All 11 players on the offense must be set for one second prior to the snap. As Michigan's offense was still getting set, receiver A.J. Henning realized he was in the wrong spot and stepped up to the line. As he was doing this, the ball was snapped.
If Henning would have gotten set for one second, this would have been legal.
Post by agpennypacker on Dec 31, 2022 17:12:23 GMT -5
Can someone refresh my memory: did Jason Autrey and Alex Moore become SEC Referees in the same season? I think so.
It’s wild to me that Alex is already in the NFL, while Jason—who has worked basically every major SEC game over the past few seasons and now a CFP semifinal—is not even in the development program.
On this play, a TCU defensive back puts his hands on a Michigan WR who stumbles slightly, and the pass falls incomplete. Because the action was before the ball was in the air, it is categorized as a defensive hold, not pass interference.
The restriction itself seems marginal - although the receiver looked to stumble, the DB didn't really gain that much of an advantage through this action.
Roman Wilson appears to catch a touchdown pass. There is a question of where his posterior came down and where the ball was when Wilson's posterior was down. It appeared that Wilson initially juggled the ball, but his posterior and the ball had broken the goal line plane when he was down.
From what TV showed, the footage didn't raise to "indisputable visual evidence" that Wilson was down short of the goal line. But the replay official overruled the back judge's call and put Wilson down at the half yard line.
Michigan fumbled the ball away the next play and TCU recovered.
We don't know if the replay official had an angle we don't, but this appears to be an incorrect replay ruling.
During a fumble at the goal line, umpire Brent Sowell likely meant to grab his bean bag as he saw the loss of possession by Michigan. Instead, he grabbed his flag out of his belt. Referee Jason Autrey used the microphone to clarify the ruling on the field.
On a deep pass, the officials allow contact to go without a flag. Both players were pushing and pulling, and neither clearly gained an illegal advantage that would require a flag to correct. Good patience by side judge Sean Petty to keep his flag in his pocket on this play.
TCU linebacker Johnny Hodges is flagged for roughing the passer in the 2nd quarter, but replays show there is minimal contact. Hodges does push Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy shortly after the pass is thrown, but it is within one step of the ball being released. Hodges is one step short of potentially disrupting the flight of the pass, so he must be allowed to make contact here. Even with that extra step, roughing could be called for flagrant unnecessary contact, but that is clearly absent here.
Referee Jason Autrey conferred with center judge Chris Garner, and considering Autrey has primary responsibility for the quarterback, it was likely his flag. It's an unfortunate and huge miss that gave Michigan the benefit of a first down on what would have been an incomplete pass.
Good call by back judge Martin Hankins to flag this defensive pass interference. He had the best look at the TCU defensive back Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson who initiated clear early contact with the Michigan receiver. He also was stationary when the pass arrived, giving him the best chance of getting the call right.