Why isn't anyone talking about the do-over?

[NUance]

Everyone is up in arms about Tommy's incomplete pass on 3rd down. Why isn't anyone talking about the do-over the refs gave Illinois with about 46 seconds left?

Illinois ball, their last drive:

• 1-10 I27 ILLINOIS drive start at 00:51 on ILL28. LINK
• 1-10 I28 Lunt,Wes pass complete to Mays,Sam for 15 yards to the ILL43, 1ST DOWN ILL.
• < 1-10 I43 Lunt,Wes pass incomplete; THIS PLAY HAPPENED BUT ISN'T IN THE OFFICIAL STATS>
• Previous play is under review. Previous play reviewed and stands as called.
• 1-10 I43 Lunt,Wes pass complete to Turner,Malik for 50 yards to the NEB7, 1ST DOWN ILL.

On the first play of the drive Illinois completed a pass near the sidelines. It was close, but nobody called for a review. Then Illinois ran another play, an incomplete pass. AFTER THAT PLAY we hear that the Booth had called for a review of the first completion--supposedly shortly before the play started. WTF? If it was a booth review the refs should have whistled the previous play dead right away. You can't run the whole play, end up with an incompletion, and then say you're negating the incompletion and going to review the play before the incompletion.

The do-over put time back on the clock and gave them another first down try at pushing the ball down the field after their incompletion. But most importantly it effectively gave Illinois a timeout to plan their next plays down the field.

==========================================

Why? The short answer is this: The refs in this game sucked.

I'm not saying that the refs cost us this game. No, we shot ourselves in the foot on this one. But the referee incompetence didn't help us out any, that for sure.

[QMany]

It was dumbfounding, I agree. Just terrible officiating.

 

That being said, we also had a "timeout" to set up our defense and not give up a 50-yard completion.

[default_28]

The turnover on downs for Illinois in the third quarter, where the Illini went for it on fourth down because the down marker said third, is far worse officiating than the last drive. Having a play not count because the refs didn't stop play fast enough for a review is not uncommon, and if Illinois had completed a long pass on that non play, they would be calling foul when it didn't count.

[DomiNUs]

Everyone is up in arms about Tommy's incomplete pass on 3rd down. Why isn't anyone talking about the do-over the refs gave Illinois with about 46 seconds left?

 

Illinois ball, their last drive:

• 1-10 I27 ILLINOIS drive start at 00:51 on ILL28. LINK
• 1-10 I28 Lunt,Wes pass complete to Mays,Sam for 15 yards to the ILL43, 1ST DOWN ILL.
• < 1-10 I43 Lunt,Wes pass incomplete; THIS PLAY HAPPENED BUT ISN'T IN THE OFFICIAL STATS>
• Previous play is under review. Previous play reviewed and stands as called.
• 1-10 I43 Lunt,Wes pass complete to Turner,Malik for 50 yards to the NEB7, 1ST DOWN ILL.

On the first play of the drive Illinois completed a pass near the sidelines. It was close, but nobody called for a review. Then Illinois ran another play, an incomplete pass. AFTER THAT PLAY we hear that the Booth had called for a review--supposedly shortly before the play started. WTF? If it was a booth review the refs should have whistled the previous play dead right away. You can't run the whole play, end up with an incompletion, and then say you're negating the incompletion and going to review the play before the incompletion.

 

The do-over put time back on the clock and gave them another first down try at pushing the ball down the field after their incompletion. But most importantly it effectively gave Illinois a timeout to plan their next plays down the field.

 

==========================================

 

Why? The short answer is this: The refs in this game sucked.

 

I'm not saying that the refs cost us this game. No, we shot ourselves in the foot on this one. But the referee incompetence didn't help us out any, that for sure.

 

I had noticed this too. Honestly, at this point in the game I knew we were going to lose, and this happening to us just seemed par for the course. Just like later in the drive when they had seven tries to knock it in from the goal line. Everything in the last minute and a half of that game went terribly wrong for us.

[NUance]

It was dumbfounding, I agree. Just terrible officiating.

 

That being said, we also had a "timeout" to set up our defense and not give up a 50-yard completion.

That wasn't the only one. What about when the refs got the downs confused and almost gave Illinois a 5th down? It took them about five minutes to sort that one out. Maybe longer.

 

Or what about the pass interference calls right at the end there? In almost every game I've seen the refs let the players get away with more right at the end, instead of getting more nit-picky with their calls. Most refs don't want the game to be decided on a close penalty. I haven't seen the replay yet, and I couldn't tell how flagrant it was from where I was sitting. But I think those two pass interference calls with only a few seconds left on the clock were the first ones called in the game.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

The officiating all around sucked. If the replay officials wanted to review that catch, they should have buzzed the refs much, much quicker and not after a second play had occurred. They really need to change the rules to allow for replay officials to decide whether or not they want to review a play. Either buzz the refs immediately before the offense can get themselves set and snap the ball in a hurry-up offense, or stop the hurry-up offense techniques which I don't see happening. Or, accept the fact they won't get a chance to review the play and press on with the game

[Blackshirt39]

At least they knew what down it was then.

[NUance]

The turnover on downs for Illinois in the third quarter, where the Illini went for it on fourth down because the down marker said third, is far worse officiating than the last drive. Having a play not count because the refs didn't stop play fast enough for a review is not uncommon, and if Illinois had completed a long pass on that non play, they would be calling foul when it didn't count.

 

I know this sounds weird, but that actually helped them out. A lot. Before that play Illinois was dead in the water. Their players were just mailing in it--the game was already lost. After the call that gave us the ball (which was the correct call, btw) the Illinois sideline erupted. They got totally fired up, and the players on the field responded. On our 1st down Tommy almost got sacked. Incomplete. The NU 2nd down ended up in a two yard loss. On 3rd down their guys were jumping around totally fired up and our O-line false started. On 3rd and 17 Tommy threw a pick.

 

That weird call with the wrong down marker showing totally fired Illinois up.

[default_28]

 

The turnover on downs for Illinois in the third quarter, where the Illini went for it on fourth down because the down marker said third, is far worse officiating than the last drive. Having a play not count because the refs didn't stop play fast enough for a review is not uncommon, and if Illinois had completed a long pass on that non play, they would be calling foul when it didn't count.

 

I know this sounds weird, but that actually helped them out. A lot. Before that play Illinois was dead in the water. Their players were just mailing in it--the game was already lost. After the call that gave us the ball (which was the correct call, btw) the Illinois sideline erupted. They got totally fired up, and the players on the field responded. On our 1st down Tommy almost got sacked. Incomplete. The NU 2nd down ended up in a two yard loss. On 3rd down their guys were jumping around totally fired up and our O-line false started. On 3rd and 17 Tommy threw a pick.

 

That weird call with the wrong down marker showing totally fired Illinois up.

I agree it helped them, and I agree it was the correct call. All I'm saying is that it's worse officiating. The more I think about it, should they have replayed fourth down and let Illinois punt? Maybe not, it's as much the responsibility of the coaches to keep track of game situations as it is the chain gang, but can you imagine if Cubit had punted when if said third down when he knew it was actually fourth? People would lose their minds. The down marker needs to get that right.

[NebraskaShellback]

[Redux]

There was so much fail the officials committed, it was hard to keep track.

[admo]

NUance, they put .10 back on the clock, re-spotted the ball, and gave them a do-over. I don't believe I have ever seen a play reviewed after the next play was fully completed. I have never seen that before. Why? They could have scored a touchdown on the next play, and would the refs have wiped it out to review the play before the score? Respot ball? Take points off the board and upset the home crowd? For a review of a play that happened before the TD? Or what if there was a turnover. Same thing. Man, something was fishy. If not, there's a first for everything I guess.

 

Now I have seen a play begin and somewhere during the play the whistles blow and play stops. This was a play that got completed without interruption. Then they reviewed it.

[Stumpy1]

It was dumbfounding, I agree. Just terrible officiating.

 

That being said, we also had a "timeout" to set up our defense and not give up a 50-yard completion.

I'm sorry but the players knew that Illinois was going to have to go deep. They have been playing the game long enough to know that. Gerry messed up on his assignment and it resulted in a long pass.

[Jeremy]

Answer to the OP if it already hasn't been: They stopped that play before the snap to review the previous one. The players didn't know and it looked like a normal play, but it was really a dead ball.

[NUance]

NUance, they put .10 back on the clock, re-spotted the ball, and gave them a do-over. I don't believe I have ever seen a play reviewed after the next play was fully completed. I have never seen that before. Why? They could have scored a touchdown on the next play, and would the refs have wiped it out to review the play before the score? Respot ball? Take points off the board and upset the home crowd? For a review of a play that happened before the TD? Or what if there was a turnover. Same thing. Man, something was fishy. If not, there's a first for everything I guess.

 

Now I have seen a play begin and somewhere during the play the whistles blow and play stops. This was a play that got completed without interruption. Then they reviewed it.

 

 

Answer to the OP if it already hasn't been: They stopped that play before the snap to review the previous one. The players didn't know and it looked like a normal play, but it was really a dead ball.

 

But did they, Jeremy? I was at the game and didn't hear any whistle. Didn't see any flag. And the refs didn't stop play--you know, whistle that next play dead before it was done. I'm with Admo above. I've never seen a case where they let the next full play go by before stopping play to review the previous one. It was an incompletion. So it wasn't a huge deal to negate that play. (Other than giving them a 1st down do-over, an extra timeout (effectively), and a few extra seconds .) But what if it had been a touchdown, as Admo said. Would they have negated that too? If it was an interception would they give the ball back to Illinois?

 

I'd be willing to bet that there's some referee guideline specifying that if the next play starts it's too late to go back and review the previous one. That was my point in teh OP. It was just an odd play by an incompetent group of refs.