Utah got screwed by the referees again

[Matthew Thomas Castleton]

Just saw a slow motion replay of Covey’s kick return and that was NOT a block in the back. Our guy DIDN’T EVEN TOUCH THE WSU GUY.  Simply a TERRIBLE call that would have won Utah the game. Unbelievably terrible. It seriously p**ses me off. Our guy actually realizes that if he were to block their guy that it would be a block in the back, so, he puts his hands up in the air specifically so he will NOT block their guy in the back and he STILL got called for it. That’s a major conspiracy right there. Just amazing how Utah constantly gets screwed by Pac-12 officiating. The really are corrupt against Utah. 

[Matthew Thomas Castleton]

It looks like a block in the back from the camera behind the play but if you look at the side angle you can CLEARLY see that Utah’s guy didn’t block their guy in the back. 

[EagleMountainUte]

The refs angle matters more and when you throw your hands up it is the sign they are looking for. 

[Utahute72]

So much for the “Every play is reviewed”, mantra.

[Matthew Thomas Castleton]

Am I the only one who thinks that it’s friggin ridiculous that they can’t review penalties? And that rule doesn’t even really apply because they actually CAN review penalties, namely, the targeting penalty. Why can’t they do this with other penalties? Especially when upon a simple review they’d see that the penalty they called CLEARLY wasn’t actually what they thought it was? I mean, I know next to nothing about the process that goes into being a college football referee, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that it’s pretty obvious that Utah’s player shouldn’t have been called for blocking in the back on that play because, well, HE DIDN’T FRIGGIN’ ACTUALLY BLOCK ANYBODY IN THE BACK. I remember a game between Miami and Duke a couple years ago where Miami won via running a kickoff back for a touchdown at the end of the game. In that instance, they actually reviewed whether or not any penalties should be have been called on the return, namely, if THERE WERE ANY BLOCKS IN THE BACK THAT SHOULD HAVE NEGATED THE PLAY. How in God’s name could they not have done this? Why exactly are penalties not reviewable? This is so friggin stupid and incredibly infuriating because it likely cost Utah the game. 

[EagleMountainUte]

I want less reviews personally I am so sick of them. It ruins the fan experience at the games. The reviews against Washington sucked. The fans would get loud and pumped only to be bored to death shortly after that. 

[Matthew Thomas Castleton]

So the fact that the Utah guy didn’t actually block anybody in the back doesn’t matter? Under that line of thinking, any referee could call a penalty on virtually every single play if they wanted to, regardless of whether or not a foul actually occurred simply because they “assumed” something happened. Why is the referee given that type of power? Aren’t the players supposed to determine the outcome of the game, not the refs? There needs to be a check on their power. A way to overrule them when they clearly call something incorrectly. Otherwise, the integrity and reality of what actually happens in the game no longer matters because a referee, whether they are neutral or not, simply can call some bogus penalty whenever they want to dramatically alter the course of events. It’s unfair to everybody involved. 

[EagleMountainUte]

Not defending the refs at all just saying that wherever they picked up the refs you can’t make it easy for them. A scoring play overturned does make you think you can blame the refs. Utah has had two tough weeks of s**tty officiating. Didn’t cost them the game though. Utah does it to themselves. 

[Tony (admin)]

Yeah he totally threw his hands up like “who me?”

[EagleMountainUte]

Hate to bring it up but the Pettis run back in 2015?

They just act like it was normal. I am not trying to defend PAC12 refs at all they stink we all know it. But throwing your hands up gets you every time. 

[Brichaute49]

So here’s my question…are they making the call because he threw his hands in the air or because they actually saw the infraction. I was a HS official for quite a few years and we weee always told you have to actually see the penalty, not just assume it. 

[EagleMountainUte]

In the PAC12??  I wanna say they look for the call but who knows. Just watch that Gustin dirty head shot to the Wazzu QB?  That is as clear a target I have seen even dating back like 20 years? You watch Fotu’s and I don’t see it. Blair? Yeah that is the new game stuff his head snapped back. 

Football is being ruined I don’t like it but would you want to be an official now days?

[Brichaute49]

Agreed. In my humble opinion the pac 12 are very subpar. Their entire system is very subpar. Especially as I watch crews from other P5 conferences. I take it all with a grain of salt and have grown to expect it. That being said…yes there have been very questionable calls or non calls but they really haven’t influenced the entire outcome of the game. We need to put ourselves in better positions to win and not play to lose. 

[EagleMountainUte]

I noticed Utah does that a lot this is related to coaching. I bet they watch film and punish you for a block in the back at Utah. Even if it isn’t called. So the obvious thing for a young brain?  Make it clear that you didn’t do it and throw your hands up. 

I have said this a lot but International Rugby fixes this type of crap. You review all scoring plays if it didn’t affect the outcome why are you penalizing the original great play? Football is just advertising and money gone haywire. I honestly feel like an Espn game has more reviews for commercials. I feel like the refs get giving quotas or something to make calls or review s**t. They even added the new illegal substitution review. Of all the plays I dont give a s**t about if they miss it is illegal substitution. Football is crossing into a realm now of don’t want to miss calls. You know as well as I do on any given offensive possession they could call a holding on a lineman. So we should review that? I like the idea of quickly confirming scoring plays but honestly every play you could throw a flag. 

[Brichaute49]

True that. 

[Matthew Thomas Castleton]

Here’s what i was referring to:

Covey’s Return

[Stone]

I was sitting just a few rows up from that spot, there was no block in the back. IMO, the ref threw the flag ONLY because the Utah player threw his hands up. The ref likely saw that as an admission of guilt and assumed the block in the back must have occurred.

[Matthew Thomas Castleton]

Hear hear 

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