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From the Charleston (W.V.) Gazette:

Marshall football notebook
Phantom whistle from stands stops Herd in its tracks

By Doug Smock
Staff writer
Charleston (W.V.) Gazette

HUNTINGTON — For those too far away to hear the noise, Bobby Chase’s 63-yard catch and run looked way too easy.

The receiver set up Southern Methodist’s two scores with catches of 33 and 63 yards, about half the Mustangs’ offense. In the latter catch, he dashed around one Marshall defender like he was standing still.

Actually, that defender was standing still, or close to it. He, his teammates and Herd coach Mark Snyder heard a whistle blow.

As it turns out, he did — from the stands.

“We all heard a whistle on the field,” said Snyder. “The refs told me that it was happening during the game. That was the first one I heard. It was so loud the refs stopped, we all stopped. The ball is thrown and everybody is standing there and the guy goes down the sideline.

“I don’t know how to coach that, I’ll be honest with you. And the refs had no explanation for me. It’s just a shame that it happened here.”

A Marshall official said the whistleblower had the whistle blown on him, and was removed.

Then again, the Herd caught a break during its first scoring drive.

On first-and-goal from the SMU 7-yard line, Morris lost the ball under a rush. When he raised his hands to begin the throwing motion, the ball flipped up.

But as the teams fought for the football, the white-capped referee called the play an incomplete pass.

“He took a pretty good shot [on the play before, a 6-yard gain], and his hand went numb,” Snyder said. “He came back to the huddle [shaking his hand], so I’m guessing it was still numb.”

The play could not be reviewed. Under Conference USA’s video replay procedures, a forward pass/fumble call can be reviewed, but a pass ruled incomplete is final.

PonyPride wrote:From the Charleston (W.V.) Gazette:

Marshall football notebook
Phantom whistle from stands stops Herd in its tracks

By Doug Smock
Staff writer
Charleston (W.V.) Gazette

HUNTINGTON —
............
Then again, the Herd caught a break during its first scoring drive.

On first-and-goal from the SMU 7-yard line, Morris lost the ball under a rush. When he raised his hands to begin the throwing motion, the ball flipped up.

But as the teams fought for the football, the white-capped referee called the play an incomplete pass.

“He took a pretty good shot [on the play before, a 6-yard gain], and his hand went numb,” Snyder said. “He came back to the huddle [shaking his hand], so I’m guessing it was still numb.”

The play could not be reviewed. Under Conference USA’s video replay procedures, a forward pass/fumble call can be reviewed, but a pass ruled incomplete is final.

This rule should be changed IMMEDIATELY (if not yesterday).

It allows a ref to protect his call or the possible blown call of the crew.

There were actually a couple calls by the refs that were questionable.

I never heard of the refs throwing a flag for a false start on the offense, then allowing the play continue, and then letting the defense decide to denie or accept the penalty? I always thought that the play was stopped and the penalty was accessed and replay the down?

The the fumble vs. incomplete pass by Morris. Let's just say that the Marshall fans are happy that the call was not reviewed. It is a shame that a football game might be decided by an officals mistake.

Huffnagel wrote:I never heard of the refs throwing a flag for a false start on the offense, then allowing the play continue, and then letting the defense decide to denie or accept the penalty?.

Me either Huff, the very next play on SMUs drive there was a deadball, false start. The ball was moved back 5 yrds --- 1st-15.