Tennessee's Lane Kiffin acknowledged that he decided against running another play before his team set up for a field goal that would have beaten Alabama because he was fearful officials would have found another way to penalize his team.
Tennessee was one of the nation's least-penalized teams entering Saturday's game, but was flagged eight times for 68 yards. Alabama, which had been flagged 10 times for 113 yards the previous Saturday against South Carolina, was penalized only once for 10 yards.
"You run another play and you throw an interception or they throw another flag on us — I wasn't going to let the refs lose the game for us there and some magical flag appear," Kiffin said.
Instead, Kiffin sent in Daniel Lincoln to attempt a 44-yard field goal on the final play. It was blocked by Terrence Cody.
The beefy Alabama noseguard then took off his helmet and ran up the field to celebrate while the ball was still in play. Check the video.
"If a play's still going, you can't take your helmet off," Kiffin said. "A guy throws his helmet as the ball's still live. He throws his helmet and then two of their guys go and recover the ball. It's a 15-yard penalty, and you kick again."
Kiffin knew what was coming next.
"I'm sure we'll get one of those letters that mean nothing, that [Arkansas coach] Bobby [Petrino] got last week, but Florida and Alabama live on,'' Kiffin said.
Kiffin's letter arrived Monday. Mississippi State's Dan Mullen was also reprimanded.
If Kiffin is reprimanded one more time this year, he will be suspended by the SEC. Fortunately, he has assistant Ed Orgeron to carry on the fight.
Orgeron, the Mississippi coach from 2005-07, let the officials have it Monday night during an appearance before the Knoxville Quarterback Club.
"Seems like some people get the calls and some people don't," Orgeron said. "I've been in this league and I've been a part of that. Whether that's true or not, you can never prove that.
"I do know this: there were some very questionable calls in that game that could have went either way and they went Alabama's side. There were very questionable calls throughout the season and it seems they go for the better team. Whether that's true or not, we can never prove that but that's what it seems like."
Watch the last 1:02 of the Tennessee-Alabama game below. CBS analyst Gary Danielson remarks that Cody could have been penalized. "I don't want to get into these conspiracies anymore," Danielson said. "I'll let somebody else handle that."
We just did.
You might want to brush up on the rules of football before posting about "conspiracies." Cody taking his helmet off would be treated as a dead ball foul. No time left on the clock, no NEXT play to enforce it on. If there had been time left on the clock, Bama would have retained possession and it's a 15 yard penalty. Victory formation.
Posted by: Kristen | October 27, 2009 at 05:32 AM
Thats only a part of the conspiracy. The fact that bama only had 1 flag the whole game despite an obvious offsides, the fact that tennessee got penalized whenever they were moving into scoring position. The sec officiating is the worst I have ever seen. These officials are a huge black mark on our conference
Posted by: vw | October 27, 2009 at 05:46 AM
Kristen,
You might want to brush up on your rules! Game cannot end on a defensive penalty! Bama and gators move on just like the SEC wants!
Where there is smoke there is fire!
Posted by: fan | October 27, 2009 at 07:48 AM
There has been a lot of discussion about the "no call" on Cody taking off his helmet. I haven't seen any discussion on what appears to been an obvious penalty on Julio Jones for "leaping" on the final play. Look at the film of the final play and look behind the defensive line of scrimmage for Alabama's #8 and then read the rule on "leaping". If called, the penalty is 15 yards and a rekick.
" No defensive player who runs forward from beyond the neutral zone and leaps from beyond the neutral zone in an obvious attempt to block a field goal or try may land on any player(s). It is not a foul if the leaping player was aligned in a stationary position within one yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped."
So how come a penalty wasn't called and why isn't Lane screaming about this?
Posted by: cleetis | October 27, 2009 at 07:59 AM
fan---
It's treated as a DEADBALL foul. And that does not extend the game.
Extension of Periods
ARTICLE 3. A period shall be extended until a down (other than a try), free from live-ball fouls not penalized as dead-ball fouls, has been played when:
a. A penalty is accepted for a live-ball foul(s) not penalized as a dead-ball foul that occurs during a down in which time expires (Exception: Rule 10-2-2-g-1) (A.R. 3-2-3-I-VIII).
b. Offsetting fouls occur during a down in which time expires.
c. An inadvertent whistle is sounded or an official signals the ball dead during a down in which time expires.
Posted by: Kristen | October 27, 2009 at 08:34 AM
Except Kristen, Kiffen is pointing out that it wasn't a deadball foul. Dude took off his helmet way before the ball was recovered. The quote is pretty clear, so don't be dense.
"A guy throws his helmet as the ball's still live. He throws his helmet and then two of their guys go and recover the ball. It's a 15-yard penalty, and you kick again."
Posted by: Jay Koester | October 27, 2009 at 09:31 AM
Kiffin doesn't know the rule correctly, as Andy Staples pointed out on SI.com - the helmet removal is not enforced as a defensive penalty but a deadball penalty even if it happens while the ball is still live. If there was time remaining it would have been Bama's ball 15 yards back of the recovery.
Posted by: The Ref | October 27, 2009 at 09:50 AM
Thank you, Ref.
No one can seem to understand the fact that it is TREATED as a DEAD-BALL FOUL.
Doen't matter if the ball is live or not. The penalty would be enforced on the NEXT play. Still Bama's ball. No re-kick.
Sheesh.
Posted by: Kristen | October 27, 2009 at 09:55 AM
I am sick of the conspiracy idiots. Criticize officiating all you want. You're right, it does suck and it is wildly inconsistent. But please stop acting like it's being done intentionally. It makes all of you look foolish.
Per Andy Staples' SI.com column:
Because Alabama blocked and recovered the ball, Alabama had possession. The game can't end on a defensive penalty, but because of the possession change, Alabama wasn't on defense. We'll let SEC spokesman Charles Bloom take it from here.
"The foul for taking helmet off is a live ball foul treated as a dead-ball foul," Bloom wrote in an e-mail Saturday night. "That is, if it happens on a play where time does not expire then the penalty is enforced on the following play. However since the clock ran out on that play, then there is no next play, so there is no penalty to mark off."
But wait, Andy Staples went to, you guessed it, FLORIDA! So he must be part of the coverup. Right? RIGHT?
We anxiously await an official correction on this now proven-to-be incorrect post from The Wiz. I have a feeling it may be a while, though.
On the bright side, there is a future for all of you at Fox News.
Posted by: Bobby Fenton | October 27, 2009 at 11:42 AM
If you believe Kiffin's excuse for not running another play, I've got some ocean-front property in Kansas I'd like to sell you.
Posted by: PNG1983 | October 27, 2009 at 01:12 PM