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BYU football: Willingham reluctantly accepts call

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re: DH | 3:24 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
The celebration rule does not take "the best part of the game, emotion, out of it" as you say. In case you don't watch very much football (maybe the BYU-WA game was your first time you little football virgin you), players ARE allowed to celebrate. Some types of celebratin ARE allowed and others are not. Refs didn't like getting hit by spiked and thrown footballs so they made a rule against doing that.

And if you want BYU to win games "without a stupid penalty impacting it" then tell the other teams to stop committing stupid penalties.

And the last part of your comment "they need to stand up and play like they want to win", gee I think they did. Washington is very tough at home. Ahhh, does somebody need a hug?
#15 still in USA Today | 3:29 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
We slipped 3 places to #18 in the AP poll (East Carolina in at #14) but remain at #15 in the USA Today poll (East Carolina only #20). It will be interesting to see where we are - particularly in comparison to East Carolina - in the BCS Poll. Utah is #22 in both and Fresno #21. Unfortunately, UCLA fell out and is just out of both - we needed a top 25 win.

Bottom line - we need a SOLID win against UCLA. We will continue to be hurt in the polls if we continue to just get by. BYU has a fantastic team this season and SHOULD have had a better showing the first two games. Hopefully we see that against UCLA. Go Cougs!
Facts | 4:37 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
It doesn't matter that it was BYU that got the best of that call, the fact of the matter is that it was a poor call at the end of an emotional game that ruined it for one team...

They pointed out on ESPN that who knows what might have happened without the call...maybe they would have gone for 2 because they didn't like their chances in overtime, but a 20 yard extra point is much easier than a 35 yard field goal (not that a 35 yard field goal is extremely difficult) but an extra point is just kicked high in the air because you don't have to worry about getting distance on it...

stop feeling sorry for yourselves BYU fans, because it was a bad call, no matter who it was for, and BYU didn't play like a #15 team should play...USC can win by 3 and not drop spots because they don't have to prove anything like the non-BCS schools...
Comments continue below
OK cougar | 4:46 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
Once, right after the game ESPN showed replays of Locker throwing the ball in the air. After that all they showed was a tight shot of Lockers face as he threw the ball and turned to his teamates. Did you notice how three seconds later the ball hit him in the head? How high did that ball have to be thrown for that delay?

Did the penalty block the PAT attempt? How can they say the penalty cost Washington the game?
coug fan in WA | 5:25 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
enough is enough. it is true it was a bad call but as everyone has already said it was a make-up call for that 3rd and 19 no call holding. Washington should never have scored. I like to see emotions in the game i wish they would get rid of the rule unless someone actually does get in the other teams face, kind of like BYU when they rushed the field with 2 seconds left. they too were called for unsportsmanlike conduct. they are even
Coach's Poll | 5:38 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
I'll just say BYU remains ranked 15 in the Coach's poll because the coaches understand BYU played a hard game and overcame a desperate opponent on their home turf. They understand BYU won the game on a blocked extra point (I didn't see the ref jumping in front of that kick, or his yellow flag affecting the trajectory). This is in contrast to the "sportwriters" (I'll use that term loosely) who vote in the AP. The coaches understand that on any given Saturday any team that fields 11 players has a shot.

At least the AP rank doesn't affect the final BCS standings.
re: OK cougar | 6:06 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
They say that the penalty cost Washington the game because it is easier to block a kick further from the goal posts because of the trajectory that it needs to take.
Re: UCLA | 6:09 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
The refs didn't block the PAT, BYU did! That is the reason BYU won the game!
Re: BYU is still hated | 6:43 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
Yes, because they have the most annoying fans in the world.
People get tired of fans claiming they are so great, and then when outside fans are able to see a game (not on Mtn, etc), BYU loses or barely beats a horrible team.
Write ESPN | 7:49 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
I did my undergrad at Nebraska and graduate work at Utah, but I was disgusted by the ESPN analysis of 'the call.' BYU won fair and square. The ESPN announcers (May and Holtz) are prejudiced, BCS biased, baffoons. I suggest a writing campaign to ESPN to denounce these clowns. If one non-BCS school can be disrespected by ESPN, like BYU was, they all can/will be. Write to ESPN and complain.
Big Time Fan | 8:04 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
I'm sort of ashamed to be a BYU fan right now. Why all the whining? We won. Who cares what people say. I am also man enough to say that if we were on the other end of that call, we would have been just as irritated with it, maybe more so, going on and on about how everybody hates BYU, etc. In fact, I'm pretty sure there would be a bunch of BYU fans writing letters to Pac10 schools, Fox, UW, etc. whining about the whole thing. Can't we just say, it's too bad the game had to end that way, but we would have won anyway, we deserved to win, etc.? I'm tired of the woe is I BYU fans everywhere. Get over it. The world does not hate you. The world does not even know you.
BYU : Romney | 8:13 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
While Romney ran for Pres, the National polls came out very clearly that the Nation still had incredible bias against Mormons. Staggering numbers said they would not vote for a Mormon at any time for any reason. Such non-mormon bias is easily proved "scientifically."

Unfortunately that same bias exists in many people across the nation. It exists in politics, sports, business, whatever. BYU has to win by 70 and be undefeated before they will ever "reluctantly" be given any breaks. So why is anyone surprised that announcers sounded "biased"?

BYU is what it is. As a BYU fan I know my place in the universe. I accept it. I love watching my team - win, lose or draw. Most everyone else loves watching my team lose.

Bring it on.
Get OVER It!!! | 8:39 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
Hey, all you BYU haters, quit your whining! Washington didn't get cheated because of the excessive celebration penalty.

THEY LOST BECAUSE THEIR PAT (WHICH SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ALL THAT DIFFICULT) WAS B-L-O-C-K-E-D !!!
stay happy | 8:48 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
The Cougars Won the game fair and square. The official did his job. Every team that is ranked is going to have their breaks. What about the Utes. Some people think they have no business being ranked! They have played two bad teams but have won both games. Why are they ranked? Because they WON? I have no problem with that. I have no problem with the Courgars being ranked either. I do find it a bit alarming that they would drop after beating a BCS team on the road. A team that would probably kick the tar out of Michigan and probably give the utes fits as well. The polls really don't mean a thing to the non BCS terams. The Utes and the Courgars Just need to keep winning to improve their BCS bowl dreams.
Jas. Hill | 9:04 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
Washington was in the game only because of the Pac-10 refs.

NCAA Rule 9-3-3-b-1 provides that: "The hand(s) and arm(s) shall not be used to grasp, pull or encircle in any way that illegally impedes or illegally obstructs an opponent."

During 4th quarter BYU defensive linemen broke through to the QB repeatedly. Wash linemen, on two successive plays pulled BYU defenders away from QB by holding one of the defender's wrists with both hands. There were no calls. Just before Locker's big bomb, a Wash player held a BYU defender in Wash end zone so he could not sack the QB. Twice in the game the football was spotted one yard in Wash favor. Commentators were incredulous. These are the calls I remember. There were many more.

Playing non-conference games in the Pac (10) is like entering the twilight zone. In recent games at Arizona and at UCLA the referrees called the games in the same manner.

These non-calls are patently obvious. Other conferences should refuse to play Pac(10) teams at home until they use conference-neutral referees. This is beyond bias or "bad calls." The national rankings of Pac-10 teams rest on winning games through the refs.
Sooner Cougar | 10:34 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
Yesterday's reffing fiasco brought back ugly memories of Pac-10 refs in Eugene, Oregon two years ago-when they literally stole the game from the Sooners. A loss (still hurts to say that)that ultimately cost OU a place in the BCS championship game.

And no matter what Mark May thinks, the refs did not cost UW the game-nor did Jake Locker-who was incredible. Any blame must be laid at the feet of Perkins the placekicker-as well as the magnificent Jan Jorgenson and BYU teammates.

Actually a bit surprised yesterday that the refs did not call BYU off-sides (to make up for the bogus celebration call) and give UW a second chance.

A bit worried about my Sooners in Seattle next Saturday. Another chance to get homered by Pac-10 refs!

Go Cougs!! Boomer Sooner!!!
holtz/may=joke!!! | 10:52 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
If that call would have happened to BYU the ESPN commentary would have been something like this "Well lou, Hall did throw the ball into the air and the rule states that is a penalty" "I agree mark, Hall is a JR. QB and he should have known not to celebrate to much as this really hurt his team at a chance to win against a BCS team" " and one other point Lou, all you have to do is make the extra point and this isn't even a issue" "I agree mark, many teams have had that penalty and have gone on to make the extra point" ESPN is a joke and these guys are anti MWC and BYU!! They are told by producers to downgrade anything MWC/BYU because of the lack of a TV deal with the MWC. these guys are a disgrace to their profession and its not just this game this has been going on for years!!
Ute Fan | 11:18 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
Even being a Ute fan the Cougars dominated that game and it shouldnt have even been close. The penalty was, a little nit-picky, but I was rooting for the Y. I want the big last game of the season to be for all the marbles the way it's supposed to be.
Anonymous | 11:42 p.m. Sept. 7, 2008
If the positions were reversed, the BYU fans would be whining and complaining, and don't pretend they wouldn't.
MAV | 6:51 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
I have to concur with the majority of the comments, the PAC 10 refee did everything they could to allow UW to win the game, between holding, tackling block and layover the defender. The Cougs did awesome!! Mark May and Loy Holtz should go the way of Overman on MSNBC!
Re: Coach's Poll | 7:07 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Your analysis of the coach's poll was hilarious. Do you really think that coach's vote in the coach's poll? Honest coaches will tell you that they have never spent one minute filling out the coach's poll. Coach Tressel of OSU owned up to never having filled out the coach's poll. Their respective league's send an email to the coach's secretary that tells them how to vote. It is more about who that team and their league will play in the upcoming games than "coaches knowing that BYU played a desperate team on their home-turf, blah, blah, blahbity blah."

PAC 10 Refs are a joke | 7:46 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
The PAC 10 officials did everything they could to help Wash win the game by ignoring blatant holding calls. BYU defenders were tackled twice on Washington's last scoring drive to prevent Locker from being sacked.

Even so, Locker throwing the ball at least 20 feet into the air after the touchdown was so obvious that even the biased PAC 10 refs couldn't ignore it.

Washington not making a 34 yard extra point was their own fault. There should be very little, if any, difference in the trajectory of a 19 yard or a 34 yard kick. BYU simply overwhelmed Washington's blocking (it was a sea of white in front of the kicker) on the play and the Washington's kicker kicked the ball low. The ball would have been blocked if it has been from 19 yards.

I don't like the excessive celebration rule. Get rid of it. There's no reason for it. A taunting rule should be adequate to keep celebrations from getting out of hand.
B YU by 13 vs UCLA | 8:09 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
"Referee won the game for BYU. Cougars don't deserve to be ranked."

Actually, the blocked kick had nothing to do with the previous call, and the refs tried to give the game to The PAC-10.

BYU will have another great oppenent next week - MORE PAC-10 REFS
Why so serious? | 8:31 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Regardless of whether or not the rule is stupid (it is), BYU won the game by blocking the kick. Everyone that is overanalyzing it is missing the point. UW has a great player in Locker, but BYU dominated across the board. They made a few mistakes but they still proved who was the better team. Plus it is serious retribution for the PAC-10 officials who "missed" several holding calls against UW that would have impacted the game much earlier. In the final analysis, BYU outplayed UW. End of story.
Get Real People | 8:54 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
All the focus is on the penalty, which basically has nothing to do with the out come of the game. I am a former kicker. It is just as easy kicking a 35 yard field goal from the middle of the field as it is an extra point. The kick was blocked and would have had the same outcome if the ball was placed on the 7 yard line. What is all the fuss? All the people that wanted to see BYU lose are just looking for an excuse to complain. The penalty shouldn't be the focus point.
irondori | 9:01 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Which conference will supply the refs for this weeks BYU-UCLA game in Provo?
Mike R | 10:23 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
I as a BYU fan and a high school football official would not have complained at all about that call had it happened against BYU. If Hall would have been the one to throw the ball high up in the air then he deserved the penalty, just like the UW quarterback deserved the penalty. It would be Hall's fault, not the refs. The rule is very specific. The player either has to set the ball down on the ground or hand it to an official. Tough break for UW but, the kick got blocked so the penalty was a moot point.
Jorgensen | 11:41 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
BYU player Jorgensen gave such a quintessental BYU post-game comment....."...it was destiny....we were supposed to win the game." BYU players are so self-deluded.
I saw it, too | 11:39 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Remember the Washington 3rd and 23 with the ball around the Washington 6 yard line. There were 3 holds on Washington that were not seen by the refs, but they were watching when the BYU player hit the Washington player out of bounds. I call that a convenient recovery from temporary blindness. The refs must have been from the PAC-10, don't ya think?
McKay | 11:57 a.m. Sept. 8, 2008
I think it's interesting that E. Carolina got so much publicity and props for blocking a punt for a TD against a HIGHLY overrated Va. Tech team and yet the Y blocks a kick to seal the deal against a UW team on their home field and all the emphasis is on some stupid rule. People want to say how horrible UW is and that it's not a good win for BYU because they only won by 1 pt but in my opinion if you put UW and Va Tech on the field, Washington would win going away. I like E. Carolina but that win over Va. Tech was far less impressive than the Y winning at UW on their home opener.
Anonymous | 12:06 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
I have a very bad feeling about the PAC 10 officials and the game in Provo this weekend. I am a BYU fan and am wondering how the officiating will be done this coming weekend. The bias of the PAC 10 officials in non-conference games is ridiculous and it can be game changing. And now after the Locker call I am afraid that the bias will be even worse in the 'make-up-call' sort of way. However, the call against Locker should have been called according to the rule and the rule should and needs to be changed. If the officiating is straight-up BYU should be able to win on Sat.
Mike R is correct | 12:16 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Moot Point, the kick was blocked.
BamaFan | 12:19 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Great Call! Jake Locke and all of the other showboats should have acted like they'd been in the end zone before. Next time he'll wait and celebrate when the game is over.

Best of all, Great Block!
ESPN is ridiculous | 12:37 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
The bias that ESPN shows against BYU and the Utah Jazz just kills me. It is so blatantly obvious, yet, it will never change. BYU deserved to win the game. I liked the point someone made that: How many 35 yard field goals are blocked? Not many.

Washington did NOT lose because of the celebration penalty. They lost because their line couldn't hold back a determined BYU defense on the 35-yard try.

I hope BYU and UTah both go undefeated until their matchup at the end of the season! BYU will defeat them to get into BCS. Then they will only get respect if they win in the BCS Bowl game. Bottom Line.

Beat UCLA!!!

momentary ineptness | 12:53 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Our superstar Austin, actually missed five consecutive passes that touched his hands. He was taken out of the game and then in the second half had one or two thrown his way?? Not sure, but am sure he did not play more than a few sets in the 2nd half. I suspect that because Coach puts so much emphasis on 'focus' that Austin was pulled out of the game for lack thereof and for reasons we don't know, except that he certainly had lost his sometime/somewhere in the first half.

But again, to clarify, it was five consecutive passes into his hands that he dropped. Never seen anything like it and I'll bet we will not see anything like it again from Austin...at least I hope so.
TJ | 1:54 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
It is sad that the call happened the way it did and it took away the option to go for 2 points to win it. IF you read the rules it says if the ball is "thrown high into the air" and the ball went pretty high so I think the call had to be made and it was the right call but I still think it is a stupid and ridiculous call. I am not sure how that is unsportsmanlike conduct. I won't complain about the call because it was clearly a violation of the rule but I will complain about the rule. To my knowledge this is the 2nd time an unsportsmanlike conduct call has moved a PAT back and was missed or blocked to give BYU the win. They did make a great play to block the kick and that is what won the game by I think a bogus RULE(not call)influenced the game too much.
RE: BamaFan | 2:00 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
That's what I'm screaming! Was that really the height of Jake Locker's season? Is that as good as he thinks it gets?

"Woo hoo! We're only losing BY ONE! Party time!"

It's like planning a book called "19-0" with your team at 18-0 and one game to go. Not that anyone would ever do that.

More accurately, Locker and teammates acted like players on every other MWC team. For those eight teams, BYU is their Super Bowl. I didn't think a Pac-10 team would feel the need to treat it that way though. They have UCLA and USC later on. How will they ever handle those games if they couldn't control their emotions for a September non-conference game with BYU?

That said, Jake Locker took the blame like a man. He's a good player and a class act who made an unfortunate mistake and owned up to it. Best of luck to UW for the rest of the season. And of course, go Cougars!
I bleed red! | 2:33 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
The rule states that the player must hand the ball to the ref. or place the ball at the dead ball spot in the endzone, such as dropping it as you cross or simply putting it on the ground where you stand. If you go back and watch Austin Collies touchdown earlier in that game, he spikes the ball between his legs. He did not comply with the letter of the law and therefore should have been penalized the same as Locker. Both should have been no calls, BYU fans just man up and say it was a bad call but you will take the win. You should not be putting any spin on this and trying to defend it one way or another, instead you should be more worried that your "ranked" team is struggling right out of the gate this year.
espn: Give Me a Break | 2:34 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
No way does Washington go for two in that situation.

Willingham at home, on the hot seat, goes for two, knowing that Locker made it in on third down, after being stopped twice in a row, and if they don't make the two-point conversion, he would be pink-slipped Monday Morning.

Going for two would have been a career ending decision.

The two to win option was never an option, and don't think it was.

Lou Holtz has never made sense on ESPN, and never will. His son is the head coach at Carolina.

Last time I saw Craig James in uniform he was sitting next to Eric Dickerson celebrating and holding up the #1 finger during the Holiday (dare I say Miracle) Bowl.

Throw any smack you want, but the PAC 10 officials were forced to throw a flag against Washington. There was no way to overlook it.
Collie | 2:54 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
As far as Austin Collie dropping 5 passes in a row; I guess he's just not living right on and off the field.
Livin' right and tickin' you off | 4:28 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Livin right and playing hard =
1. Improbable win over Utes (Collie is still open)
2. Improbable block of UCLA field goal in Vegas bowl
3. Improbable block of UW extra point

Maybe Collie's on to something...

I just love to see the Ute fan turn that much redder when they hear stuff like this.

Utes still in the Cougars shadow and grasping at anything they can... just the way it should be.

Signed,
Fan of Most Hated Team - BYU
(BTW - "hated" = we're winning more than you)
Bob | 4:33 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Down with Mark May and the like. Up with Coach Willingham. I can't beleive the rucus about this. Good game, both teams fought hard. I hope Washington does well and can pull out some games this season and coach W. gets another year. Go Cougs, beat UCLA!
Not Going for 2 | 4:35 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Hey BYU Haters,

UW was not going to go for 2. If you watched the game (not just the ESPN highlights) once the "tying" TD was scored - before the flag was even seen - Willingham had his index finger up and showing his team on the sidelines to go in for the kick. Nice theory, but just wrong.

Also, to be fair to Holtz, the ESPN guys discussion just after the game ended was not even addressing the throwing of the football by the UW QB. They seemed to only see the turn to embrace team members and high fives. Not one of them mentioned the ball toss and they seemed unaware of the specifics of the rule. These guys have liek 12 games going on on front of them and Holtz is appraoching 99, how do expect them to get it right all the time?
Collie Spike | 4:48 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Dear Desperate Ute Fan (I bleed red),

If Collie spiked it between his legs, then they should have thrown the flag and then the BYU kicker (Payne OR Sorenson) would have come out and hit the 35 yd extra point.

You must feel pretty pitiful reviewing your rival's entire game to find some errors they committed so you could feel better about your team's inadequacies. I don't know about the BYU fans on this board, but I barely have enough time to watch BYU games, let alone watch and then review a team that I couldn't care less about like the Utes.

Oh yeah, and did you ever think Collie was not called on the "spike" because he was living right??? :)
Coug Fan | 4:54 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Come on Cougar fans, you need to get off the "refs missed calls in earlier in the drive" argument. That stuff happens all the time, especially on the road. The Cougs prevent defense and lack of strong coverage on the receivers is what let UW get back into a position to tie.

I hate to see missed calls, but they happen on each side of the ball and BYU gets some breaks on missed ones as well.

Cougars won game two, on to the next one. They need to stay focused and just keep winning, while fans stop whining.
Helendaleghs | 4:59 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
I've never liked the "celebration" penalty. However, teams have to play by the rules, whether or not they like them. PAC-10 officials didn't lose the game for UW. There is no way to know if a regular PAT would be blocked. There is no way to know who would have won had the game gone into overtime.

That game is over. UCLA is coming. The Cougars will have to be at their best on Saturday. The UW win will be irrelevant if BYU doesn't beat UCLA.

TO USC #1: Sorry you have a bitter spirit. My wife and I are big USC fans, and we hope they end up #1. We are also BYU fans. Leave it all on the field.
buh-bye BCS | 5:02 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Maybe the officials "had" to make the call, but on a national level (i.e. outside Utah) its viewed as a terrible call.

When they dole out BCS bids, some folks are going to say... "remember that bad call in Washington"?
Re: buh-bye | 5:53 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
In this world of news cycles in the minutes, not even days, you REALLY think a BCS voter at the end of the season (supposing that BYU is undefeated - not very likely, but just play along) is going to remember game 2 of the season that shows up as a road "W" against a PAC 10 team? Come on now.

If BYU is a BCS buster they'll probably actually be pretty happy. They have a potent, fun to watch offense, have a strong fan base across the country (may not travel too well, but that is not the big thing for BCS bowls) and they will compete. It would sure beat some other non-BCS team like Tulsa or Hawaii.
Bad choice | 8:08 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Jake Locker lost the game by throwing the football.

But I'm not talking about the penalty - go back and review his passing.

Willingham should give this advice to Locker: "If you want to run it, run it. If you want to hand off, go ahead. If you want to pass, let me know, and I'll send in a sub for you."
I'm tired of this | 8:17 p.m. Sept. 8, 2008
Let's hope we beat UCLA by enough points that we can change the subject.

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This celebration in the end zone after a TD with 2 seconds to play cost Washington 15 yards and, perhaps, the game.

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