This just popped up online for me. Had long forgotten about this play. Of course, you watch it from today's perspective and it seems like a no-brainer game-winning TD.
Anyone here attend the 1986 UGA game?
- Thread starter 18IsTheMan
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Yes, I was a senior in high school. I remember it being a little confusing, but my buddy was quick to point out that you can't advance a fumble, so we knew the game was over.
While perfectly legal, it was not the smartest play by the UGA qb, no review back in the day. What if the refs made a mistake? Just take a knee once there was no time left and there would have been zero chance at there being a mistake by the refs.
While perfectly legal, it was not the smartest play by the UGA qb, no review back in the day. What if the refs made a mistake? Just take a knee once there was no time left and there would have been zero chance at there being a mistake by the refs.
Yes. I was there and remember it well. The fans in the stands including me were screaming "we won, we won". Then we saw everyone walking off the field and it was clear our guys weren't happy.
Yep, clear-cut at the time. I guess the only possible point of discussion was whether there was any time left on the clock.
It's funny that though the rule at the time was you can't advance a fumble unless it as caught in the air, the player celebrated what he thought was a TD and the fans initially went crazy. It begs the question why anyone would have thought it was a TD.
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Tell that to #29 who was jubilant and tens of thousands of fans in the stands who thought we scored a game-winning TD.
Can't say why, but a bunch of folks right there thought we had the TD.
I always thought it was a bad rule. That one ought to be the same at every level of football, including high school.
Anyhow, the quarterback who put the ball on the ground evidently knew the rules. The confusion of our fans would have evaporated quickly if our players and coaches had given the appearance of knowing the rules. And at any rate, the game was over.
Based on the QB's reaction, I don't think he knew the rules either.
Had that Uh Oh reaction and was thinking his hot dogging was a mistake.
Had that Uh Oh reaction and was thinking his hot dogging was a mistake.
I was watching on tv and Dooley's post game comments to the reporter made it obvious he was not happy about the qb's actions. He made a comment along the lines of "we'll have to coach him a little better". I could only imagine the intense "coaching" the qb was going to get.
The qb said he was watching the clock as he ran around and when it hit 00:00 he put the ball down because he knew the game was over. The crowd reaction made him have second thoughts. Being able to advance a fumble is one of the best rule changes in my lifetime. I wish they had that rule in HS football.
The qb said he was watching the clock as he ran around and when it hit 00:00 he put the ball down because he knew the game was over. The crowd reaction made him have second thoughts. Being able to advance a fumble is one of the best rule changes in my lifetime. I wish they had that rule in HS football.
Pray tell how? It was a fumble, recovered by USC but time had expired and fumbles could not be advanced in those days.
I was 10 or 11 at the time, I went to the game with a friend, I had the tickets and his mom would pick us up.
She didn't want to get caught in traffic and we had to leave early to meet his mom, we heard the stadium go bonkers, but I never saw it live
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She didn't want to get caught in traffic and we had to leave early to meet his mom, we heard the stadium go bonkers, but I never saw it live
.That was the weekend before I went to Bootcamp. I have very hazy memories of that weekend, but I thought that someone in a referee shirt came on the field and signaled a touchdown. That season was anything but boring.
I've never seen that play before and didn't know about the fumble advance rule either. Glad they changed it!
On the play though, I'm thinking that would be considered a forward pass with intentional grounding today. It appears to me that he flipped the ball backwards towards the line of scrimmage, which would, I believe, constitute a forward pass. The ball obviously didn't come close to the line of scrimmage, so it would be intentional grounding.
On the play though, I'm thinking that would be considered a forward pass with intentional grounding today. It appears to me that he flipped the ball backwards towards the line of scrimmage, which would, I believe, constitute a forward pass. The ball obviously didn't come close to the line of scrimmage, so it would be intentional grounding.
I guess the question is this: if the rule at the time had always been that a defensive could not advance a fumble that hit the ground, why did the player celebrate? Per the longstanding rule in place in 1986, this was a no-brainer. Why would he even think for a second that it could be a TD? He's jubilant...jumping up and down with arms raised. And he didn't hesitate but picked up the ball and immediately took off for the end zone.