Two games. Two controversial calls. Two losses.
That’s the bottom line for hard-luck Minnesota, which is beginning to get a complex about the whole thing. So concerned is Golden Gophers coach Glen Mason that he called Dave Parry, the Big Ten supervisor of officials, the past two weeks to discuss the calls.
Controversial Ruling No. 1: In the Oct. 18 game against then top-ranked Penn State, Minnesota free safety Crawford Jordan was called for pass interference. The flag came in the fourth quarter on a third-and-6 with the Gophers ahead 15-3. After the automatic first down, Penn State’s Curtis Enis scored from six yards out and started the Nittany Lions’ comeback.
“On that particular call, I told Glen Mason it was not a good, strong call,” Parry said. “It was very thin, very marginal. The guy should have picked up the flag.”
Controversial Ruling No. 2: In last Saturday’s game against Wisconsin, cornerback Jimmy Wyrick pushed Badgers receiver Donald Hayes out of bounds. Hayes came back into play–which is legal–made the catch and tapped at least one foot in bounds for the first down.
Mike Sheahan, a 15-year Big Ten veteran official (and Cook County sheriff), made the call. Parry stands by his man.
“We ruled it correctly,” Parry said. “I’m pretty sure we’re right on it.”
Again, the call came in the fourth quarter on a crucial third-down situation. Wisconsin scored on the drive and eventually won 22-21.
Parry said the two calls were “apples and oranges” and reminded everyone that, on average, there are 162 plays during a game. Officials average about five or six mistakes per game. NFL officials, he said, average 4.68 mistakes.
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Trivia question: What do Joe Tiller, John Elway and Purdue’s surprisingly successful one-back offense have in common?
Jack Elway.
Some history is in order: Elway and Tiller used to be assistants at Washington State. In fact, little John Elway used to baby-sit Tiller’s kids.
Then Jack Elway took the head coaching job at Cal State-Northridge. He picked up the one-back offense from John’s high school coach and later took the system to San Jose State.
Then Dennis Erickson, who was an Elway assistant at San Jose, took the one-back to Wyoming. That’s where Tiller picked it up, and 10 years later, he brought the pass-control offense to Purdue.
See? A happy ending.
Boffo Buckeyes: Say this for Ohio State coach John Cooper: He makes a decision and sticks with it.
Despite criticism and second-guessing, Cooper said he thought the tag-team quarterback system of Stanley Jackson and Joe Germaine would work. It has. Jackson and Germaine have combined for more than 1,900 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Cooper also went with a two-tailback system. Result: Pepe Pearson and Michael Wiley have rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns.
And Cooper said Ohio State’s wide receivers could be special. Guess what? Dee Miller and David Boston have combined for 85 catches, 1,285 yards and 13 touchdowns. Miller (662 yards) and Boston (623 yards) each have a chance to break the 1,000-yard barrier. Only two other Ohio State receivers have done it–Terry Glenn and Cris Carter.
Milestone: If Penn State defeats Northwestern, it will mark the 400th victory for Joe Paterno as a member of the Nittany Lions staff. Paterno came to State College in 1950 as an assistant to Rip Engle.