It all begins with the Todd Harrelson catch and unbelievably stupid penalty on UT’s Janzen Jackson after he launched himself into Harrelson. The real comedy begins when John Shoop inexplicably calls for a run play with zero timeouts and only 16 seconds left in the game. I guess that would have been fine had UNC calmly gotten to the line and clocked the ball. Except that didn’t happen. Instead the field goal unit comes running on the field, then tries to exit and Yates has the presence of mind to clock the ball anyway. It was so bizarre that LSU’s Les Miles is considering filing a trademark infringement lawsuit against Butch Davis. The referee declared the game over but replay officials overturned that determination and put one second back on the clock. UNC was penalized for having too many men on the field and Casey Barth, he of the Ice Water in the Veins Barth Family, nails the 38 yard FG to send it to overtime.
Here is an explanation of the call via EDSBS:
The refs got the call at the end of the game right: Yates did in fact snap the ball with one second left on the clock in the savviest spike of the year, and the call of illegal substitution (five yards) is the correct call because they were attempting to leave the field after a no-huddle situation, and not because they were trying to participate in the play (Illegal participation, fifteen horrible yards.)
With the way this football season has gone this was really the only way it could have ended right? I almost feel bad for the Volunteers having had two games this season they thought were won flipped over in strange fashion. I said almost because then I see replays of Tyler Bray making idiotic gestures after TDs and any empathy I have evaporates. If you ever wondered how J.J. Reddick would act if he played football, now you know.
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“you can’t make this stuff up”.
tyler bray = jj redick, so true.
casey barth = clutch.
Great points and examples.
I am just finding out about this. It is pretty hard to believe, but there it is in the Washington Post, as a story too late for yesterday’s paper. I had been watching the game up to the point where we dropped the pass on 4th down, and then my DVR changed the channel and I figured, well, it is over anyway.
I think I care more for the nice feeling of schadenfreude that I get when something bad happens to Tennessee (except for Dickel and Daniels, can’t say I have much use for that state).
And I did watch the final 8 seconds back in 1974 against Duke, just in reference to what an earlier poster mentioned. It is always interesting to hear about the experiences of other UNC fans from famous games in the past.
Add me as well to the Hall of Shame for tuning out after Dwight dropped the perfect pass. Thanks THF for posting the clip. It’s the craziest thing I ever saw. Hard to say what group was more befuddled, the officials, UNC coaches, UNC offense, or Tennessee defensive players making stupid mistakes.
Does anyone know who’s to blame for the FG team running on the field?
Imagine watching this endgame as a Tennessee fan. I wonder how many domestic assaults it led to.
Just when you thought this coaching staff had dredged the lowest depths of stupid, they find a way to dig a little further. That was the worst coaching sequence this side of Baton Rouge ever..
I just love the fact that it was Big 10(11,12,47?) officials for both this and the KSU/SU game. How one crew let all of the Tennessee (Bray) garbage go, and the other calls a ridiculous personal foul at the end of the Pinstripe Bowl is beyond me. Either call it by the books, or don’t; but it would be nice if crews from the same conference could at least have a little consistency.
i mean they do go to the same clinics together, right?
and do they address the teams before the game, or just coaches?
its laughable that the NCAA releases a statement regarding the flag in the K St game, about how there’s a whole page on sportsmanship, then is nowhere to be found after this game.
i’d be on their doorstep with mic in hand, but i’m like a dog with a bone when it comes to hypocrisy.
the K St game, youre like, just call something that MATTERS. they replayed that game two years ago when the Washington QB tossed the ball behind him after scrambling for a td, then chest bumped his teammates, and got the flag for tossing the ball. then they had their 27 yd XP blocked for the L.
just like in any sport, call things that MATTER.
The only thing more satisfying would be is that if we pulled this off against NC State or Dook. Tennessee will do, though.
and why is it that only football players cant celebrate?
what are they worried about, exactly? a 3 minute rendition of Shapoopie?
in baseball, after a HR, there’s staring down the pitcher, trotting extremely slow, jumping on the plate, forearm bashing, hand jives.
in golf, there’s fistpumping.
in basketball, there’s manhugging and chestbumping.
heck, in women’s softball, they empty the dugout after every HR, regardless of inning.
i’d wager the majority of football players score 4 or fewer TDs a season. whats wrong with a 5-10 second celebration that involves only yourself and your teammates. that isnt in the face of the opposing team? just plain silly. lets not have any of that, but lets run, oh i dunno, 10 seconds off the clock for an offensive penalty. why 10? why not 15? why just in the last minute?
pick plays by receivers? fine. but dont clap or salute or jump or even smile when you score the winning TD!! the world will end!
I don’t recall what Draughn and Highsmith did after their TDs. I do know on one TD, the UT receiver did this weird salute thing. On another one he stood there for five seconds then did the wrestling belt gesture. Bray was doing stuff all game, not even TD passes but big first downs. He would do that “loco” hand signal and the salute. None of that bothers me. The throat slash was in the direction of the UNC sideline which could have be constituted as taunting not to mention drawing attention to yourself. There are some things that probably should be controlled. Greg Little punting the football after a TD like he did in the bowl game last year should be a flag. Taunting the other team should be a flag. However some of this stuff is anal which is no shock. Just ask Deunta Williams.
Clemson trying to out-Music City us.
and again, a player could just wait a half second to touch the ball and they wouldve had it.
where was this Jacory Harris back in October?
ohhh, right…all day to throw. the Drop 8 Special.
25yd completion on 4th and 2…16yds on 3rd and 8…9 yds on 3rd and 6…19yd TD on 3rd and 6…26 yds on 3rd and 4…
I’m glad we won, but really do you need any more evidence that we have some of the dumbest coaches in America? At this point shouldn’t at least the assistant coaches (if not the head coach) be on the hot seat?
Don’t guess there’ll be more talks on renewing the UNC-Tenn. rivalry.
In case y’all forgot about the last time the teams met, here’s Tarheelblue’s recap:
“Last Time: In Kenan Stadium, Carolina beat Tennessee 22-21 in the 1961 regular-season finale. Tennessee led 21-14 when Ray Farris threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Ward Marslender with 15 seconds left, making it 21-20, Tennessee. Farris found Gib Carson for a successful two-point conversion and the win.”
No wonder the Vols don’t want to play us.
EDIT: Mike Tirico: “Jack Childress, one of the better ACC officials.”
riiiiight. and Stephen is the most talented Baldwin.
***
WHEN is college football going to put a sensor in the ball? first, FLA gets a phantom pass interference for first and goal, then the line judge, who is one pace inside the pylon, signals TD when there are a minimum of 5 players blocking his view of the ball.
here’s an idea, when you have all the players inside you, come IN, with some swiftness, when the play starts and the ball is handed off, so you at least give the impression that you arent waiting on a bus and waving to passing planes.
***Connecticut coach Randy Edsall, who is the chairman of the rules committee, said Thursday during a Fiesta Bowl news conference the officials in the Pinstripe Bowl got the excessive celebration call correct.
“We try to tell our kids all the time that you just can’t bring attention to yourself. If we see that they are doing it we try to correct it during practice,” he said.
Edsall added he’d like to see more consistency in the way the rule is enforced.
“Well, I do think that there is some inconsistencies maybe between conferences. I think we’re getting closer. I think we’re getting closer with the new officiating group that’s a national officiating group that has been formed,” Edsall said, referring to College Football Officiating, LLC, which Parry heads.***
Coach Edsall, head of the rules committee? you might want to look up the definition of “getting closer”. 2 crews from the same conference officiated games in a single day that couldnt have been more called more differently.
try again.
A couple problems with the EDSBS comments. But first, congratulations to UNC on the win. It was a very fun game to watch, and a hard-fought game. Another reason to love college football.
But.
The penalty was not called correctly. MOST of the extra UNC players were trying to get off the field, but there were 12 men in formation. That’s a 15 yard penalty.
Furthermore, despite what Bob Davie said, the Janzen Jackson penalty was not called correctly. It was NOT helmet to helmet, the Carolina WR was hit in the back, by Jackson’s shoulder pad. Jackson’s helmet never hit the WR. As for the idea of “launching himself,” where’s the problem with that? We saying guys in the secondary can’t jump?
Salt in the wound, that horrible roughing the kicker call which gave UNC the head start in OT. Horrible, horrible. Our player was turned around and rolled by his blocker. While engaged with the blocker, he rolled and his feet slid towards the kicker who - as he’s coached to do - did an exaggerated flop that the refs should have known to ignore.
Anyway, congrats again on the game. Apologies to the folks who said some UT fans were rude at the game, not all fans (of any team) are like that, and I’m sorry you ran into some hooligans.
Happy New Year and Go Vols.
I have looked at the replay a number of times and sometimes I count 11 and sometimes it looks like 12. I assumed they counted to make sure the penalty was correct unless they are not permitted to do that. The head of officials say they got it right but then again I am not sure we expected them to say anything else.
As for Jackson, I am pretty sure you cannot leave your feet to hit a player. Making a diving tackle is one thing but he left his feet to deliver a hit and that will draw a flag.
Thank you for representing your fan base, you are welcome for discussion any time.
Thanks, THF.
You may be right about a rule against leaving your feet, but that sounds like a very tricky rule to call in practice. I agree the hit looked violent, but I think it was legally violent, and frankly a good play that dislodged the ball (I think it was a very questionable catch).
I’m certain about the number of players in formation. Five OLs, one TE, 3 WRs, one QB, plus a holder and kicker. That’s 12, which should have been a 15 yard penalty. Maybe the kicker would have made it, we’ll never know.
I’ve seen lots of comments about our quarterback’s neck-slash antics. As a Vol fan, I agree with you guys, I think it was a very poor display of sportsmanship, and I hate those slashing gestures. I think our coach is a solid guy, and I believe he probably came down hard on Bray about that. I hope so.
But I’ll also say that this was the only time I’ve seen Bray make that kind of a gesture. It was a bad display, but I think it was a one-time thing, and probably not something you’ll see from him in his sophomore thru senior years. I’m obviously biased, but I think our guys are generally very high character, and we’re not accustomed to seeing thuggish behavior from this group.
Shame we ducked the regular season series (and there’s no doubt that’s what we did). I work with a boat-load of Tarheels and I’d love the chance to play again.
Yeah, here is a still frame of the moment in question. Definitely 12 players on the field.
http://www.mocksession.com/30fps//2010%20December%2030%2022%2022%2020.jpeg
You would have thought the replay official would have noted that since they can use replay to correct any mistakes or it may have fallen to the field crew to make that call without the benefit of replay. A fifty yard plus FG would have been dicey. Barth possibly could have hit it but who knows.
trust me, volfarrell, we know we were lucky to get the win.
we would have no one to blame but ourselves with that last play of regulation.
Lee Pace’s piece over at tarheelblue.com says someone on the sideline yelled “Lightning”, the signal for the kicking team to run out.
someone.
I’m not sure about the rule that says that you can’t leave your feet to tackle, does anybody have a reference? My take on the Janzen hit is this:
1) Ever since Pop Warner football, players are taught to tackle with their shoulder, then “wrap them up” with their arms. Janzen lead with his head, and had his hands by his side the entire time.
2) Harrelson jumped maybe a foot off the ground to catch the ball, Janzen jumped up an impressive 6 feet or so it seemed… What was the point of that if the intent wasn’t to hit Harrelson in the head?
As for the too many players on the field… who knows! This is a play that can be debated forever. However the play was reviewed, and you have to have faith that they looked at everything, discussed it, and the right call was made. After all, the entire point of the review is to give a knowledgeable third party an opportunity to study what happened on the field and make the right call. However, I do think we got saved by some random technicality. We were VERY lucky!
For the most part, I enjoyed the Vols fans in Nashville. I even met and hung out with a bunch of then in Tootsie’s. It was an excellent game, and I hope we play you guys again soon! Thanks for commenting on this board and having a civilized discussion about the crazyness of the game.
^your point #1 is exactly what Merril Hodge talked about on the radio a couple months ago. that players launch themselves, arms back, in a way that is NEVER EVER practiced.
if Janzen didnt hit with his helmet, it wasnt from lack of trying. i only saw it a couple times, but i thought he did, in the base of Harrelson’s neck.
i wouldve had zero issue if the call had been made against a Tar Heel in the same situation.