The spot
- Thread starter TIGER-PAUL
- Start date
Hard to say. Ball placement can always be a bit of guess. The play that really hurt Pitt was the 2nd down play right before that. 2nd and 8. QB motley picked up 6+ on a basic, simple inside QB keeper. That set up the 3rd and short.
Like they say, it's a game of inches. Pitt games this year have almost all come right down to the wire. So things like that get magnified.
The spot appeared 1-2 further down field based upon the replay showing the runner's helmet barely made the yard to gain.
The Webb missed INT, if caught, would have allowed him to get down 2-3 strides before stepping out of bounds.
The Webb missed INT, if caught, would have allowed him to get down 2-3 strides before stepping out of bounds.
I think the spot was good and I don't even think it was that close. Blowing the final timeout on that challenge cost the opportunity to get the ball again, even though we would have probably had under 30 seconds.
Webb's missed INT happened right in front of my seat. Should have had the pick, no doubt...he knew it.
Webb's missed INT happened right in front of my seat. Should have had the pick, no doubt...he knew it.
How do you figure that challenging the spot cost them the opportunity to get the ball back? I was listening. Did he go out of bounds on that play? Otherwise, Pitt was going to have to call a time out to stop the clock anyhow. So why not challenge it. Also, if there was any doubt about the spot, you have to challenge it. If they get the call, Pitt gets the ball back with a time out in their pocket with 2 minutes left. Challenging was the right call in this case.
Webb should have had the pick & it looked like Tech made the first down. He made it to the marker and not much more.
Just watched the replay and on tv they freeze framed it showing conclusively that he was short by half a yard. The freeze the exact moment
Not conclusively, the ball is obscured... which is why the call on the field stands .(not confirmed or overturned)
The language used matters
If you go back and watch the replay where they show the spot on a split screen it was very close and in fact looked like the ball should have been put back a couple of inches. Whether that would have changed the measurement I don't know. And, blowing the time out is after the fact crap. Blow it and have 4th down and u get the ball back with 2 min left. Don't challenge and the clock went down to 1:43 with 1 timeout. Each play gets reset at 40 seconds. Doesn't take a genius to figure you aren't getting the ball back.
Missed my previous point where I admitted that I didn't think that one through.
I'll still argue the spot was fair. There wasn't enough evidence to overturn it if you are talking an inch here or there.
Sorry I didn't see that. I agree that there was really not enough evidence to over rule but as a biased Pitt fan it just seems we get hosed on calls, non-calls and overturns 90% of the time. If they spotted it better the first time this doesn't happen. It just seems as the newbie in the ACC we seem to not be treated fairly in both BB and FB.
Well that play was a microcosm of Pitt's D this season, our best player and tackler whiffed on the play for about a two three yard loss
On the clock, not challenging the play would have meant that we may have gotten the ball back, but there only would have been maybe 10 seconds left. I mean you guys do know that after the measurement the play clock would have been set to 25, not 40, right? So that saves you 15 seconds if you don't call the timeout until after the first down play (for the record, something that way too many coaches screw up).
2:04 after the measurement.
1:40 at the snap.
1:35 after the first down play when we call time out.
1:30 when the second down play is over.
0:51 when the third down play is snapped.
0:46 when the third down play is over.
0:07 when Virginia Tech calls timeout before their fourth down play.
So if Virginia Tech was a little less than perfectly efficient or if we stopped their plays a second or two faster we'd have gotten maybe a punt return and one hail mary play. Maybe.
2:04 after the measurement.
1:40 at the snap.
1:35 after the first down play when we call time out.
1:30 when the second down play is over.
0:51 when the third down play is snapped.
0:46 when the third down play is over.
0:07 when Virginia Tech calls timeout before their fourth down play.
So if Virginia Tech was a little less than perfectly efficient or if we stopped their plays a second or two faster we'd have gotten maybe a punt return and one hail mary play. Maybe.
Personally I think it was insane to not onside kick. Our defense was pathetic, so to think they could stop Tech and get the ball back was beyond wishful thinking.
As for Webb, I can't even take watching him anymore. He actually could've had a pretty easy INT the play before, but he didn't even put his hands up or really do anything at all and it went for a big reception. The next play, probably the easiest INT you'll ever run into. Looked like the ball was thrown to him. Ike Taylor would've had it in the bag easy, and as great as he was I'm pretty sure his hands actually were made of stone.
As for Webb, I can't even take watching him anymore. He actually could've had a pretty easy INT the play before, but he didn't even put his hands up or really do anything at all and it went for a big reception. The next play, probably the easiest INT you'll ever run into. Looked like the ball was thrown to him. Ike Taylor would've had it in the bag easy, and as great as he was I'm pretty sure his hands actually were made of stone.
