 Fair Catch Should Be Reviewable
LOUISVILLE — University of Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe probably takes little solace from the Big East's acknowledgement that its officials blew a fair catch call in 21-17 loss at Connecticut — "You'd have to be blind not to see what we all saw", Kragthorpe said.
Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese called UofL athletic director Tom Jurich and told him the referees erred on UConn's controversial punt return for a touchdown early in the third quarter.
"It certainly doesn't change anything that happened," Kragthorpe said. "It was a factor in the game, but it wasn't the only factor in the game. It's over now and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to change it. You just move on and control the things you can control, and that's certainly not one of them."
UofL was leading 7-0 when Cory Goettsche punted. UConn's Larry Taylor camped under the ball and waved his right hand above his head, appearing to make a fair catch signal. The Cardinals slowed, thinking the play was over. But when Taylor caught the ball, back judge Mark McAnaney didn't blow his whistle to stop the play and Taylor began running to his left and raced untouched 74 yards up the sideline for a game-tying touchdown.
Kragthorpe protested, contending the play should have been blown dead when Taylor raised his arm. Kragthorpe called a timeout and asked the referee if the play could be reviewed, but fair catch signals aren't reviewable under the NCAA's instant replay policies.
"When he took off I was looking for the flag, thinking it was going to be a penalty on them for calling for a fair catch and then advancing the football," Kragthorpe said. "When that didn't happen, I didn't know what was going to happen next. It was very evident that our players stopped so we didn't receive a penalty because if we touch him in any way, shape or form we get a 15-yard penalty."
Tranghese told Jurich the officials had made a "terrible" mistake.
"The bad part is I can't change the call," Tranghese said Monday. "We are acknowledging that an error was made and (Tranghese) deemed it serious enough to warrant action," Big East spokesman John Paquette said in a statement. "We do not make (the action) public."
Paquette wouldn't say whether an individual or the entire crew would be reprimanded by the conference. It marked the second time in three years that UofL has been victimized by a key call that was later acknowledged as an officials' error by the conference. In 2005, a botched onside kick call was recovered by West Virginia and helped the Mountaineers rally for a 46-44 triple overtime win in Morgantown, W. Va. The loss that ultimately cost the Cards the Big East title and a trip to a Bowl Championship Series game.
Kragthorpe said true freshman Bilal Powell, who pulled up to avoid hitting Taylor, did exactly what he was supposed to do within the framework of the rules.
"I know he was very upset after the play thinking he did something wrong," Kragthorpe said of Powell. "Bilal did absolutely what he was told to do and what he should do in that situation, and what I expect him to do every time from here on out."
The Cards bounced back from the punt return to take a 17-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Huskies rallied for two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes to remain the Big East's only unbeaten team. Speaking on a media teleconference Sunday afternoon, UConn coach Randy Edsall refused to admit that Taylor had done anything wrong.
"I watched the film and I thought Larry did a nice job of catching the ball and I thought he did a great job of taking the ball down the sideline and playing until the whistle blows," Edsall said. "All I know is that Larry will give it his best effort and play until the whistle blows. Other than that, I really have no comment on it. I saw him do a job."
Kragthorpe said he'd like to see a fair catch become reviewable under the instant replay rules.
"I obviously think it should because it happened not only this game, but it happened in the game against Notre Dame and USC," Kragthorpe said. "Anytime there's a subjective part to the game it should have the chance to be reviewed."
Tranghese said conference officials might address the subject after the season.
"We don't want to paralyze the game, but that's such a simple, simple play. If they had gone up to the booth, they would have said he gave the signal. We want to get the play right." |
