FSU -OU Hit (video)

[ret66482]

Glad that the player is okay.  I don't see the defensive players targeting the receiver high.  If only one of either defender had made the hit alone, I see contact on the receiver shoulder.  It is when both contacts him that the head is jammed between them (however both defenders initial contact is with the shoulders on the shoulders (even with the receiver getting lower)).  I am for "err on the side of safety", but my question is why wasn't the flag thrown by any of the officials in the area (even if late) rather than by the L after the player is down. 

[Diablo]

He did not demonstrate possession before the hit and after the hit you can tell he is unconscious by the reaction of the arms

What more could he have done to demonstrate catch & possession?

[TXMike]

Hold on to it all the way through the landing on the ground.

[blindref757]

The wussification of America has invaded us!  I don't see either defender aiming for the head.  I see them aiming for the numbers and the receiver lowering himself as he is trying to score.  No foul, fumble, touchback.

[Locker Room]

Could they not carry it over?  It's a personal foul by the nonscoring team in a down that ended in a touchdown.

  YES

[Curious]

I, too, think this is a catch and fumble. 
Airborne A81 grasps the ball with both hands, comes to the ground, takes a couple of steps backward (toward B's EZ), sees a defender closing in and presses the ball against his belly button, again with both hands.  He has firm control of the ball.  Subsequently, it is the simultaneous hits by the two defenders that causes A81 to lose the grip on the ball. 
BTW, at that time, A81 is no longer a defenseless player.   

It's you and me against the world Diablo!

[Curious]

He did not demonstrate possession before the hit and after the hit you can tell he is unconscious by the reaction of the arms

I can't tell that at all.  Dazed....yes; but unconscious?  His arms are flayling around - which I don't see as a symptom of the loss of consciousness (but I ain't no doctor...are you?).  He may have lost consciousness after he hit the ground.....

[TXMike]

Not a doctor but back when there started to be lots of attention paid to big hits and concussions I recall a trainer saying that if you look at many players at the moment of the hit, there arms tighten up into a "pugilistic posture" which is a sign to the trainer that the person went unconscious. 

[Welpe]

I'm actually surprised there's this much debate on incomplete/fumble.  It seems to me that the receiver doesn't survive contact with the ground which is a well established NCAA philosophy, is it not?

[Osric Pureheart]

I believe the question being raised is "did the reciever establish possession before he started to go to ground?"

[Diablo]

I believe the question being raised is "did the reciever establish possession before he started to go to ground?"

Agree and to answer that question, ask "Is the receiver holding the ball firmly or controlling it while contacting the ground?"

[Curious]

Agree and to answer that question, ask "Is the receiver holding the ball firmly or controlling it while contacting the ground?"

Where the hell is AB?  It would be interesting to get a coach's (not involved in the game) perspective on this issue (the catch; not whether it was a foul).

(Coaches; they're never there when you really need them....)

[El Macman]

I'm actually surprised there's this much debate on incomplete/fumble.  It seems to me that the receiver doesn't survive contact with the ground which is a well established NCAA philosophy, is it not?

Yes, but that's (arguably) not the case. In this case, the receiver, in the opinion of many folks, was not going to the ground before he was contacted, and had demonstrated a firm hold on, and control of, the ball before he was contacted. Thus, the catch had been completed before the contact. So, if you concur with those claims as fact, then the loss of possession after the contact and before he hit the gound is a fumble. The on-field crew ruled incomplete pass. Replay could have 'adjusted' the ruling, due to the immediate recovery by B. They didn't, which means either they a) concurred with the ruling of incomplete (probable), or b) they didn't think the recovery was 'immediate' (possible, but unlikely), or c) they didn't review it (highly unlikely).

[RedTD]

The play was reviewed extensively because of the length of time it took to tend to the injured FSU player.