 

froginaustin

Active Member
That along with the overturned PI after giving them three in a row...seemed awfully suspect. The ref almost seemed to be laughing it off in a close game.

There are lots of PI calls/non-calls and off-sides/false-starts, etc., that really are close calls, IMHO [not necessarily saying that the calls you are mentioning were close]. A call can look one way or the other, depending on line of sight.

Not so, screwing up substitution rules. And an inadvertent whistle is at best a professional official not paying attention to the game.

Gong Show time. Get those clowns off the stage. I suspect that there are lots of highly qualified replacements.
 

Froggy Style

Active Member
There are lots of PI calls/non-calls and off-sides/false-starts, etc., that really are close calls, IMHO [not necessarily saying that the calls you are mentioning were close]. A call can look one way or the other, depending on line of sight.

Not so, screwing up substitution rules. And an inadvertent whistle is at best a professional official not paying attention to the game.

Gong Show time. Get those clowns off the stage. I suspect that there are lots of highly qualified replacements.
Also replacements for playing AAC teams with on field refs looking to screw over their opponents.
 

LisaLT

Active Member
Very poor officiating, in general. Some of those PI calls on Tomlinson were funny because the ball was CLEARLY uncatchable. But the whistle while Miller was running, and likely for a touchdown, was the icing on the cake.
 

Froggy Style

Active Member
Very poor officiating, in general. Some of those PI calls on Tomlinson were funny because the ball was CLEARLY uncatchable. But the whistle while Miller was running, and likely for a touchdown, was the icing on the cake.
Pretty sure I have never seen a RB called down with no wrapping up OR even close to losing his balance to go down.
 

FrogUltimate

Active Member
Two thoughts:
- the whistle on Miller run was criminal. That was likely a TD, or a first down at worst. Can't happen at this level. He wasn't even being touched by an SMU player
- If there is clear weather and the home team can't get a play clock working within 20-30 minutes, a delay of game penalty should be assessed against the home team at some point. It's unacceptable in FBS football to not have a working play clock just because it's hot. I can understand if a big storm comes through and water shorts something out, but not on a clear day.
 

westoverhillbilly

Active Member
Two thoughts:
- the whistle on Miller run was criminal. That was likely a TD, or a first down at worst. Can't happen at this level. He wasn't even being touched by an SMU player
- If there is clear weather and the home team can't get a play clock working within 20-30 minutes, a delay of game penalty should be assessed against the home team at some point. It's unacceptable in FBS football to not have a working play clock just because it's hot. I can understand if a big storm comes through and water shorts something out, but not on a clear day.

No frigging kidding. SMU now reminds me of TCU in the dark days of the 60s-90s with a glaring lack of commitment to football as evidenced by their overlooking of clock management for their biggest home game in years. Going to GJF stadium just feels like going to see an FCS game.
 

Fred Garvin

I service the entire Quad Cities Area
BTW - the crew that worked the game was a Big 12 crew, headed by Walt Anderson's (NFL head of officials) son. If I was Sonny, I would lodge a quiet complaint to the head of officials for the Big12 about that clown show. They had way too many blown calls.

The play clocks, game clock and poor scoreboard work is all on SMU and their Mickey Mouse, High School stadium. If the play clock is not working, there should have been something in place to keep teams from getting delay of game. We had two of those on freaking first down. Chance of that happening with a functioning play clock = zero.
 

Fred Garvin

I service the entire Quad Cities Area
what appeared to happen was miller was hit, but was sliding to a gap and an official responding to shouts of timeout from the smu sideline blew the play dead under the assumption miller was down when he clearly was moving

would suspect the whistle came from the side judge by the smu staff who could not clearly see miller

no choice was given to sonny as the play was blown dead and i think the only explanation given was oops

If "oops" was their only response rather than giving TCU a choice, the crew should be suspended for one game. Blowing the whistle or making a bad judgement call is one thing, but when the crew allows a rules mistake, they should be disciplined.
 

BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?
BTW - the crew that worked the game was a Big 12 crew, headed by Walt Anderson's (NFL head of officials) son. If I was Sonny, I would lodge a quiet complaint to the head of officials for the Big12 about that clown show. They had way too many blown calls.
Estridge pointed out at least three times during the game broadcast that they were an AAC crew. If they truly are employed and paid by the BIGXII, I don't want to ever see them work another of our games ever again.
 

Eight

Member
If "oops" was their only response rather than giving TCU a choice, the crew should be suspended for one game. Blowing the whistle or making a bad judgement call is one thing, but when the crew allows a rules mistake, they should be disciplined.

can't tell you for certain that is all they said, but considering that sonny spent most of the time out with palms upward and a confused look on his face they might has well be explaining string theory as what exactly happened to stop the play
 

RufeBruton

Active Member
Estridge pointed out at least three times during the game broadcast that they were an AAC crew. If they truly are employed and paid by the BIGXII, I don't want to ever see them work another of our games ever again.
The ESPN U announcers repeatedly called them a Bg XII crew
 
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