Having trouble shaking the Bama game...

[HumpDawgy]

stronger Dick Pace rule put in place that says you can't officiate games of a school if you have any known fandom or family attachment to that school. I think that's a good rule, that Bama ref couldn't wait to make himself the hero on preserving that shutout, it was pretty obvious. It's hard for people to stay objective when they are fans of a school, human
nature wins.

My problem is more to do with none of the other officials in the game (hopefully some who weren't Tide affialiated) step in and overrule the call. There had to be some refs following the play that saw our guy pull up from the block. That didn't happen. So in my mind, it is not a one person on the crew problem, but the whole friggin crew, replay official, and Steve friggin Shaw problem. SEC, fix the damn problem!!!

 

[Junction John]

See this is where I think you're wrong, and the point of talking about the refs.

At the end of the day, we are a long ways from the level of the elite in the conference and the country, and this game yet again showed this.

Make just two plays from this game fair: Give us the fumble on the first drive, and the non-block in the back, back. Just those two plays. Forget the ******** PI and the missed facemask, and for the love of all that is holy, all the uncalled holding on Bama (we all have screenshots.) Forget all that.

Just those first two plays change this game. Maybe not a win/loss change (maybe), but we damn sure ain't a "long ways from elite" if you consider Bama elite...

Do you agree, generic "State fan" who I've never seen post before?

PS The game was tied with 30 seconds left just last year. I am not saying we are elite, but the margin is not as huge as you keep claiming. Over and over and over.

 

[Drebin]

I don't have to watch the TV. I was about 7 rows behind Alabama bench. Yes he was on the bike. But he was also standing with his helmet on, he also was in every pre-drive huddle, and after the game Saban said he was beat up, but COULD have played.

But your missing my point. A beat up Tua was better than the 3rd string the last 18 minutes. Crazy to think otherwise. And while we are playing the what if game... might as well realize that had the game been closer, you are for sure going to get a better shot from Alabama down the stretch than a 3rd string QB

It's not that we disagree, and I'm not missing your point. You're just plain wrong here. Tua looked terrible and was playing terrible. He was severely limited in his movement. You're throwing his passing stats out like he was his normal self. That was the first quarter of the entire year that he played and didn't lead his team to a TD. He was getting hit and he was hobbled. They brought the third stringer in to hand the ball off because Tua couldn't even get there on off tackle runs to hand it off. He was very limited.

This is why Bama fans are crying about some BS dirty hit...because they see their national championship going up in smoke after seeing Tua's play in the second half.

 

[MSU601Dawg]

It would've been a closer score for sure, but other than the TD that "should've been," State never even got into FG range on any drive the rest of the game. So all Bama had to do was score 10 to win.

Bama could've probably punched it in on the last drive also had they called anything other than a run up the middle, which was essentially the same as taking a knee

 

[HomeBoyDawg]

If it's 14-7 at the half, "rest of the game" changes. We're in this thing and our team and our coaches are fired up.

Down 21-0 at the half, our team and our coaches realize our chances are slim.

 

[TheStateUofMS]

He was 4 for 6 in the 3rd quarter before being removed.

Even if he was "done" he would have been far better than the 3rd stringer. Who finished the game with NEGATIVE passing yards.

Point is.... had the game been close, we would have gotten a better Alabama offense. Would they have scored, who knows. But if we are all playing the what if game here, need to look at it from all angles.

Nick Saban said he was ruled out and he found that out after the game. Saban thought he could go back in if needed, but pretty sure he found out later the training staff had ruled Tua out from going back in.

 

[Dawgzilla]

We really couldn't move the ball at all. We had one decent drive, right at the end of the first half. We picked up a first down at the start of the 3rd quarter, but couldn't get a second one. You are right that a closer score changes things, but I don't think being "fired up" was going to make our offense start moving the ball.

But that is why you really cannot play the "what if" game. The situation changes, and so the play calling changes, and the player efforts may change. If we get that first fumble it might have changed everything.....or Fitzgerald might have thrown a pick 6 on the very next play. More likely we go 3 and out, and then Bama drives down for a TD when they get the ball back and the rest of the game stays the same.

All I know for sure is that our offense could not string 2 first downs together, and their offense opened up the game shoving the ball down our throats for two TDs. We gave them another TD with the fumbled punt. And no matter how many calls went our way, we weren't going to score 21.

 

[philduckworth]

We really couldn't move the ball at all. We had one decent drive, right at the end of the first half. We picked up a first down at the start of the 3rd quarter, but couldn't get a second one. You are right that a closer score changes things, but I don't think being "fired up" was going to make our offense start moving the ball.

But that is why you really cannot play the "what if" game. The situation changes, and so the play calling changes, and the player efforts may change. If we get that first fumble it might have changed everything.....or Fitzgerald might have thrown a pick 6 on the very next play. More likely we go 3 and out, and then Bama drives down for a TD when they get the ball back and the rest of the game stays the same.

All I know for sure is that our offense could not string 2 first downs together, and their offense opened up the game shoving the ball down our throats for two TDs. We gave them another TD with the fumbled punt. And no matter how many calls went our way, we weren't going to score 21.

When we weren't shooting ourselves in the foot with bad snaps and pre-snap penalties, we actually had 3 great chances to convert 3rd downs and failed on all 3. First possession, it's 3rd and 6 inches and we don't sneak b/c Joe doesn't have that play in the playbook. #81 dropped an easy catch for a 1st down on another possession. And 7 slid down short of the marker when he could have kept running or dove head first. That's 3 easy conversions that would have led to more plays that didn't happen. Not to mention the wide open receiver on the flea flicker. Bama only stopped us on about 3 drives. We stopped ourselves.

 

[patdog]

We moved the ball every bit as well as Bama did when the officials didn't stop us.

 

[GloryDawg]

The last time I took an Alabama I shook it three times to make sure I didn't get a wet spot.

 

[Dawgzilla]

The point remains that we didn't execute those plays, and getting some good calls by the refs was not going to make us execute on those plays. Yeah, we could have made a few more first downs, but they don't give points for first downs.

 

[Dawgzilla]

Bama put together two great drives to start the game. We had one decent drive. They wound up with 135 more total yards, and a 7 minute advantage in TOP. When Thomas fumbled that punt the game was essentially over.

 

[MSU601Dawg]

We moved the ball every bit as well as Bama did when the officials didn't stop us.

Disagree, they easily scored on two long drives to begin the game, we didn't do that the entire game.

Then they "finished" a short drive after the punt muff, and really had a 50+ yard drive at the end of the game that they could've punched in if they call anything creative whatsoever.

Like someone else said, they had 305 yards to our 169 without Tua playing in the 4th quarter and taking the air out of the ball completely after middle of the 3rd qtr

 

[patdog]

They wound up with 135 more total yards

The referees took a substantial portion of that 135 yards from us with phantom penalties. And that's not even considering the blatant holding not called on Alabama.

 

[RocketDawg]

It should also be illegal for any official or officials family members to place bets on game in which they work. Surely this is a rule already, but it seemed like the point spread was the most determining factor on Saturday.

ACCOUNTABILITY is what I really want. When a coach makes a questionable decision, they get asked about it at the press conference. Same as players that make or fail to make plays.

Officials always get wheeled away in a van with a police escort like they are royalty or a top political figure. A microphone in the face and questions about calls would put a stop to some of the questionable judgements.

Considering all the drunk, displeased fans, a police escort probably makes sense to avoid bodily harm to them. I agree they should have to answer some questions though ... maybe a police escort to a private press conference room, with availlable replays.

 

[RocketDawg]

Sometimes you see the guard tap the center letting him know it is ok to snap the ball. That would alleviate the inadvertent clapping. Something was going on for it to happen twice in the game.

Wouldn't that be a false start?

 

[operch]

We really couldn't move the ball at all. We had one decent drive, right at the end of the first half. We picked up a first down at the start of the 3rd quarter, but couldn't get a second one. You are right that a closer score changes things, but I don't think being "fired up" was going to make our offense start moving the ball.

But that is why you really cannot play the "what if" game. The situation changes, and so the play calling changes, and the player efforts may change. If we get that first fumble it might have changed everything.....or Fitzgerald might have thrown a pick 6 on the very next play. More likely we go 3 and out, and then Bama drives down for a TD when they get the ball back and the rest of the game stays the same.

All I know for sure is that our offense could not string 2 first downs together, and their offense opened up the game shoving the ball down our throats for two TDs. We gave them another TD with the fumbled punt. And no matter how many calls went our way, we weren't going to score 21.

Do you not understand, for sure, that if the fumble on the first drive had been called and reviewed we would have been given the ball and if the play is allowed to continued until the man is flat on the ground, on the fumble on the second drive would have resulted in a score for Mississippi State and Alabama would not have scored at all because they would not be shoving the ball down our throats?

 

[operch]

Bama put together two great drives to start the game. We had one decent drive. They wound up with 135 more total yards, and a 7 minute advantage in TOP. When Thomas fumbled that punt the game was essentially over.

They were two great drives, aided by the officials, who did not call the fumbles.