Nightmare on 33rd Street
Sometimes it's hard to put your figure on the moment when things turn around in a football game.
Sometimes it's very, very easy.
And it was easy to point out when Columbia's dream day against the Quakers at Franklin Field turned into something more like a nightmare.
Leading 20-10 with 11 minutes left in the 4th quarter, a good tackle on the Luke Eddy kickoff by Jeremy Mingo pinned Penn at their own 14 to start their second possession of the final frame.
After getting a 1st down to the 33, a trio of horrific plays for the Columbia cause came in succession.
On 1st and 10 from the Quaker 33, QB Billy Ragone's pass to the sidelines seemed to be directed staright into the hands of freshman DB Travis Reim... but he dropped the sure INT.
That was gut-wrenching play #1.
Then the refs got involved.
On 2nd and 10, Ragone was flushed out of the pocket and forced to throw a ground ball in the general direction of RB Jeff Jack. As the ball was skidding on the turf, Jack was lightly bumped by the Lion cover man. That was enough for the official to call a ridiculous pass interference penalty that gave the Quakers a 1st down at the 34.
That was terrible play #2.
On the next play, the refs did it again. Ragone's low ball pass in the middle of the field was picked off by Marquel Carter, BUT the refs said he trapped it. The infuriated pleas from the Columbia sideline were ignored, and the Quaker drive stayed alive.
That was bad, bad, bad play #3.
And for the Lions, the nightmare was just beginning.
4 comments:
Reim's drop didn't portend future mistakes, as he made some very good plays in later games. But, it was so unfortunate :-)
Reim went on to have a great season.
The refs are scared of Bags. He gets every close call and then some. He is a master at intimidating refs. The refs handed that game to Penn. A win -- which we deserved -- would have turned our season around. And PS, I still can't understand the hype over Ragone. He cannot pass. Period.
I think that, in general, winning teams in all sports and across levels get slightly more than their share of referees' calls. The explanation is simple.
Refs are human beings. They know which team is favored. When they know that one team is "better," they view the game through that prism. And that affects the calls they make, consciously or subconsciously. On top of that, Bagnoli rides the refs incessantly. That also works.
Between Penn being a perennial favorite, Columbia usually being an underdog and Bagnoli working the sidelines, I fully expect Penn to get a disproportionate share of close calls. And they do.
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