UMass game thread

[Ygridiron4ever]

My family and I made the trek to Foxburough. It was the first time in 5 years that we attended an East Coast game that the Cougars won. it made the drive home better, and the entire trip more 'justifiable.'

I have a quick question and an observation.
First the observation: BYU had way more fans in attendance than UMass. WAY more by my estimate. I guess it was a very poorly attended game overall, but I was still hoping for a little recognition and a little love from BYU or the media to the BYU faithful there. I haven't seen or heard anything on that. I would like to think that someone is making sure the P5 conferences and schools are being 'kept aware' (because they probably already know) of BYU's draw no matter where they play.

Now the question: I'd have to go back and watch the game again to get exact times and names, but at one point the UMass punter kicked the ball straight up in the air. A BYU lineman took the ball off a bounce at about the 43 yard line and returned it to around the 30. Then the quarter changed, and when play resumed the officials placed the ball back at the 43 where the lineman gained control, and NOT the 30 where the lineman was tackled by the punter. Anybody know why?

The AFR guys commented that the lineman 'should have scored,' and that 'anyone who is tackled by the punter should get chided.." so they didn't recognize the placement of the ball.

On the field that day the officials gave no explanation, and the sportscasters didn't say anything about it either.

I'm confused (or i saw it wrong).

[hawkwing]

I hadn't even noticed that they had moved it back.

ESPN's play by play lists it as a punt out of bounds for no gain, returned by Rhett Sandlin for no gain. So maybe they ruled that Rhett stepped out or was partly out of bounds when he fielded the punt.

[Ygridiron4ever]

I hadn't even noticed that they had moved it back.

ESPN's play by play lists it as a punt out of bounds for no gain, returned by Rhett Sandlin for no gain. So maybe they ruled that Rhett stepped out or was partly out of bounds when he fielded the punt.

Rhett stepping out of bounds would explain it. I'll have to go back and watch again.

Thanks.

[snoscythe]

I hadn't even noticed that they had moved it back.

ESPN's play by play lists it as a punt out of bounds for no gain, returned by Rhett Sandlin for no gain. So maybe they ruled that Rhett stepped out or was partly out of bounds when he fielded the punt.

Rhett stepping out of bounds would explain it. I'll have to go back and watch again.

Thanks.

https://youtu.be/qtWRyeIVILA?t=250

Based on the video, the side judge ref appears to call a fair catch when Sandlin caught the ball.

[hawkwing]

Thanks Sno. I didn't remember Rhett being particularly close to the sideline, so it must have been called a fair catch.

[Ygridiron4ever]

Thanks for the information.
I wonder why he ran with the ball after calling a fair catch......
No big deal in the end because BYU scored on that drive, but I wonder if it was a bad call, and if so, why no one protested.
Maybe Rhett reverted back to his high school baseball days and was waving everyone else off as if to say "I got it!" and inadvertently (unwittingly) called a fair catch....

Again...no big deal.

[CrimsonCoug]

I don't think Sandlin was trying to call for the fair catch. Rather, I think he was trying to signal and point to where the ball went; AFR had a reverse angle on it, but you can still see it a bit at the 4:23-24 mark on Sno's video.
When he was the guy that caught the ball, the the line judge quite reasonably determined that Sandlin had called for a fair catch.
Good eyes there, Ygrid! I didn't notice that they spotted it back when I saw it the first time.
AFR should have caught that too, but then they couldn't have given Sandlin some ribbing about being tackled by the kicker (even though the kicker's a converted tight end, according to Dave Nixon).

[hawkwing]

Watching the video, which is difficult to tell because of the quality, but it doesn't look like a fair catch signal, but he did put his hand above his head which the ref could have misconstrued as a fair catch.

[CrimsonCoug]

Exactly.

[frdbtr]

Whether you intend it or not, if you put your hand above your head and then catch the ball, you have signaled to the ref a fair catch.