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I mentioned this in the SOC thread but obviously things get lost in that.  I wanted to put it in a different thread to see if anyone has ever seen this before.

At the end of the Kansas-WVU game Kansas was down 5 with no timeouts.  They had a 1st and 10 from their own 39 with very little time left (can’t remember exactly how much) and completed a 9 yard pass over the middle to the 48.  As soon as the kid was tackled I said, “Ball game!” Because it was obvious he was short of the line to make and it was obvious KU wasn’t going to have time to get to the line and get another snap off.

But all of a sudden I see the clock stop and the announcers (who were also perplexed) saying KU was given a first down.  Sure enough, KU comes to the line and as soon as the clock restarts, they spike it with like one or two seconds left.  The play by play guy even stated, “That just went into the books as a 9 yard gain and Kansas was given a first down on the play.”

It was such a screwed up play that it screwed up ESPN’s play by play in the box score.  They show the 9 yard pass occurring and KU spiking it on “2nd and 1.”  It wasn’t 2nd and 1.  It should have been 2nd and 1 but it was officially 1st and 10 which is why KU got the momentary clock stoppage to get the spike off.

As an aside, on the final play of the game KU ran a hook and lateral that got all the way down to WVU’s 12 and for a minute looked like it might go.  I would have lost my mind.

I've seen many first downs awarded and the chains moved when it appeared obvious that they were short by a yard or so.  NCAA and NFL

but they've always spotted the ball at the line to gain

if the opposing coach doesn't challenge the spot, they just keep moving

I've seen many first downs awarded and the chains moved when it appeared obvious that they were short by a yard or so.  NCAA and NFL

but they've always spotted the ball at the line to gain

if the opposing coach doesn't challenge the spot, they just keep moving

Oh yeah, me too.  I think we’ve all seen bad spots by the refs but it still goes in the books as the required yardage to make the first down.  This one didn’t and even the official play by play box score is now incorrect because of it.

I've seen a team stopped a yard short and the zebras call for a measurement when it was clearly short.  I've never seen this though.

I watched it a few times....none of the refs are doing any hand signals, but the head ref isn't in the picture.  The actual play may very well have been a first down - at least, in a normal situation in the middle of the 3rd quarter - warrant a measurement, due to forward progress.  But he's tackled 2 yards back, and the ref spots the ball at neither spot - he sort of splits the difference between the forward progress spot roughly at 10 yards and where the player wound up, at 8 yards from the LOS.
After the spike, KU magically gained a yard, as they re-placed the ball where they should have in the first place.


Odd, for sure.  I'd blame the clock operator, but we don't know if the head ref signaled for a stoppage.  But an issue is that neither of the 2 refs in the picture are communicating at all.  Before the play, the ball even gets bumped after being placed by the ref himself. 

They let the situation run them instead of remaining calm and running the situation.

You’re right.  Just watched it again and that’s exactly what happened.  The spike takes place at the 48 which was a full yard short of the line to make.  Then after the spike they move it up the 49.  Weird.

I guess they could have called it a first down but in their haste to re-spot the ball quickly they just put it at the 48.  Idk.

zebras are human

And here I had always assumed that they were equine.