I had thought so too but he was hit by a Nebraska DL. The Player was hiding behind the OL so you can barely see him. But it was actually the Nebraska DL.
Officials???
- Thread starter 8th Street
- Start date
I think what you are missing is that a clock stoppage is different than the temp stoppage to set the ball. as soon as the ball is set and ready for play the clock should have started. The ball was set, then the clock stayed stopped because of the player losing his helmet, or taking it off.
1. No, there was one good view where it clearly showed the receiver did not ever control the ball.
2. I agree, looked like a fumble.
3. Ok, your opinion
4. Hope the huskers can beat OR and I really hope ArkSt plays a really good game against the U.
Wasn't the best officiated game I've ever seen, wasn't the worst. They got the replays right. Guy's helmet did get pulled off. Look at it this way, it could have been called a facemask but it wasn't, so count your blessings on that one.
I read the scenario you mentioned, and it certainly sounds like you are correct. This, however, makes zero sense based on how the rule is written, and even just sheer common sense. A first down is a TEMPORARY stoppage of the clock, only long enough to spot the ball and move the chains; so I am baffled as to why it should prevent a 10-second runoff.
However, even taking this into account, the refs STILL blew the play. Even disregarding any sort of 10-second runoff or Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty (which should have been called), they still handled it wrong, and the Section 15 scenario even bears this out. Disregarding any of the other stuff, the player who lost his helmet should have been removed from the game, and then the ref should have signaled for the clock to start. Says it right there "Game clock start's on referee's signal"; you can also find it under Rule 3-3-2-e which says "Starts on the Referee’s Signal. For each of the following reasons, the game clock is stopped on an official’s signal. If the next play begins with a snap, the game clock will start on the referee’s signal: 16. A player’s helmet comes completely off through play".
If they had handled it correctly, the ref should have blown his whistle, told the player to leave the field (who was already leaving the field as it was, so I'm not sure why every single one of them felt the need to start tweeting away with their whistles) and once he started to leave the field, signaled for the clock to start again. Instead, they blew their whistles, stood around for a while, and then let ASU easily kick a field goal, starting the clock on the snap rather than the officials signal. They blew it, plain and simple.
If you're talking about the much discussed end of first half play, no his helmet didn't get pulled off, at least not by a Nebraska player. You can see it clear as day on the replay they showed after the field goal. He gets tackled, and his helmet is clearly pretty lose already (probably purposely loosened, hoping it would come off and the refs would bungle the whole thing and give them more time at a field goal). As he's laying on the ground, his helmet has come partially off, but not all the way, you clearly see him reach up and pull it the rest of the way off. Then he stands up, hands the ball to the ref, turns to run off the field, and then pretends like he's surprised his helmet is laying on the ground.