Morgan "Fake" Slide

[noamfromm]

Did anyone agree with the broadcasters take that Morgan looked like he was giving himself up on one of his scrambles?

 

[CoachBrewMotivator]

Looked like a hard cut to me

 

[MaxyJR1]

Gray area. I don't think that was his intention.

 

[Gophers1992]

Hard to tell because TM is not the most fluid runner. It does seem like the defender may have let up because of fear of a penalty, but impossible to know really.

 

[RememberMurray]

At worst, it looked like he was going to make a cut, then briefly thought about sliding, then just kept going.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

I thought it was a cutback.

 

[Schnauzer]

I think it could have been called. I called it out literally in real time with the people I was watching the game with. I felt it was fortunate it wasn't called.

But regardless, if it was a missed call, it wasn't nearly as bad as the "illegal hands to the face" that was not only called on the wrong player, but actually on the entirely wrong TEAM.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I actually agree with the announcers. It's the tough thing about that rule in general because it's so hard to tell. I do believe the Michigan State defender thought Morgan was sliding. I don't think Morgan was trying to be deceptive, but I think he was going to slide and changed his mind but we're not talking about Lamar Jackson here so it's impossible to say that with much certainty. That's why the rule is really tough to enforce.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

I think we got away with one there to be honest.

 

[RogueGopher]

It didn't seem to me like he fully dropped his hips. The rule is once the hips drop, he's down. Seemed more like a cut to the side.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I think it could have been called. I called it out literally in real time with the people I was watching the game with. I felt it was fortunate it wasn't called.

But regardless, if it was a missed call, it wasn't nearly as bad as the "illegal hands to the face" that was not only called on the wrong player, but actually on the entirely wrong TEAM.

On the hands to the face thing there was video posted in another thread that shows Brockington get his hands in the face of the MSU player at the very end of the play which might have led to the mixup, but that was a blown call to be sure because the MSU guy had his hands in Brockington's face during the play in a far worse way.

As for Morgan....watching it live I can see where for the briefest moment it looked like he might slide but I don't think it was enough of a fake to warrant a penalty for a fake slide. The protection the QB gets probably played in our favor on that one.

 

[Governor Sibley]

MSU defender absolutely pulled up.

 

[Word]

I think it could have been called. I called it out literally in real time with the people I was watching the game with. I felt it was fortunate it wasn't called.

But regardless, if it was a missed call, it wasn't nearly as bad as the "illegal hands to the face" that was not only called on the wrong player, but actually on the entirely wrong TEAM.

I have watched that run a bunch of times and if it was going to be a slide, it would have been a VERY late slide. So I think you have to assume it was a cut.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

If you were going to fake a slide I think you'd do it differently.

It was more of a "move" that yeah involves some head / body movement.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

Did anyone agree with the broadcasters take that Morgan looked like he was giving himself up on one of his scrambles?

The announcers said the defender thought that. I don’t think he said Morgan faked a slide

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

The announcers said the defender thought that. I don’t think he said Morgan faked a slide

They didn't say it outright but when they looked at it later they seemed to think there was an argument to be made that he was faking it ..

 

[noamfromm]

Here it is frame by frame. The first frame I think you could think he might have started a slide -- the last frame clearly looks like he's bracing for contact/ the DB is not letting up. It's even more gray for me after looking through the stills

 

[1983]

Gray area. I don't think that was his intention.

The view on the BIG show is pretty clear, the brace and all made him stumble a bit. He intended to cut in but his brace prevents that.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

It didn't seem to me like he fully dropped his hips. The rule is once the hips drop, he's down. Seemed more like a cut to the side.

I thought it was more Morgan bracing for impact for a split second, and then realizing he could cut left and gain more yards.

I give it maybe 80-20; 80% would agree with a no-call, but there's 20% that may have called it, and I don't know it would have been a terrible call going that way either.

But on the replay, I thought there was a strong case for arguing Morgan simply tensed up for a moment expecting to get whacked, and then made his cut.

 

[FredCoxRocks]

I think it could have been called. I called it out literally in real time with the people I was watching the game with. I felt it was fortunate it wasn't called.

But regardless, if it was a missed call, it wasn't nearly as bad as the "illegal hands to the face" that was not only called on the wrong player, but actually on the entirely wrong TEAM.

Same here. It was not as obvious as Kenny Pickett's fake slide last year but I thought the refs were going to call it, if anything to enforce the new rule, and I would have gone along with the call.
But, hey...I'm like you, I'm good with the non-call.

 

[Section 100]

If an opposing QB made the exact same move, would you be asking for a flag?

 

[upnorthkid]

thought it was a cut from a guy who's not the world's most agile athlete, both in real time and rewatching now

 

[highwayman]

Did anyone agree with the broadcasters take that Morgan looked like he was giving himself up on one of his scrambles?

Nope, made a football move.

 

[salzie]

I think it was more indecisive/less graceful move than a fake a slide

given the rule, it could've been called he was down.

 

[Swaggerson]

Did anyone agree with the broadcasters take that Morgan looked like he was giving himself up on one of his scrambles?

Should have been a flag.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Should have been a flag.

My college coach always said the breaks always even themselves out. The blown call on the personal foul/facemask penalty involving the two #0's (Brockington got screwed) was more egregious, not even really close

 

[MNVCGUY]

If an opposing QB made the exact same move, would you be asking for a flag?

I would have done the same thing I did when Morgan did it....I would have thought maybe a flag could have been thrown but would have been fine with no flag because it was not an obvious fake out on his part.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Should have been a flag.

It's not a penalty, the ball is down where hi lowered his hips.

I think on that play Turner could have challenged the spot.

 

[WAGopher]

When I first saw the play in real time I just thought Tanner was avoiding the hit, and then was able to keep going. After watching the replay, I still think that was the case, but it did look like the MSU player pulled up a bit.