Neb vs Tech - Help Me Understand these THREE PLAYS!

by mccauley24 on Oct 13, 2008 9:40 AM CDT

I agree with everyone this morning and all weekend, Tech played very poorly, especially on defense. I was in attendance at the game and may never have been so frustrated, we could not stop the Huskers and they continued to get 4-5 yard plays each and every time leading to 7-8 minute drives. SO FRUSTRATING. So the defense let us down, but hey, that is a totally different subject. I need your help evalutating these THREE plays that changed I feel changed the game.

PLAY #1 - This was the play (or penalty to be more specific) that I felt changed it all. It was 2nd down and McKinner Dixon sacked Ganz. This sack would have lead to a 3rd down and VERY LONG, instead the referee called roughing the passer on a sack????? Can anyone further explain this call? Did McKinner do something extra besides bring Ganz down? I felt STRONGLY that this penalty changed the game. Nebraska went on to score and then ultimately ended up tieing the game. I also need to comment that I feel McKinner Dixon was unbelievable in pressuring the QB. He was everywhere and had his best game of the year!

PLAY #2 - THE FAKE FIELD GOAL. What are we thinking? What are we doing? Shoot me! This made me very upset as a fan in the seats. Here I am thinking in my head, "Good, Nebraska is kicking the field goal! It will still be a 2-score game! Just as long as we are prepared for the fake, LET THEM HAVE THE THREE POINTS!" And then, like a KICK IN THE TEETH, THEY RUN A SUCCESSFUL FAKE? HOW CAN THIS BE? HOW CAN WE NOT BE PREPARED FOR THIS PLAY? Please help me understand.

Play #3 - Don't get me wrong, I am probably the biggest Tech fan you will ever find. So much, that when Tech does lose, my wife pretty much leaves me alone for the weekend. Maybe I should grow up, but for this next play it was 4th and 4 late in the game. The game was tied and Tech lines up to go for it. Then Graham does the hard count. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE SEEN THIS OVER THE YEARS? A Tech QB lines up, does a hard count and when no one jumps, Tech calls time out and punts. Well, here was a bazaar play. I saw Nebraska jump, BUT it wasn't enough to get the offsides penalty, however the ball was snapped. I remember seeing everyone in SLOW MOTION thinking we are screwed..... Even the RB (I think it was Batch) looked like he wasn't even sure what route to run to get open. Then, Harrell finds Crabtree wide open in blown covereage. Unbelievable! Truly, unbelievable! Here is my question, was I seeing this correctly? Was this going to be the typical hard count then time out call or was this play designed? I think we GOT VERY LUCKY here.

I would love to see some feedback here. Am I on the right page? Of all the above plays, I am most disappointed in Tech NOT BEING PREPARED for the fake field goal. Let me know your thoughts...

Go Red Raiders!

Brian

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Double-T Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Double-T Nation's writers or editors.

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I was

at the game too and agree with what you said. The penalty on Dixon was complete bs. The fake field goal was even worse imo. I was sitting in the student section (I’m a current student), and when they faked the field goal and we stopped them on the one yard line I started cheering. I thought it was 4th and goal and we had stopped them. When I realized it wasn’t 4th and goal and they actually got a first down, I 1) felt stupid, and 2) was mad the fake worked and we were so unprepared for it. My 2 cents

Being an accountant and famous don't go together. If you're a famous accountant, you probably did something wrong.

by Boarder on Oct 13, 2008 10:15 AM CDT reply actions

commenting on the Fake FG.....

i totally understand your frustration…. I live here in San Antonio and even saw this coming. What was Mcneill and Leach thinking? Anybody could have easily seen that coming. Bo knew just as well as anyone, that once Tech got the ball, they would most definantly put it away. Down 24-13 would have kept this game out of reach… Tech making it down the field and making it 31-13, all momentum going towards the Raiders. They were the underdog anyhow, so take the chance right Long and behold, it worked. I still believe this would have been a game Tech would have lost in seasons past. The Defense will vastly improve. The improved after last seasons loss against Mizzou…. the offense turned it over 4 times in that CU game, but the D kept CU from running away with it. After the UT game, the D dominated against OU the following week. After the EWU game, the D was outstanding against Nevada. Every bad outting for the Tech D has shown better performance the following week.

by txt3ch6uy on Oct 13, 2008 10:21 AM CDT reply actions

D Improvement the following week

I agree the D usually bounces back after a tough game. I absolutely do not want to lose to A&M, I think we will dominate next week but I worry that our rebound will help us kill A&M but fizzle when we play Kansas. Kansas is the start of our test this season and will decide whether Tech rises to the upper ranks or fall and have everyone around us say “told you so”.

Being an accountant and famous don't go together. If you're a famous accountant, you probably did something wrong.

by Boarder on Oct 13, 2008 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Still undefeated

I didn’t think the penalty was on Dixon, but on another Tech player that fell towards Ganz but not on him. A horrible call for sure. The fake field goal was very disappointing. The receiver should have been covered like a blanket. Why not try to get a cheap off side penalty on a hard count? Harrell and Crabtree pulled Tech’s backside out of the fire on that one! Everyone in the stands around me had their heart stop when the extra point failed in OT and went bezerk when Wall intercepted. Kansas will pick Tech apart if the defense plays soft like they did in this game. Kansas is very good in the short to mid range passing game. I think Tech will win in Lawrence because the defense will play better.

by faunchin on Oct 13, 2008 11:01 AM CDT reply actions

Bogus Penalty

The roughing penalty was on Williams, I think. They called an elbow to the head, but all he did was put his hand on the QB’s chest. It was a bad call, but I’ve seen worse. What made it a horrible call was that it almost changed the outcome of the game.

As for the fake field goal. That play pretty much sums up our special teams play for the year. Simply, a joke.

The 4th down play was not supposed to happen, but thankfully it did.

by SemiWorldFamous on Oct 13, 2008 12:48 PM CDT reply actions

field goal

that was a very, very well designed fake field goal try. We were playing a safe-man on the field goal it seemed. the two neb right ends ran hard left taking the linebacker and safety on that side with them. The other eligible receiver on the left side ran hard across the field behind the line and the man who was supposed to cover got picked somewhere along the way. (or the zone missed him).

there is talk that the play was illegal because the kicker followed through with his kicking motion, faking that a kick was actually made, but i can’t find anywhere in the rulebook that states that that is illegal.

by kayakyakr on Oct 13, 2008 1:11 PM CDT reply actions

Three Plays

Im with you all. I think the penalty was BS. Thank God for Crabtree running the route and the corner just letting him run by. But the bonehead play of the day was not being prepared for the fake fieldgoal. When the right end #80 lined up I told my wife they were going to fake it. Hell yes let them have 3 points, we will swap 3 for 6 anyday. Pellini knew he had to do something or the game was likely over. I just wish we would think a little farther ahead than we do. GO TECH—BUST AN AGGIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by RaiderDoc on Oct 13, 2008 2:29 PM CDT reply actions

About the FG...

i can not believe Tech did not see that coming, do they not remember the UT game from last year? they did the same thing, with the same results, a first down. In an obvious fake kick situation like that, the Tech coaching staff needs to come up with a better formation to cover it… seriously… we could have stopped them easily, and ran away with the game

It wasn’t dixon who got that penalty for roughing the passer, someone fell on Ganz… how youre supposed to stop yourself in mid-fall i have no idea, it was accidental, and BS.

But when i read this article i thought you were going to list the 3 plays that Nebraska used throughout the entire game. Why our defense couldn’t stop them, on such obvious screen passes, and runs up the middle i have no idea. they had a great game plan against Tech though. I just hope that Tech takes this game a a learning experience, and uses it to their advantage for the rest of the season.

by RedRaider621 on Oct 13, 2008 3:40 PM CDT reply actions

Bad call

The roughing call was terrible. On the fake the tv anouncers said the holder should have been called down because his knee was on the ground- is this right? Anyway the D had better get it together or it will be a tough stretch when they go to Kansas and finish with OU- KU, UT, OSU, ad OU will destroy them if they don’t.

by twobuffs on Oct 13, 2008 9:07 PM CDT reply actions

No

In college football, there is an exception to the knee being down rule. It applies only on PATs and field goal attempts. The rule is there specifically to allow the kicking team to disguise a fake attempt.

by Tech92 on Oct 14, 2008 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions