Sparty...Badger Game Thread

[Breakin' The Plane]

It was a nice return by Martin. Gopher fans know that guy is capable of big plays. I got the feeling that Wisconsin wasn't even really trying after the kick, even though I'm sure that most of the players on the field had no idea that a penalty was called. Martin knew it though. You could see when his teammates came over to congratulate him that he just shook his head and pointed to the flag in the middle of the field.

 

[Unregistered User]

Wow, this reminds me of the Iowa fans claiming Gray's football never broke the plane.

Not really. The Iowa fans complaining about that did not understand the rules, and what constitutes "the plane". That play was called correctly, according to the rules.

This call was not called in accordance of the rules. The player who was flagged was blocked into the punter. He would not have hit him, at the path he was travelling unless his path was altered, which it was.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Lewis was barely touched on his way by the Wisconsin guys and if you look at his path he was headed right to the area where the punter was kicking from. Had he only hit the kicking leg it would probably have been a no call but he gets into Nortman's other leg and that is why the flag was thrown. Did Nortman sell it, yep, but it was the right call. Shame to see what was a pretty decent game end that way but for as much as I hate the fact it benefited Wisconsin it was the right call.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Therefore it was not running into the kicker. In fact, you could make an argument that the kicker should have been given a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his sell job. Screw the Badgers.

All you have to do is read number 8. When in doubt, it is running into the kicker. No one got screwed on that play. The player made a stupid play.

By the way, the officials never should have let the onside kick against Iowa go without a flag. The Gophers blocked Iowa players before the ball went 10 yards. (NEW RULE THIS YEAR) The officials were all down graded for blown call. We can all look through our maroon and gold glasses and accept that gift though.

At the end of the day it is judgement and there are nearly 200 judgement calls in each game. Was it roughing or running into? Did the player flop? Was the player touched or blocked? They get blown in both teams favor. How about the missed false start on the LT of MSU when he stood up and put his hand on the guard before the ball was even snapped?

 

[matt]

All you have to do is read number 8. When in doubt, it is running into the kicker. No one got screwed on that play. The player made a stupid play.

Wrong. Number 8 says that when you aren't sure if its running or roughing the kicker it is roughing the kicker.

 

[50PoundHead]

As per the running into the kicker call, I've seen less contact called and more contact ignored. Judgment call. Frankly surprised the ref threw the flag, but he didn't pull it out of his butt. Not a bad call. Terrible play by the MSU guy to go for the block.

I also agree that the Badgers seemed to put in the clutch a bit on the return.

Great college football game. Can't say much other than that. These two teams have played two really good games against each other and either game could have gone either way.

 

[TLHGO4]

That was more like an ending you'd expect to see in professional wrestling. I hope MSU and Becky play each other next year during the regular season. Their games are becoming classics.

 

[JohnnyL]

Michigan St. and Wisconsin both lose their starting quarterbacks. I don't think either team will be as good next year.

 

[TAW]

They didn't call roughing they called running into the kicker and it was 100% the right call. That kid needs to be smart enough in that situation not to hit the kicker because he flat out cost his team the Rose Bowl with the return that Martin had on the punt.

Don't know if this showed on television but most of the Badger players stopped pursuing when the flags came out because the foul was so blatant (this is stupid playing, what if the flags were picked up?). Martin would have had a good return - MSU did almost all night - but he wouldn't have gone as far as he did. FWIW - I developed a lot of respect for the MSU team yesterday and the fans I ran into were nice, too. For whatever reason, I thought they would all be like some of the more nutso posters on RCMB!

 

[Word]

Don't know if this showed on television but most of the Badger players stopped pursuing when the flags came out because the foul was so blatant (this is stupid playing, what if the flags were picked up?). Martin would have had a good return - MSU did almost all night - but he wouldn't have gone as far as he did. FWIW - I developed a lot of respect for the MSU team yesterday and the fans I ran into were nice, too. For whatever reason, I thought they would all be like some of the more nutso posters on RCMB!

I've watched the replay of that play over and over and a couple observations -
1) Nortman stayed in the air longer than necessary to regain balance so I think an argument can be made he had adequate time to regain balance.
2). His plant foot was not hit
3) Nortman flopped
4) I don't think the MSU player was really "blocked" into him - he got nicked on the way but that's about it.

I think the best call would have been running into the kicker and unsportsmanlike conduct on the punter for flopping, which I would assume would offset. Kind of like in hockey when there is a penalty for tripping and the offensive player gets the penalty for diving ("embellishment") like Robbie Earl was well known for.

 

[MNVCGUY]

The NCAA does need to look into more enforcement of the diving rule on kickers because Nortman certainly played up the contact in order to make sure he got the call. I still think it was the right call but his reaction was certainly over the top and you could see he knew it in the way he was celebrating with his teammates on the sideline with that goofy grin on his face. I guess most kickers were probably soccer players at one point or another so the diving gene is built into them.

 

[GO4INLALALAND]

I understand that there are a lot of badger haters, me included, but the refs got it right. If the gophers would have been punting in that situation I would have been furious had a flag not been thrown. It was the right call, asking for an unsportsmanlike in that situation is ridiculous. You would have to call that penalty every punt. Msu f-Ed up. end of story.

 

[GopherInPittsburgh]

I remember the 2009 Halloween game where Sparty made the same stupid mistake against us. It was roughing the kicker though. We kneeled it the next few plays and the game was over.

 

[dpodoll68]

You're wrong. They blew the call 100%. They're not allowed to say so on TV. That was not "running into the punter". Not at all.

False. It was absolutely running into the punter. Nortman sold the flop and made it look worse than it was, but he absolutely ran into the punter, without question.

 

[tap]

As per the running into the kicker call, I've seen less contact called and more contact ignored. Judgment call. Frankly surprised the ref threw the flag, but he didn't pull it out of his butt. Not a bad call. Terrible play by the MSU guy to go for the block.

I also agree that the Badgers seemed to put in the clutch a bit on the return.

Great college football game. Can't say much other than that. These two teams have played two really good games against each other and either game could have gone either way.

Not to disagree with you, but if the sconnie players are running down the field to cover the punt how can they know there is a flag other than crowd noise?

Remember the Coach Kill rule "Play to the whistle".

 

[50PoundHead]

Not to disagree with you, but if the sconnie players are running down the field to cover the punt how can they know there is a flag other than crowd noise?

Remember the Coach Kill rule "Play to the whistle".

You answered your own question. I only watched the play once, but it sure looked like the Badgers started to glide a bit.

 

[NewBerlinBucky]

I've watched the replay of that play over and over and a couple observations -
1) Nortman stayed in the air longer than necessary to regain balance so I think an argument can be made he had adequate time to regain balance.
2). His plant foot was not hit3) Nortman flopped
4) I don't think the MSU player was really "blocked" into him - he got nicked on the way but that's about it.

I think the best call would have been running into the kicker and unsportsmanlike conduct on the punter for flopping, which I would assume would offset. Kind of like in hockey when there is a penalty for tripping and the offensive player gets the penalty for diving ("embellishment") like Robbie Earl was well known for.

Non-plant foot = Running into the kicker, 5 yards and 1st down
Plant foot = Roughing the kicker, 15 yards and 1st down

Refs got it right, UW was fortunate that Dantonio went stupid for that one play.

 

[tap]

You answered your own question. I only watched the play once, but it sure looked like the Badgers started to glide a bit.

If that were the case, it is too bad that the flag wasn't for an illegal formation or some other penalty against sconnie. Wouldn't that have been GREAT?

 

[50PoundHead]

If that were the case, it is too bad that the flag wasn't for an illegal formation or some other penalty against sconnie. Wouldn't that have been GREAT?

It would have been good for a mighty laugh. I may be wrong about some of the Badgers putting in the clutch, but when the air goes out of a stadium like it did on that play, it may have affected some players subconsciously.

 

[Badger_inohiovalley]

Refs got it right, UW was fortunate that Dantonio went stupid for that one play.

The one part people aren't mentioning is that if Dantonio doesn't call for a block, Nortman has more time let guys get down field, more air under the ball, and a possible fair catch. I'd have to go back and look, but the majority of UW punts ended up in a fair catch. He returned only 1 of 5 punts not including the roughing punt.

UW was fortunate that they didn't fair catch and bring Cousins and crew out again.