Non-Call on Westerkamp

[84HuskerLaw]

I'm also confused as to the interpretation you are making Mav. Did he make contact and impede the path to the ball? I don't understand how Westerkamp slowing down makes any difference.

I think there was contact but not as much as it looks like from that angle. There can be contact but whether it's a foul depends on a lot of things.

I think Westy slowed down before there was contact but a lot of people seem to think it was the contact that slowed him down. That makes a lot of difference in whether the contact prevented him from getting to the pass.

As I said, the rule states it's the offense's job to avoid the defense. And it Westy slowed down on his own, I'm not sure he was going to catch that pass even if there wasn't any contact.

If it would have been called, I don't think anyone would have argued against it. Maybe it was. But I definitely don't think it was as obvious as some like to think. Especially without seeing it from a different angle. We saw one angle that was nowhere near what any of the refs would have seen. It also happened to be the worst angle to tell how much contact there was an who initiated it.

Agree that it would be helpful to see several other camera angles to better judge but this is a basic pass interfence in my judgment. The rule does say that the offensive player is responsible for avoiding the defender (this is basically the same thing as the 'charging foul' vs. blocking type rules in basketball. That is, the player has the right to stand his ground (in other words the player who gets there first has the legit claim to the spot. The defender can't run over the opponent nor can the offensive guy run over the defender. But, all passes are presumed 'catchable' unless is it clear and obvious. It is a judgment call of course but when the defender impedes the progress of the receiver then of course the pass can become uncatchable. If the defender gets in the way and the receiver has to slow down in an effort to avoid the defensive player, then it is pass interference. The benefit of the doubt goes to the receiver. In the end it is a common sense judgement call as to which player caused or created the conditions in which the receiver did not catch the pass. If the ball isnot within reach by a receiver that is not being impeded from getting to it, then it is not catchable and the interference won't be called. Here the ball appears to be well within the realm of 'catchable' for Westy if he was not impeded.

 

[VA Husker2]

Short of delay of game all calls are judgement calls and can be argued to death with no result

 

[klb835]

Play was so predictable they had 5 guys covering westerkamp. Try a different play maybe.

 

[ZRod]

Your math skills... they're lacking. Try another approach.

 

[BoNeyard]

If it was an act, great act and attempt to get the call for Westerkamp. That is a mature smart football player to try and get the call.

 

[GBRFAN]

Play was so predictable they had 5 guys covering westerkamp. Try a different play maybe.

Not bad two sentences and neither are correct.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 does not equal 1, 2, 5

Didn't matter what pass play we ran they were going to have guys sitting on Westerkamp. I guess we could have taken him out of the game so that they didn't triple cover him.

 

[GBRHouston]

Refs just sucked overall. Not a single after-the-snap penalty was called, when there were plenty committed by both teams. Our no-call just came at a more crucial time.

 

[NUance]

Refs just sucked overall. Not a single after-the-snap penalty was called, when there were plenty committed by both teams. Our no-call just came at a more crucial time.

Yeah, these refs failed to make a lot of calls. On both sides. All game long. But the no-call on the Westerkamp PI may have been the most blatant.

Just think how easy pass defense would be if all refs just let you send a LB or safety out to block the receiver and knock him down. The whole game of football, as we know it, would change.

 

[Mavric]

Mav

You are showing your true colors in this one. This thread is a disgrace.

You need to stop with this. Just because you refuse to say anything negative about anything doesn't mean that someone who does is anything other than a fan. I say plenty of positive things. You apparently ignore them. I'm no better or worse a fan than anyone else. I laid out a valid argument for why they might have called - or not called - it the way they did. If you have a counterargument, that's fine. But you usually don't. And just resorting to name-calling is trolling.

 

[Huskers19911]

I didn't see the call as wrong or correct. If we were on the other side, and a PI was called, I feel like many on here would have argued about the call and wanted it reversed. In this case, the call didn't go our way. As a coach, I never let my players blame refs for the outcome of the game (and most posters don't seem to be blaming the loss on the refs, but some are hinting at it).

Play through adversity, through refs, and play the game. We had chances to win, and some would argue we actually had more calls go our way than Wisconsin.

 

[suh_fan93]

Mav

You are showing your true colors in this one. This thread is a disgrace.

You need to stop with this. Just because you refuse to say anything negative about anything doesn't mean that someone who does is anything other than a fan. I say plenty of positive things. You apparently ignore them. I'm no better or worse a fan than anyone else. I laid out a valid argument for why they might have called - or not called - it the way they did. If you have a counterargument, that's fine. But you usually don't. And just resorting to name-calling is trolling.

He's done this to me as well. You're one of the fairest posters on here.

Just ignore him.

 

[HuskermanMike]

I didn't see the call as wrong or correct. If we were on the other side, and a PI was called, I feel like many on here would have argued about the call and wanted it reversed. In this case, the call didn't go our way. As a coach, I never let my players blame refs for the outcome of the game (and most posters don't seem to be blaming the loss on the refs, but some are hinting at it).

Play through adversity, through refs, and play the game. We had chances to win, and some would argue we actually had more calls go our way than Wisconsin.

Yea, I think we got away with a roughing the kicker, unless he flopped. The call didn't lose us the game, we could have easily called time out or tried to get a first down on the fourth down call. Proud of this team, OSU does not look to good with Tim Beck calling plays, Urban might take over if he doesn't perform well. Thought they would call it unless they thought Westy tripped or maybe they felt he flopped. Anyway we can and will get better, just need to be more consistent on offense and defensively do not allow back ups to run really well on our defense in the future.

 

[Mavric]

I didn't see the call as wrong or correct. If we were on the other side, and a PI was called, I feel like many on here would have argued about the call and wanted it reversed. In this case, the call didn't go our way. As a coach, I never let my players blame refs for the outcome of the game (and most posters don't seem to be blaming the loss on the refs, but some are hinting at it).

Play through adversity, through refs, and play the game. We had chances to win, and some would argue we actually had more calls go our way than Wisconsin.

I think that's a lot of it. It's one of those plays that's close enough it could go either way. Probably gets called a lot. Doesn't get called some times. If it goes your way, you think it's the right call. If it goes against you, you tend to think you got screwed.

Watching it a few more times and really slowing it down. I think Westy slowed down to try to cut underneath Watt. But they clipped knees as Westy cut made his move and that's what tripped him up. You can tell by the way Westy fell that there wasn't much contact in the chest/shoulder area. If that would have been the case, Westy would have been knocked back. Instead Westy's torso keeps going forward but his legs kick out from under him. Officials are also more inclined to let leg contact go as incidental. I think that combined with the pass not being really close led them to pass on the call. Again, I'm not saying that is right. Just that I think an argument can be made for why they did what they did.

The real shame is that TA won't check to a second option. He double-clutches as he sees Watt dropping into that zone but still tries to fire it in there. Had he come to the near side, it would have been an easy throw to Reilly who had a smaller defender posted up on a curl route.

 

[Elf]

It's literally the definition of a PI.

Here. Westy quit on the play. Complaining about the officials on one play is the epitome of bad sportsmanship in my book. thanks for playing. By the way, we lost.

You're right! I totally said we lost because of one call! Jesus dude. Pull your head out.

My head is out. Yours, on the other hand... Let it go. this isn't our year. We have been exposed and as our schedule gets serious...well, that will work itself out. I hate ref smack. Plain and simple. That goes both ways. Makes us look cheap and stupid. get over it.

No one is talking smack about the refs. People are simply discussing whether or not this particular call was right. Its what fans do after games, we dissect every little thing and discuss it ad nauseum until someone brings up Bo, Frank or Bill.

 

[GBRFAN]

I didn't see the call as wrong or correct. If we were on the other side, and a PI was called, I feel like many on here would have argued about the call and wanted it reversed. In this case, the call didn't go our way. As a coach, I never let my players blame refs for the outcome of the game (and most posters don't seem to be blaming the loss on the refs, but some are hinting at it).

Play through adversity, through refs, and play the game. We had chances to win, and some would argue we actually had more calls go our way than Wisconsin.

I think that's a lot of it. It's one of those plays that's close enough it could go either way. Probably gets called a lot. Doesn't get called some times. If it goes your way, you think it's the right call. If it goes against you, you tend to think you got screwed.

Watching it a few more times and really slowing it down. I think Westy slowed down to try to cut underneath Watt. But they clipped knees as Westy cut made his move and that's what tripped him up. You can tell by the way Westy fell that there wasn't much contact in the chest/shoulder area. If that would have been the case, Westy would have been knocked back. Instead Westy's torso keeps going forward but his legs kick out from under him. Officials are also more inclined to let leg contact go as incidental. I think that combined with the pass not being really close led them to pass on the call. Again, I'm not saying that is right. Just that I think an argument can be made for why they did what they did.

The real shame is that TA won't check to a second option. He double-clutches as he sees Watt dropping into that zone but still tries to fire it in there. Had he come to the near side, it would have been an easy throw to Reilly who had a smaller defender posted up on a curl route.

True statement - TA has done a lot of good for this team, however it would be great to see him check down in a few more cases. There were a couple times that Westy came off the sideline complaining to the staff and i'm sure it had to do with balls that should have been checked down to him or somebody else that was open. The guys on the other half of the field are hard to see, however when the second receiver or RB is less then 10 yards away it should be a simple adjustment.