[Husker] Refs

[Mike Nolan]

> Then the rule is wrong, no? If the offensive player pushes the defensive
> player into the QB, that should not be a penalty on the defensive player.
> I've seen the same thing in hockey where the offensive player is checked by
> a defender into the goalie. The offensive player was not penalized for
> crashing into the goalie.

I've been watching the play on a large screen TV one frame at a time.  (It occurs
at about 22 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.) 

When the QB (Maxwell) is forced out of bounds on the 7 yard line, Stafford and 
#25 (Mumphery) are on the goal line about 3 yards from the side line.  Stafford 
has had his hand on Mumphery's left shoulder for several seconds and is 
trying to shove him aside, because it is still far from clear that Maxwell is 
going out of bounds.

Mumphery gets shoved aside, puts his hand on Stafford's back and shoves back.  
Stafford is just inside the goal line, at least 6 yards away from Maxwell at 
the time.  By the time the two meet, they are both 2 yards out of bounds at 
about the 3.  Maxwell braces for the impact but is still knocked off his feet 
into two spectators (not uniformed band members, so I don't know who they were.)

Both of the officials visible on the camera have their heads turned towards Maxwell.
Otherwise, they might have called an illegal block in the back on Mumphery.

Sorry, but it's a real stretch of the rules (written or implied) to assume that
Mumphery could push Stafford into Maxwell from 18 feet away and wave off the 
out-of-bounds hit.  I also don't think Mumphery is a good enough player to do 
that.  

I've been watching football for over 45 years, I cannot honestly say I've seen a
play before this where someone was shoved from 18 feet away into the path of 
a player going out of bounds.

Now, in hockey, players are checked into the goalie all the time, so officials are
watching for it.  

I'm going to ask some former Northwestern band members if the band is usually
on the sidelines like that.
--
Mike Nolan