Mr. Lets Avoid Controversy (Randy Edsall) was on the Big East teleconference Monday.
The coach was asked, as he will be often this week, about last year’s Temple game and the touchdown that might have been. He avoided the subject entirely.
“I’m really just concerned about this year’s game,” Edsall said. “Temple has a fine football team. They’re a much better football team than what we saw a year ago. All my thoughts and concerns are on this year, the game we’re going to play on Saturday.”
Edsall won’t talk about the play yet but that doesn’t mean we can’t.
You know all those Louisville fans who complain about the Larry Taylor play? They may take a back seat to the Temple fans (both of them) who question the option touchdown pass that was ruled incomplete at Rentschler Field last year.
Although it was certainly a more blatant error, the LT punt return (and a wave to crowd that was somehow not called a fair catch signal) was not the final play of the game, UConn was moving the ball on offense, and Louisville did fumble away its chance to win the game anyway.
Change the call on Taylor’s touchdown and who knows what happens?
For Temple, it was the game. If the officials on the field (or those in the booth) had ruled the Owls’ final offensive play a touchdown, the game would have been over and Temple would have won. I know there was time on the clock, but it was over.
Instead, it was ruled incomplete and UConn won.
As for whether or not it was a catch, I kind of see that as unimportant.
The biggest question is how did the officials come to their decision? The man watching WR Bruce Francis come down after UConn’s Robert Vaughn tipped the ball couldn’t really see whether or not Francis was juggling the ball. No official had a good view of that. But he ruled Francis did not catch the ball, despite looking at the receiver’s foot, which appeared to come down in-bounds.
Now, it’s harder to blame the replay official. Yes, it looked like a catch on the replay. But the definite camera angle of the play was obscured by a Rentschler Field security guy. The replay boss probably thought it was a catch, too, but you need the old indisputable evidence to change a call.
Temple fans (OK, there are a few more than I think but it’s still a funny joke) are mad. Temple’s coaches are probably mad. Temple’s players are probably mad.
Isn’t that what makes a game interesting?
- Neill
