What's your Mt Rushmore of bad calls against us in football?

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Bama still with their panties wadded got me to thinking about the worst bad calls we've had against us. My top ones:

1. refs saying we pushed the bama recover out of bounds when he ran out on his own.

2. the PI in the endzone in the Egg Bowl.

3. Memphis not being called for two players wearing the same number on that punt return for a TD.

 

[RocketDawg]

The BYU game in general in Starkville. There were numerous bad calls (or really, non-calls. Same result).

 

[vhdawg]

I remain cranky about the punt return at Alabama in 1999 and the phantom block-in-the-back on the Kylin Hill TD at Bama in 2018(?) that preserved a Bama shutout.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Let me add another.

4. The "first down" at Auburn.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

BYU game

Memphis State called fumble after we downed it

2017, late 4th quarter, Calvin Riddly running so far out of bounds he got an order of nachos at a concession stand, us stopping covering him, him coming back in bounds and catching a long pass. The referee acknowledging he was out of bounds by throwing his cap down, then causally picking it back up.

 

[Dawg1969]

Back in the 60s at LSU, they were given 5 downs by the refs. Everybody in the stadium knew it was a screwup. Even LSU radio man, Ferguson, said so on the radio.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Weren't we robbed in the SEC Championship Game via a phantom PI in the endzone?

I was there, but I don't recall ever actually watching a replay.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I remain cranky about the punt return at Alabama in 1999 and the phantom block-in-the-back on the Kylin Hill TD at Bama in 2018(?) that preserved a Bama shutout.

Those two for sure. Memphis 2021 has to be there simply because it was so bad and directly caused a loss.

LSU 2000 might be the other.

 

[aTotal360]

Let me add another.

4. The "first down" at Auburn.

 

[theoriginalSALTYdog]

1) The PI in the 1981 Egg Bowl. Absolutely horrendous call. There's a special place in hell for Dick Pace. EFF that POS.


2) 1999 vs Bama in Tuscaloosa. Pig Prather ran back a punt inside the 10 yard line and we were flagged for a block in the back. Go to the video 10:02 mark. That call potentially kept us from going 10-1 in the regular season. I was there that day and have watched the replay a 100 times and it was an absolutely BS call that costs us an SEC Championship.


3) The downed punt disaster against Memphis in '21. This play had two issues. Not only did the returner clearly signal fair catch but they also had two players on the field with the same number. Truly astounding that those zebras could be that incompetent.


I'm sure there are some examples in basketball and baseball as well that I just can't remember off the top of my head but these 3 directly impacted the outcome of the game. The Jacob Parker K on the check swing in Athens back in June was a big call against us. That's the most recent one I can remember. Replay clearly showed he didn't go around. That could've changed the outcome of that game.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

It starts and ends with the Dick Pace call. That happened 12 years before I was born and I still think it’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen.

The other three spots for me are the block in the back in Tuscaloosa in 2018, the 2000 LaBrandon Toefield fumble no call in Baton Rouge, and the entire 01 BYU calamity of a game.

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

I think it was 1987, we were driving against alabama to win the game, our receiver caught the ball for a first down and took about 6-7 steps before going out of bounds. the refs said it was an incomplete pass. I remember even the announcers commented about it.

 

[Michael Wesley]

The “block in the back” on Deddrick Thomas at Alabama in 2018.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

Don't mean to make light for those of us who suffer from PTSD, but....

Thank you. Thank you for the wonderful trip down memory lane.*******

17rs!

 

[Maroon13]

1. 1981 egg bowl. Dick pace.

2. 1999 bama or Arkansas. Take your pick. There was phantom penalties on a State punt return v Bama and an int vs Arkansas. Both plays result in State having the ball in the other teams territory and could have set a game winning points. The SEC did NOT want State in the SEC Championship again in 1999. Florida ad Jermey foley pitched a fit that we made it in 1998.

3. BYU game. There wasn't one call but many. There was an obvious conspiracy to get byu out of that game v State with a win and their undefeated season still in play.

 

[Maroon13]

I'll never understand the 2017 "Calvin Ridley was out" anger. Yes he was out. But it was 2nd down. It was in the first half of the game. State had a lead in the 4th quarter that game, despite that play. State could have still won the game if the defense held in the 4th quarter.

 

[dgsmith15]

Let me add another.

4. The "first down" at Auburn.

This is what came to mind as soon as I read the thread title.

 

[atomic dawg]

The BYU game in general in Starkville. There were numerous bad calls (or really, non-calls. Same result).

I remember Jackie Sherril saying post game, something like, he's never blamed officiating on a loss until that game. And it probably was the worst called game, start to finish, Ive ever seen against State.

 

[Negative Waves]

In my lifetime:

1) 1999 holding call against Bama. I was sitting in the endzone and seeing that ref toss the flag well after the play was down the field was beyond rage-inducing. Also, the 3rd down we converted late in the game to get called back because Bama "called a timeout" before the snap. Why did you let the play run? Just blatant calls to keep us from winning the West.

2) The entire 2001 BYU game. The first half the refs let both teams play, but when State pulled into the lead in the 2nd half, the flags started flying. Seeing that in-person was also rage inducing. It was bitter sweet watching them get skull-drug by Hawaii a week later.

3) Everyone states the 2017 Bama game, but the 2018 game had the Bama fumble at the beginning of the game that was not called in our favor. The replay even showed the fumble, and the play didn't go to review! I think there were some phantom block in the backs called against us as well. College football is equivalent to the WWE when Bama is playing, and we're all a bunch of suckers.

 

[Pilgrimdawg]

1963 in Tuscaloosa. They literally stole a TD from us. We lost 20-19. First time of many that I saw Alabama get protected by SEC referees.

 

[jkpz28]

Ballard no TD against Auburn
Auburn first down
Memphis Return
BYU

 

[stateu1]

Let me add another.

4. The "first down" at Auburn.

You should since Mt Rushmore usually has 4 dudes

 

[coach66]

Bama still with their panties wadded got me to thinking about the worst bad calls we've had against us. My top ones:

1. refs saying we pushed the bama recover out of bounds when he ran out on his own.

2. the PI in the endzone in the Egg Bowl.

3. Memphis not being called for two players wearing the same number on that punt return for a TD.

Let’s not forget refs looking the other way
And allowing bama to mimick our snap counts when we were going in for a TD to win it in 1982 I believe. They were also slapping at the ball while I center still had it.

 

[lazlow]

The Pegues OOB/Late hit @ UK was one of the worst calls ever. Dude was a full yard IB. We were up early and that totally swung the momentum UK's way and they end up winning.

This one was second only to the 2000 LSU game where the LSU RB (toefield?) was awarded a TD for making it to the 1 1/2 yd line.

 

[msudawg1200]

Let’s not forget refs looking the other way
And allowing bama to mimick our snap counts when we were going in for a TD to win it in 1982 I believe. They were also slapping at the ball while I center still had it.

It was 1991, but yeah, John Sullins, Bama Linebacker, even admitted after the game as doing such.

 

[tcdog70]

92 Bama fumble that was called incomplete pass.

 

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

I'll never understand the 2017 "Calvin Ridley was out" anger. Yes he was out. But it was 2nd down. It was in the first half of the game. State had a lead in the 4th quarter that game, despite that play. State could have still won the game if the defense held in the 4th quarter.

He scored a touchdown on the play. The ref threw his hat and even signaled he was out of bounds, and we lost the game by 7. How do you not understand that?

 

[60sdog]

Bama still with their panties wadded got me to thinking about the worst bad calls we've had against us. My top ones:

1. refs saying we pushed the bama recover out of bounds when he ran out on his own.

2. the PI in the endzone in the Egg Bowl.

3. Memphis not being called for two players wearing the same number on that punt return for a TD.

Dick Pace. A name that will go down in infamy.

 

[60sdog]

Back in the 60s at LSU, they were given 5 downs by the refs. Everybody in the stadium knew it was a screwup. Even LSU radio man, Ferguson, said so on the radio.

You're probably thinking of 1968, when we were shorted a down. Refs called it fourth down on the LSU 3, instead of third down, which was correct. We had to kick a FG and lost a chance at a TD. Final score was the difference: 20-16.

 

[FlotownDawg]

Here's one that people forget because we wound up winning the game, but it truly was one of the worst calls I've ever seen. In the Gator Bowl against Louisville when we beat Lamar Jackson, on one of Louisville's touchdown drives, a guy was hit by the sideline, clearly fumbled and it was recovered by MSU. The ref threw a flag for a late hit out of bounds, even though the guy was clearly in bounds, and then replay didn't even review the fumble, which was clearly recovered in bounds by MSU. Since we won, hardly anybody remembers that, but it was a mind boggling call.

 

[FlotownDawg]

It was 1991, but yeah, John Sullins, Bama Linebacker, even admitted after the game as doing such.

Yes, we were down 13-7 late in the fourth quarter and had the ball on the Bama 1. Got called for a false start due to Alabama mimicking our snap count, which should've been a penalty on them. Instead of at the 1, we had the ball at the 6 and had to pass it, and wound up throwing an interception in the end zone and Bama won 13-7.

 

[vhdawg]

Actually the peak of bad referee spite that I hold onto was from the 2005 Hillcrest-Jackson Prep game, one of the two years Hillcrest was actually good in the history of the entire program, and I went to the game at Prep.

1) At one point a Prep receiver FELL DOWN running his route. The ball hit his chest on the ground and rolled off over there somewhere. Referees called it complete.

2) Late in the game, Prep leading 9-7, Hillcrest is driving. Hillcrest completes a long third down for a first down. Personal foul called for excessive celebration. 1st and 25. Again facing a third and long, Hillcrest completes it again. Another personal foul called for excessive celebration. I promise you, if you were at that game on the Jackson Prep bleachers, you could hear me screaming at the officials. Hillcrest loses 9-7.

I have attended 304 Mississippi State football games and I have NEVER been madder at a football game than that night.

On the bad refereeing scale, you have NFL referees at the top, SEC refs below them, random G6 conference refs below that, then SEC umps and SEC men's basketball refs about the same level, SEC women's basketball refs a good couple of steps beyond that, and way down at the zero point of the scale is where you'll find MPSA/MAIS referees.

 

[StillTbonewannabe]

Just want to throw in the John Wall missing a free throw and following it in for a lay up to win the SEC tournament. Not sure how anyone didn't think it was a lane violation.

 

[Baddog11]

Having the lead in the sec championship game heading into the 4th quarter, only to be robbed by sec officiating because they needed Tennessee to win to get in natty game. Guy who did it to us (STEVE SHAW) was promoted to lead director of sec officiating afterwards.

 

[StillTbonewannabe]

Also the 2000 game at LSU that Eugene Clinton recovered a fumble in the endzone for a touchback that was somehow called a TD for LSU. The RB fumbled around the 2-3 yard line and was chasing it when it went into the endzone.

 

[Wesson Bulldog]

It was 1991, but yeah, John Sullins, Bama Linebacker, even admitted after the game as doing such.

The lineman that jumped was Michael Montgomery. Sullins goaded him into the false start that moved us back five on 3rd-and-goal from the 2.

 

[knock him out john]

Glenn Young was flagged for turning up field too early while in motion at Tuscaloosa in 81 that took at TD away from us.
Lost 13-10 the year after we had beaten them 6-3 in Jackson.

The "fumble" going in for a score at LSU when Jackie was coaching. Ugh

 

[Predestined]

LT hiring Croom

 

[Drebin]

He scored a touchdown on the play. The ref threw his hat and even signaled he was out of bounds, and we lost the game by 7. How do you not understand that?

It was a terrible call that gave Bama free points. We also still had a chance to win the game. Both things can be true.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

LT hiring Croom

LT - that is all