[imported_DarthGator]

November 15, 2004

It was shaping up to be a great college football game in Baton Rouge Saturday night, one for the ages. Two outstanding defensive teams making life miserable for the opposing offenses. A low scoring, but relatively clean game... and then it happened.

On third and 7 from the LSU 9 yard line, Alabama quarterback Spencer Pennington was looking for flanker Keith Brown in the front corner of the end-zone. Brown had position on LSU DB Corey Webster as the pass was in the air, and Webster did what all good DBs are trained to do in a situation like that: do anything necessary to prevent the TD. As the ball was in the air, Webster pushed Brown down, intercepted the pass and returned it 44 yards. Webster was undoubtedly thinking "well, first and goal from the one is better than a touchdown"



Except that it wasn't an Alabama first down at the one yard line. With at least two officials within 10 yards of the play (one within 10 feet), not a single flag was thrown -- LSU first down on their own 44. The horrible non-call was referenced by the ESPN commentators, without fail, every 10 minutes for the rest of the game -- and for good reason.

But that's not all -- the play that effectively ended the game, the Alabama fumble that LSU returned for a touchdown, Alabama ran only one wide receiver out on the play: #11, Matt Caddell. Prior to Pennington being flushed from the pocket, Caddell, the only down-field receiver on the play, was obviously held not once, but TWICE. The slowly-developing route created a pressure situation in the pocket which, when combined with Pennington's inexperience, created a gigantic opportunity for Marcus Spears, one of the best defensive ends in the SEC.

This isn't the first time this season that this crew has made a horrific call that could easily have changed the outcome of the game. You might remember their work from the Florida/Tennessee game -- when, with an official staring at the altercation, only one flag was thrown for a pair of equally severe traded blows.

The crew in question isn't the only SEC crew that seems to have problems -- SEC officiating is getting to be as bad as the Big Ten's was when they began experimenting with instant replay.

It's a shame that such a good football game, one that could've easily come down to the wire, had to be ruined by such obviously bad officiating.

[Duds47]

Corey Webster has been getting burned all year long. In my opinion its a tight race between Webster and Barron as teh most overrated player in the NFL draft.

I saw Webster get torched 5 other times in the bama game, not including the obvious PI.

[The Archduke]

Originally posted by Duds47@Nov 15 2004, 01:10 PM
Corey Webster has been getting burned all year long. In my opinion its a tight race between Webster and Barron as teh most overrated player in the NFL draft.

I saw Webster get torched 5 other times in the bama game, not including the obvious PI.

Webster's gonna get burned, since LSU is staunchly a man coverage team. Look what happened in the UGA game...the D coordinator refused to give any help from the safeties. It happens to the best.