I’ve watched the punt return replay several times now and am simply amazed.
1- When the ball is snapped two Memphis players with the same number are on the field at the same time. This should have give us a five yard penalty and a 4th and 1 inside Memphis territory, in which case we probably go for it.
2- Emerson puts his hand on the ball, with his knee on the ground, to put the ball to rest. I’d like to see him pick it up and hand it to the ref to remove all doubt, but it should have been considered down…
3- It in fact was considered down by at least one official. The back judge came in and waived the play dead.
4- Maybe the most pathetic part of this play, Memphis has guys running onto the field from the sideline because they think the play is dead (because frankly, it is dead). I count at least 14 Memphis players on the field at the same time during the return. Somehow this did not draw a flag.
5- Replay evidently didn’t take a look, even though it was a scoring play. If they did look, they missed the ref clearing waiving the play dead.
6- Leach doesn’t get off the hook either. He or someone on staff has to be aware that the play was waived dead and force a challenge.
I’m not sure if this game as a whole was the most poorly officiated game I’ve ever seen, because we’ve all seen some bad ones. But this might be the single worst officiated play I have ever seen, just because of the sheer number of inexcusable mistakes. It at least competes with Ridley running out of bounds and the Stidham fumble being blown dead against Bama and Auburn in 2017, respectively.
It took about five levels of complete officiating incompetence for it to happen too. If any one of these obvious things are caught, the TD doesn’t count. Just an absolute breakdown.
1- When the ball is snapped two Memphis players with the same number are on the field at the same time. This should have give us a five yard penalty and a 4th and 1 inside Memphis territory, in which case we probably go for it.
2- Emerson puts his hand on the ball, with his knee on the ground, to put the ball to rest. I’d like to see him pick it up and hand it to the ref to remove all doubt, but it should have been considered down…
3- It in fact was considered down by at least one official. The back judge came in and waived the play dead.
4- Maybe the most pathetic part of this play, Memphis has guys running onto the field from the sideline because they think the play is dead (because frankly, it is dead). I count at least 14 Memphis players on the field at the same time during the return. Somehow this did not draw a flag.
5- Replay evidently didn’t take a look, even though it was a scoring play. If they did look, they missed the ref clearing waiving the play dead.
6- Leach doesn’t get off the hook either. He or someone on staff has to be aware that the play was waived dead and force a challenge.
I’m not sure if this game as a whole was the most poorly officiated game I’ve ever seen, because we’ve all seen some bad ones. But this might be the single worst officiated play I have ever seen, just because of the sheer number of inexcusable mistakes. It at least competes with Ridley running out of bounds and the Stidham fumble being blown dead against Bama and Auburn in 2017, respectively.
It took about five levels of complete officiating incompetence for it to happen too. If any one of these obvious things are caught, the TD doesn’t count. Just an absolute breakdown.
