Bad referee calls... For the other guy

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Schnauzer

Schnauzer

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Much of it is certainly self-inflicted, but a lot of bad things have happened to our favorite football program over the past 50 years.

With that in mind let's shake it up and talk reffing. More specifically reffing when it has gone the Gopher's way.

As any homer fan base can do, we can surely come up with those pivotal referee calls that ended up screwing our team. That's natural (and easy). I'm personally fond of the pass interference call against Penn State in the mid 00's that lost a game for us in the Metrodome.

But this thread puts the shoe on the other foot. What are some examples of times where you sort of cringed and said to yourself "We got away with one there" and the bad call was a big part of a Gopher victory?
 

Off the top of my head:

2003 @ Penn State - Gophers are up 4 with Penn State driving deep in Gopher territory in the final seconds. Michael Robinson hits their TE who catches the ball near the corner of the end zone, and the crowd erupts. But the official comes in and signals incomplete. The right call was made, but it was close enough where it felt like we got away with one as we usually would get screwed on that call. There was also a controversial pick that went the Gophers way erroneously at the end of the first half of the game that took at least 3 pts off the board for PSU. Sucks to be them.

2003 vs. Wisconsin - On a key 3rd and 9 late in a tie game backup QB Benji Kamrath floated a pass down the far sideline for Aaron Hosack. Hosack pinned the ball precariously against his helmet as he got a foot in bounds and fell to the ground. Could have easily been ruled incomplete and the Gophers would have had to punt. Instead, a few plays later Rhys Lloyd kicks the GW FG as time expires to win the Axe.

2014 vs. Iowa - How in the world was Donovahn Jones ruled in the end zone on his 2nd quarter TD? His knee was down at least a half a yard short. Bogus call, but hey - I'll take it. Kept momentum on our side en route to a big win.
 

The Purdue games in the Dump deserve a whole wing of this discussion. From the funky end zone markings and a lost TD to the clock management that allows you to drive 60 yards in 18 seconds and still have time to kick a field goal take your pick.
 

I'm pretty sure that every call that has gone the Gophers way has been the correct and proper call.
 

Schnauzer said:
Much of it is certainly self-inflicted, but a lot of bad things have happened to our favorite football program over the past 50 years.

With that in mind let's shake it up and talk reffing. More specifically reffing when it has gone the Gopher's way.

As any homer fan base can do, we can surely come up with those pivotal referee calls that ended up screwing our team. That's natural (and easy). I'm personally fond of the pass interference call against Penn State in the mid 00's that lost a game for us in the Metrodome.

But this thread puts the shoe on the other foot. What are some examples of times where you sort of cringed and said to yourself "We got away with one there" and the bad call was a big part of a Gopher victory?
Click to expand...

Interesting topic, the problem is that no one remembers the stuff that went our way in terms of officiating. Heck look at two of the posts that were made right away, 2 of Josh's 3 examples were not blown calls in our favor, only #3 applies to this question. And Husker gave examples on how we were screwed in those Purdue games, not the other way around.

For my part I can't come up with specifics but I can recall times where a blatant hold by one of our guys went uncalled and other things like that. There have also been turnovers from time to time that were not overturned on replay due mostly to not having a good camera angle where I remember feeling really fortunate.

But the nature of being a fan is the assumption that the refs hate your team and are out to screw you over any chance they get. You see it in youth sports all the way up to the pros. When calls go your way it gets ignored but as soon as one goes against you it becomes the end of the world for many fans.
 


Can't think of a particular play, but our D-Backs, God love them, seem to get away with a lot of contact down the field before the ball arrives. The Refs hardly ever call it, which is great, so staying aggressive is the right way to go.

However, after more than a few of those incompletes, the regulars in our Section, look at each other, smile and shake our heads. Opposing fans sitting in the "always for sale" seats, never seem to share our relieved amusement. :eek:
 

Not that there haven't been any calls that went the Gophers way just can' t think of any that really stick out.

If you follow along during the in game threads during football or basketball you would think every call against the Gophers is the refs out to screw the team over.
 

Board favorite DCT "catching" a long pass down the middle against Iowa (I think). It was obvious live and on replay that he trapped it, but they let the catch stand somehow.
 

I don't ever remember any kind of blatant blown call in the Gophers favor that was significant in a game. Sure, some holds which weren't called and things like that, but nothing that stands out as important. It's easy to come up with a list of calls at important moments where we got screwed - yes, it's obvious that Gopher fans would have much better memories for that kind of thing, but even being objective about it, we've been screwed by officials far more often than we've been helped by them and at more important game moments. And I don't think saying that means I'm a blinded homer - I fully believe it's 100% true. It's not because there's a conspiracy against us, but it's a combination of officials having built-in bias in favor of more prestigious programs and coaches and just plain old bad luck. The two infamous pass interference calls vs. Penn State that definitely cost us one game and probably cost us a second are good examples of that "give the better team/coach the benefit of the doubt" issue.

In fact, I tried to think of any times in my life that I remember one of my teams getting a bad call in their favor that really could have made a big difference and I only came up with a few. In game 7 of the '87 World Series, the Twins picked off a runner and had him in a rundown. He clearly got back to the base safely when Viola did an awful job of trying to tag him but he was called out. In the '91 World Series, there's the infamous Kent Hrbek tag of Ron Gant. And in the early 80's, I remember a Vikings game against the Chargers where the Vikings were down by one point and had to go for an onside kick. They did recover it and kicked a game winning field goal, but a Viking batted the ball forward at one point during the onside kick and that's not legal.
 



The only one from this season I can remember is from Purdue when Danny Anthrop laid out Cedric. I don't remember what the call was, unnecessary roughness maybe? I remember thinking to myself I would be livid if I was a Purdue fan.
 

This past season against Nebraska (I think) Leidner probably should have fumbled but a very quick whistle saved us. Even with the timing of the whistle, it was basically a toss-up. But, yeah, we are screwed much more often than we benefit from bad calls...I almost broke the TV when we had a TD negated against NW in 2013 for a WR pick. It was a great play...luckily Damian Wilson scored a couple plays later to make it moot.
 

die hard gopher said:
The only one from this season I can remember is from Purdue when Danny Anthrop laid out Cedric. I don't remember what the call was, unnecessary roughness maybe? I remember thinking to myself I would be livid if I was a Purdue fan.
Click to expand...

Not to mention on the same play Derrick Wells came off the bench and started some pushing and shoving. The call went 15 yards to the good when it probably should have gone 15 against the Gophers.
 




The only thing that comes to mind is when Delany came up with the moronic Leaders (mostly east) and Legends (mostly west) divisions and stuck the skunks in the former and us in the latter.
 

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