Did you see this? The worst call of the year by far. It begs the question: Who is the replay official and how is he chosen? Is it some "homer" with no qualifications? That gentleman should be fired and never allowed to work another game.
If you didn't see it, Brandon Minor caught a TD pass out of bounds. In fact they called it incomplete on the field. The replay official overturned the call from upstairs. Minor did NOT have any feet or any part of his body come down in bounds. His foot hit the pylon (while in the air) and they gave him the TD. Inexcusable.
Yeah, it was a really bad call (and I'm a Michigan fan in addition to a CMU alum). The call before when the fumble was called on Hoyer was a bad call too. That said -- Michigan had some grim calls against it in the second half. It was a horribly officiated game and obviously didn't affect the outcome (which is the good news).
Just guessing here, didn't watch the game or hear the explanation, but the pylon is considered in bounds and if his foot hit the pylon, by rule, that is a touchdown and the foot hitting the pylon is getting one foot down in bounds.
DICK Wrote:Just guessing here, didn't watch the game or hear the explanation, but the pylon is considered in bounds and if his foot hit the pylon, by rule, that is a touchdown and the foot hitting the pylon is getting one foot down in bounds.
I believe that the rule you're referring to is for a player that is already established in bounds (for example - a running back that leaps toward the endzone). Even in that case though - the ball must break the goal line in bounds. Since this receiver was up in the air and had never established himself in-bounds after catching the ball - the pylon does not make him in-bounds. Also, since the ball never crossed the goal line in bounds either - even if awarded the catch he wouldn't be given the TD.
If I think I know who the replay ref is, then I know the guy. He taught a referring class at EMU that I took. He was one of the most respected refs in the Big 10 before he retired and moved up to the replay booth. However, since it was the Michigan/MSU game, he may not have done the game since UM is his alma mater and under Big 10 rules, refs are not allowed to ref a game if they attended that particular B10 school that is playing.
Sounds like the ref used the reasoning which I was guessing, but that was an incorrect interpretation of the rules.