Head Scratching

[metprof]

Driving back from the game to our RV last night I was ruminating on some real head scratching coaching decisions. Why didn't Crane kick the ball into the end zone????, any time during the game? Giving the Ducks the ball on the 35 or 40 to start their drives was ridiculous. Was he told to do this??? Who came up with the "rush two and have the NT spy" idea? Letting the probable #1 QB in the next NFL draft sit back and wait until receivers cleared zones to throw seemed like an equally ludicrous idea. Yeah, the players made some mistakes but the coaches sure didn't help.

By the way, were too far away from the field to see the targeting and we were sitting under the video board so we couldn't see the replay. Was it the real thing of did the squad of clown car occupants blow the call?

 

[Coug90]

Driving back from the game to our RV last night I was ruminating on some real head scratching coaching decisions. Why didn't Crane kick the ball into the end zone????, any time during the game? Giving the Ducks the ball on the 35 or 40 to start their drives was ridiculous. Was he told to do this??? Who came up with the "rush two and have the NT spy" idea? Letting the probable #1 QB in the next NFL draft sit back and wait until receivers cleared zones to throw seemed like an equally ludicrous idea. Yeah, the players made some mistakes but the coaches sure didn't help.

By the way, were too far away from the field to see the targeting and we were sitting under the video board so we couldn't see the replay. Was it the real thing of did the squad of clown car occupants blow the call?

I think technically it was a targeting, as it was a helmet to helmet hit, but not sure what Brown was to do other that ole him. Dude was a foot off the ground and lowered his head on contact. Then there is another play equally bad if not worse on a hit on Borghi that goes uncalled and unreviewed.

The consistency of penalizing this foul is horrendous (Porter Gustin anyone) and it also seems like we get the short end of the stick on these calls quite frequently. Maybe it’s just perception...

 

[kougkurt]

The hardest part about the targeting was the Ducks fumbled and we recovered

 

[OrangeGravy]

I think technically it was a targeting, as it was a helmet to helmet hit, but not sure what Brown was to do other that ole him. Dude was a foot off the ground and lowered his head on contact. Then there is another play equally bad if not worse on a hit on Borghi that goes uncalled and unreviewed.

The consistency of penalizing this foul is horrendous (Porter Gustin anyone) and it also seems like we get the short end of the stick on these calls quite frequently. Maybe it’s just perception...

I think that was a really bad call. The kid was stumbling and about to go down himself. Our defender was pretty much flat footed and caught him so to speak. He did lower his shoulders and head, but that's a natural reaction when someone is barreling into your knees. He didn't launch himself or anything. The least aggressive targeting you might ever see

 

[Glad Cougar]

I think technically it was a targeting, as it was a helmet to helmet hit, but not sure what Brown was to do other that ole him. Dude was a foot off the ground and lowered his head on contact. Then there is another play equally bad if not worse on a hit on Borghi that goes uncalled and unreviewed.

The consistency of penalizing this foul is horrendous (Porter Gustin anyone) and it also seems like we get the short end of the stick on these calls quite frequently. Maybe it’s just perception...

I totally agree that Brown's targeting, which was called and upheld, was not even close to being as egregious as the one put on Borghi along the sideline a short time later. Of course, the Borghi hit was not called or even reviewed.

Really maddening to read the Duck comments on OLive and see how many of their fans thought the officials were screwing UO over....and did all they could to give the game away to the Cougars. There were a couple of bad calls against the Ducks, but certainly the bad officiating carried over to both teams, even though I, as a typical fan of my team, would argue WSU got the worst of it. Not the reason we lost, but it was a contributing factor in a close game.

Glad Cougar

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

I totally agree that Brown's targeting, which was called and upheld, was not even close to being as egregious as the one put on Borghi along the sideline a short time later. Of course, the Borghi hit was not called or even reviewed.

Really maddening to read the Duck comments on OLive and see how many of their fans thought the officials were screwing UO over....and did all they could to give the game away to the Cougars. There were a couple of bad calls against the Ducks, but certainly the bad officiating carried over to both teams, even though I, as a typical fan of my team, would argue WSU got the worst of it. Not the reason we lost, but it was a contributing factor in a close game.

Glad Cougar

The hubris is that fan base is sickening. Theyre mad that they didnt win by more... Because that team is sooooooo great.

Theyve got a cakewalk to a playoff game now, at which theyll get trounced by 30+ points.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Brown lowered his head and deserved the penalty. If you have access to ESPN, the replay is currently available on the watchespn site. The play happens at 3:44 to go in the 2nd quarter. Brown clearly lowers his head and strikes helmet to helmet with a guy who is almost on the ground where there was no need to do anything more than flop on him to get him the rest of the way onto the ground. That guy wasn't going to juke him or make any additional moves. His hit knocked the kid out of the game with a concussion.......meaning that it's the kind of hit that specifically warranted a targeting call.

Kids like Tyler Hilinski are dying with there being strong evidence that helmet to helmet hits like these are the cause of the development of CTE. Again, the reason why these rules are in place is with good reason and as an attempt to save the game from disappearing completely.

 

[dgibbons]

Brown lowered his head and deserved the penalty. If you have access to ESPN, the replay is currently available on the watchespn site. The play happens at 3:44 to go in the 2nd quarter. Brown clearly lowers his head and strikes helmet to helmet with a guy who is almost on the ground where there was no need to do anything more than flop on him to get him the rest of the way onto the ground. That guy wasn't going to juke him or make any additional moves. His hit knocked the kid out of the game with a concussion.......meaning that it's the kind of hit that specifically warranted a targeting call.

Kids like Tyler Hilinski are dying with there being strong evidence that helmet to helmet hits like these are the cause of the development of CTE. Again, the reason why these rules are in place is with good reason and as an attempt to save the game from disappearing completely.

Just going to point out that the running back lowered his head. Not sure why you’re (yet again) taking a moral stance when the circumstances are not at all warranted.

 

[billyjoecamaro]

Hasn't our kicker been sticking them in the end zone on kickoffs all year? Why the sudden change? This was a huge decision, if it was intentional.

 

[CougPatrol]

Theyve got a cakewalk to a playoff game now, at which theyll get trounced by 30+ points.

Like Hell they do. Oregon still has games at USC, at ASU, vs. Oregon State, and against Utah in the P12 championship.

No way they survive all of them.

 

[ElComanche]

I think that the ducks run the rest of their schedule

 

[couginphx]

I see a lot of people upset about the decision to play back and not send really any rushers, and because we lost, I get questioning that. However, I would counter, we seem to blitz/send an extra rusher a lot in games prior to this, and frankly this year, we sure don't seem to get much pressure when we do, like seemingly ever. So its sort of a pick your poison argument, IMO.

To me the bigger picture is the lack of defensive talent on the field, that unfortunately can't be addressed until the off-season and likely the next 2-3 recruiting cycles, but its shockingly bad.

It isn't getting better this year, and it sucks.

 

[dgibbons]

I see a lot of people upset about the decision to play back and not send really any rushers, and because we lost, I get questioning that. However, I would counter, we seem to blitz/send an extra rusher a lot in games prior to this, and frankly this year, we sure don't seem to get much pressure when we do, like seemingly ever. So its sort of a pick your poison argument, IMO.

To me the bigger picture is the lack of defensive talent on the field, that unfortunately can't be addressed until the off-season and likely the next 2-3 recruiting cycles, but its shockingly bad.

It isn't getting better this year, and it sucks.

I don't know that anything was working on defense as the game was winding down. Oregon's second to last possession ground to a halt because Herbert air mailed a pass. So, I agree, pick your poison. I didn't like the prevent because it's playing not to lose instead of playing to win.

 

[GrayOnGray]

It's always hard to lose a tight game in literally the last second, especially a team as nauseating as the ducks. So I understand the frustration, but I was relieved to see, and proud of how much this team has improved. We were playing some really bad defense a few games ago, and this was one of the best offenses I the conference.

 

[cougarhawk1]

Just going to point out that the running back lowered his head. Not sure why you’re (yet again) taking a moral stance when the circumstances are not at all warranted.

exactly, if the RB is 12 inches off the ground, with one hand on the ground-and you are trying to keep him from picking up a crucial yard, you get low and go at him-split second instinctive move-clearly unintentional-you cant use your "chest "in that situation. Targeting is hitting above the chest shoulder area -99% of the time when the offensive player is upright and not a foot off the ground with a hand on the turf, and you are leading with your head. I wouldn't have called it here and it was not intentional.

 

[fingerdisco]

ARTICLE 3. Targeting and Making Forcible Contact With the Crown of the Helmet(A.R. 9-1-3:I)
Approved ruling 9-1-3
No player shall target and make forcible contact against an opponent with the crown (top) of his helmet. This foul requires that there be at least one indicator of targeting (See Note 1 below). When in question, it is a foul (Rule 9-6).

Note 1: “Targeting” means that a player takes aim at an opponent for purposes of attacking with forcible contact that goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball. Some indicators of targeting include but are not limited to:

• Launch—a player leaving his feet to attack an opponent by an upward and forward thrust of the body to make forcible contact in the head or neck area
  
• A crouch followed by an upward and forward thrust to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area, even though one or both feet are still on the ground
  
• Leading with helmet, shoulder, forearm, fist, hand or elbow to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area
  
• Lowering the head before attacking by initiating forcible contact with the crown of the helmet

It's a no-brainer...the rule is clear and what he did fits the highlighted text to a tee.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

exactly, if the RB is 12 inches off the ground, with one hand on the ground-and you are trying to keep him from picking up a crucial yard, you get low and go at him-split second instinctive move-clearly unintentional-you cant use your "chest "in that situation. Targeting is hitting above the chest shoulder area -99% of the time when the offensive player is upright and not a foot off the ground with a hand on the turf, and you are leading with your head. I wouldn't have called it here and it was not intentional.

No.....you don't. You go ahead and hit him, but you keep your fuggin' head up. As to the earlier question about taking a moral stance? Yeah, here's a list of players who committed suicide that had CTE:

Tyler Hilinski
Terry Luther Long
Andre Waters
Shane Dronett
Dave Duerson
Ray Easterling
Junior Seau
Aaron Hernandez

Everyone knows that there is a link between playing football and CTE and helmet to helmet hits are the most likely cause. So yeah, I'm going to take a moral stance that a player should avoid making the kind of hit that Travion Brown made against Oregon. Travion isn't a bad dude for the hit, but he was an idiot for making that hit and I guarantee that in their film session on Sunday, Leach said something along the lines of, "You guys need to be smarter than that and know that you are probably going to be out of the game if you do that". If Brown had kept his head up........he wouldn't have been flagged.

 

[Fab5Coug]

I totally agree that Brown's targeting, which was called and upheld, was not even close to being as egregious as the one put on Borghi along the sideline a short time later. Of course, the Borghi hit was not called or even reviewed.

Really maddening to read the Duck comments on OLive and see how many of their fans thought the officials were screwing UO over....and did all they could to give the game away to the Cougars. There were a couple of bad calls against the Ducks, but certainly the bad officiating carried over to both teams, even though I, as a typical fan of my team, would argue WSU got the worst of it. Not the reason we lost, but it was a contributing factor in a close game.

Glad Cougar

Those couple of PI calls against the Ducks, in particular the one against Easop, were brutal. I guarantee, our fans would be losing their minds had that been one of our DBs called for DPI.

 

[dgibbons]

No.....you don't. You go ahead and hit him, but you keep your fuggin' head up. As to the earlier question about taking a moral stance? Yeah, here's a list of players who committed suicide that had CTE:

Tyler Hilinski
Terry Luther Long
Andre Waters
Shane Dronett
Dave Duerson
Ray Easterling
Junior Seau
Aaron Hernandez

Everyone knows that there is a link between playing football and CTE and helmet to helmet hits are the most likely cause. So yeah, I'm going to take a moral stance that a player should avoid making the kind of hit that Travion Brown made against Oregon. Travion isn't a bad dude for the hit, but he was an idiot for making that hit and I guarantee that in their film session on Sunday, Leach said something along the lines of, "You guys need to be smarter than that and know that you are probably going to be out of the game if you do that". If Brown had kept his head up........he wouldn't have been flagged.

Why aren't you taking the same moral stance on the Oregon running back? Since this is a moral stance and all, doesn't seem like you should be blaming one player when another was just as guilty.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Like Hell they do. Oregon still has games at USC, at ASU, vs. Oregon State, and against Utah in the P12 championship.

No way they survive all of them.

Which $C will show up? Which ASU will show up? Oregon state is showing flashes but is still at least a year away. Utah has to stay healthy until December, which for some reason never seems to happen.

But yes, its a veritable gauntlet of FBS Powerhouses.

 

[taf88]

Those couple of PI calls against the Ducks, in particular the one against Easop, were brutal. I guarantee, our fans would be losing their minds had that been one of our DBs called for DPI.

What we didn’t see was what happened prior to Winston mugging the Oregon DB. I recall Greaseball saying there was a lot of hand activity on the play, so assuming the Oregon DB was pushing, grabbing, and holding.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

No.....you don't. You go ahead and hit him, but you keep your fuggin' head up. As to the earlier question about taking a moral stance? Yeah, here's a list of players who committed suicide that had CTE:

Tyler Hilinski
Terry Luther Long
Andre Waters
Shane Dronett
Dave Duerson
Ray Easterling
Junior Seau
Aaron Hernandez

Everyone knows that there is a link between playing football and CTE and helmet to helmet hits are the most likely cause. So yeah, I'm going to take a moral stance that a player should avoid making the kind of hit that Travion Brown made against Oregon. Travion isn't a bad dude for the hit, but he was an idiot for making that hit and I guarantee that in their film session on Sunday, Leach said something along the lines of, "You guys need to be smarter than that and know that you are probably going to be out of the game if you do that". If Brown had kept his head up........he wouldn't have been flagged.

What Brown did was instinctive to protect his own head from being removed from his body. If you've ever put on pads and a helmet and actually hit someone you would know this. You instinctively tuck your chin to your chest so you don't decapitate yourself with the impending collision.

There is a stark difference between what Brown (and many other players do, LIKE RUNNING BACKS ON EVERY "FUGGIN" PLAY) did and what that douche-nugget $C player did to Minshew last year - running start, launched and left his feet, and ear-holed GM with the crown of his helmet. (and no targeting was called, it should be mentioned.)

I realize and know what the rule states, but like the P12 officiating, the rule is broken. Its not enforced evenly or correctly, and it misses the mark on its desired effect on the game.

Your moral outrage is misplaced and misinformed again.

 

[CougSam]

No.....you don't. You go ahead and hit him, but you keep your fuggin' head up. As to the earlier question about taking a moral stance? Yeah, here's a list of players who committed suicide that had CTE
Tyler Hilinski
Terry Luther Long
Andre Waters
Shane Dronett
Dave Duerson
Ray Easterling
Junior Seau
Aaron Hernandez

Everyone knows that there is a link between playing football and CTE and helmet to helmet hits are the most likely cause. So yeah, I'm going to take a moral stance that a player should avoid making the kind of hit that Travion Brown made against Oregon. Travion isn't a bad dude for the hit, but he was an idiot for making that hit and I guarantee that in their film session on Sunday, Leach said something along the lines of, "You guys need to be smarter than that and know that you are probably going to be out of the game if you do that". If Brown had kept his head up........he wouldn't have been flagged.

I am with you Flat......if he leads with his face ask instead if the crown of the helmet it may not have been called.
We must get the violent head shots out of football or we are going to see a lot more Anacortes High School situations.....a 2A high school without enough kids to field a varsity football team!!!

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

I am with you Flat......if he leads with his face ask instead if the crown of the helmet it may not have been called.
We must get the violent head shots out of football or we are going to see a lot more Anacortes High School situations.....a 2A high school without enough kids to field a varsity football team!!!

RAGE! RAGE! RAGE!

No one wants to get rid of violent hits in football. At least no one who really has the power to make it happen. Everyone knows the answer - ditch the helmets - but that would mean no violent hits, and that is what sells tickets.

But yeah, lets try to legislate hitting out of football by handing out what in effect are slaps on the wrist. Yes, losing a starter hurts WSU, but bigger programs not so much. The NFL fine is a drop in the bucket.

Is the answer to say "f it, just let them be animals"? Maybe? Faced with the lack of a better solution, maybe? But lets not fool ourselves into believing anything that is currently being done is making a difference.

 

[froropmkr72]

I think that the ducks run the rest of their schedule

New duck fan...good for you.

 

[CougEd]

No.....you don't. You go ahead and hit him, but you keep your fuggin' head up. As to the earlier question about taking a moral stance? Yeah, here's a list of players who committed suicide that had CTE:

Tyler Hilinski
Terry Luther Long
Andre Waters
Shane Dronett
Dave Duerson
Ray Easterling
Junior Seau
Aaron Hernandez

Everyone knows that there is a link between playing football and CTE and helmet to helmet hits are the most likely cause. So yeah, I'm going to take a moral stance that a player should avoid making the kind of hit that Travion Brown made against Oregon. Travion isn't a bad dude for the hit, but he was an idiot for making that hit and I guarantee that in their film session on Sunday, Leach said something along the lines of, "You guys need to be smarter than that and know that you are probably going to be out of the game if you do that". If Brown had kept his head up........he wouldn't have been flagged.

Fred McNeil belongs on that list. Gale Sayers, Tony Dorsett have altered personalities from the hits to the head.

It was targeting but in that position it is almost impossible to direct the blow anywhere else.

With all the other crappy calls, both ways, how is it Oregon always seems to get away with a very obvious pass interference penalty late in the game when it is critical?

 

[CougEd]

New duck fan...good for you.

Why does an opinion about El thinking Ducks will run the table make him a fan.

I think our President will not get removed from office and somehow he wins reelection, but that does not make me a fan.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Why aren't you taking the same moral stance on the Oregon running back? Since this is a moral stance and all, doesn't seem like you should be blaming one player when another was just as guilty.

Because the Oregon running back was falling to the ground at the end of the play and not laying a hit on our player? There are definitely instances of offensive players lowering their heads and creating contact......this wasn't one of them. I wish that there was an easy way to share the video of the play but this play is just not one that you can blame on the running back. He was horizontal with the ground and all Brown had to do was flop on top of him and he wouldn't have changed the yardage gained by more than 1/2 of a yard. By the way, the targeting happened on an 11 yard gain when it was 3rd and 21.........so there was no need to worry about that 1/2 yard difference.

As for Bleed's comment, I get so tired of the Al Bundy's of the world popping up their heads and saying, "Back when I played ball........". Newsflash! I played football my junior year in high school. Ol' Flat has one career INT to his name (and maybe one or two missed tackles). I understand that ducking your head is an instinctive move to make. Heck, I just about got paralyzed when I ducked my head to stop an opposing running back from getting a first down. My arms were tingling for 10 minutes after that play (I did get the stop though!). Everyone who has played football has done it but it's something that needs to be coached out of the game if we want it to survive. Dye was knocked out of the game with a concussion from that hit, which is exactly why the rule exists. It was a pointless helmet to helmet hit that didn't accomplish anything meaningful.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Fred McNeil belongs on that list. Gale Sayers, Tony Dorsett have altered personalities from the hits to the head.

It was targeting but in that position it is almost impossible to direct the blow anywhere else.

With all the other crappy calls, both ways, how is it Oregon always seems to get away with a very obvious pass interference penalty late in the game when it is critical?

I think everyone agrees that it was a poorly officiated game. I guarantee that Oregon feels like they got it worse and they are probably right. We had 4 penalties for 36 yards. They had 9 penalties for 100 yards. Who has the most substantial case from a raw numbers perspective?

Even the penalties that they got right were often controversial. The PI called when Patmon was "out of bounds" could have gone either way. The defender initiated contact but Patmon pushed the kid 3 yards downfield before he caught the ball. That's why Cristobal lost his mind and drew a penalty on himself. I think the officials got it right.....but it was close and I guarantee that Duck fans don't agree.

 

[CougEd]

I think everyone agrees that it was a poorly officiated game. I guarantee that Oregon feels like they got it worse and they are probably right. We had 4 penalties for 36 yards. They had 9 penalties for 100 yards. Who has the most substantial case from a raw numbers perspective?

Even the penalties that they got right were often controversial. The PI called when Patmon was "out of bounds" could have gone either way. The defender initiated contact but Patmon pushed the kid 3 yards downfield before he caught the ball. That's why Cristobal lost his mind and drew a penalty on himself. I think the officials got it right.....but it was close and I guarantee that Duck fans don't agree.

Don't get me wrong, I think Oregon has plenty to complain about, but the most obvious PI was on the pass to Martin. Maybe that was a make up call for the fall on either Patman or Winston.

 

[froropmkr72]

Why does an opinion about El thinking Ducks will run the table make him a fan.

I think our President will not get removed from office and somehow he wins reelection, but that does not make me a fan.

Please. Don't be so disingenuous. He's been disillusioned since the firing of our basketball coach. If all you see contempt for all WSU sports because one decision disillusioned so much...you were never a fan in the first place.

 

[CougEd]

Please. Don't be so disingenuous. He's been disillusioned since the firing of our basketball coach. If all you see contempt for all WSU sports because one decision disillusioned so much...you were never a fan in the first place.

I am not following you. Because we fired Kent he thinks Oregon who has a relatively easy schedule moving forward will win out and Kent is the reason ?

I don’t have disdain for the program and they fired an acquaintance of mine and replaced with Kent. I can look at Oregon’s schedule and say they are heavily favored in the remaining games and they don’t play a team that has their talent . I guess I am not following your logic .

 

[Glad Cougar]

I think everyone agrees that it was a poorly officiated game. I guarantee that Oregon feels like they got it worse and they are probably right. We had 4 penalties for 36 yards. They had 9 penalties for 100 yards. Who has the most substantial case from a raw numbers perspective?

Even the penalties that they got right were often controversial. The PI called when Patmon was "out of bounds" could have gone either way. The defender initiated contact but Patmon pushed the kid 3 yards downfield before he caught the ball. That's why Cristobal lost his mind and drew a penalty on himself. I think the officials got it right.....but it was close and I guarantee that Duck fans don't agree.

I don't disagree with a lot of what you say, but please don't mistake the number of penalties against each team as an indicator of who got favorable officiating. One of the most critical officiating blunders had nothing to do with a penalty....it was the failure to even check with replay on the 3rd down pass by Herbert that appeared to hit the ground on their last TD drive. At the very least, that needed to be confirmed as a catch. I thought it was incomplete and it would have possibly kept UO from getting the 7 points (even though they might have gone for it on 4th down and still scored a TD).

I have a long history of not bitching about the officiating....and the Cougars themselves are responsible for the loss. But I don't think Duck fans have any justification for thinking they got screwed worse than we did by the officials in that game.

Glad Cougar

 

[fingerdisco]

RAGE! RAGE! RAGE!

No one wants to get rid of violent hits in football. At least no one who really has the power to make it happen. Everyone knows the answer - ditch the helmets - but that would mean no violent hits, and that is what sells tickets.

But yeah, lets try to legislate hitting out of football by handing out what in effect are slaps on the wrist. Yes, losing a starter hurts WSU, but bigger programs not so much. The NFL fine is a drop in the bucket.

Is the answer to say "f it, just let them be animals"? Maybe? Faced with the lack of a better solution, maybe? But lets not fool ourselves into believing anything that is currently being done is making a difference.

You can't say that it's not making a difference...not unless you've done a sophisticated statistical analysis controlling for other confounding variables, and enough years of pre- and post-targeting rule data to make a valid comparison. It may not make a difference--it's probably too soon into the rule to draw any conclusion--but if it does and one less kid ends up with severe spinal injury or brain trauma just by having a rule that says you can't use your head to tackle with, that seems like a reasonable rule to have in the game. To suggest anybody is legislating hitting out of football is a straw man--they are trying to minimize brain/spine trauma.

 

[froropmkr72]

I am not following you. Because we fired Kent he thinks Oregon who has a relatively easy schedule moving forward will win out and Kent is the reason ?

I don’t have disdain for the program and they fired an acquaintance of mine and replaced with Kent. I can look at Oregon’s schedule and say they are heavily favored in the remaining games and they don’t play a team that has their talent . I guess I am not following your logic .

If you have disdain (all he brings to the table these days) for WSU, follow someone else. You need bring to break it down any further? Now that he's nothing but sarcastic...you're defending him. Guess I don't follow your logic.

 

[dgibbons]

Because the Oregon running back was falling to the ground at the end of the play and not laying a hit on our player? There are definitely instances of offensive players lowering their heads and creating contact......this wasn't one of them. I wish that there was an easy way to share the video of the play but this play is just not one that you can blame on the running back. He was horizontal with the ground and all Brown had to do was flop on top of him and he wouldn't have changed the yardage gained by more than 1/2 of a yard. By the way, the targeting happened on an 11 yard gain when it was 3rd and 21.........so there was no need to worry about that 1/2 yard difference.

As for Bleed's comment, I get so tired of the Al Bundy's of the world popping up their heads and saying, "Back when I played ball........". Newsflash! I played football my junior year in high school. Ol' Flat has one career INT to his name (and maybe one or two missed tackles). I understand that ducking your head is an instinctive move to make. Heck, I just about got paralyzed when I ducked my head to stop an opposing running back from getting a first down. My arms were tingling for 10 minutes after that play (I did get the stop though!). Everyone who has played football has done it but it's something that needs to be coached out of the game if we want it to survive. Dye was knocked out of the game with a concussion from that hit, which is exactly why the rule exists. It was a pointless helmet to helmet hit that didn't accomplish anything meaningful.

Your moral outrage is still misplaced. If the RB takes out Brown's knee and he misses a season and a half in recovery, what does your all mighty moral compass tell you?

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

You can't say that it's not making a difference...not unless you've done a sophisticated statistical analysis controlling for other confounding variables, and enough years of pre- and post-targeting rule data to make a valid comparison. It may not make a difference--it's probably too soon into the rule to draw any conclusion--but if it does and one less kid ends up with severe spinal injury or brain trauma just by having a rule that says you can't use your head to tackle with, that seems like a reasonable rule to have in the game. To suggest anybody is legislating hitting out of football is a straw man--they are trying to minimize brain/spine trauma.

Ok Mr Wizard. What statistical data would you like and I'll see if I can find it.

The only thing that might be tracked is # of concussions pre vs post rule, or number of head and neck injuries pre vs post rule. Open to other suggestions.

 

[chipdouglas]

I just haven't been exposed to Duck Nation the way others have as I haven't lived in SEA for more than a decade, but I'm starting to understand why they are so reviled even outside of Montlake. Oregon was largely a bum program that was catapulted into national relevance overnight with Chip Kelly. I wish I could track down the article I found years ago showing that their application admissions 10x'd as the football program grew, and of course all the roach-burning slackers started attending games as it became a quasi-required student activity, which created a really low quality/knowledge average fan.

I bring that up because the things I was reading from Oregon fans even after the game made it sound like this was a start-to-finish Skull & Bones payola screwjob. I'm not talking about a couple posters here and there, I'm talking about dozens of fans expressing majority sentiment across several boards who believe that virtually every call was a personal attack directly tied to Vegas betting, and that WSU was victimized not even once. "We had to beat WSU **AND** the refs!" I sense that as the average fan becomes more of a football dunce, the sensationalist hot takes on games just get worse and worse.

 

[fingerdisco]

Ok Mr Wizard. What statistical data would you like and I'll see if I can find it.

The only thing that might be tracked is # of concussions pre vs post rule, or number of head and neck injuries pre vs post rule. Open to other suggestions.

No need to be a snarky ass because I disagree that the rule has no potential to reduce brain/spine trauma.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

No need to be a snarky ass because I disagree that the rule has no potential to reduce brain/spine trauma.

Bro... this board is the home of snark. That was about as friendly as snark gets around here, and it was sincere to boot. Tell me which data you think would be relevant and I'll see what I can find.