Matthews Celebration
It's hard to put a finger on the best thing about "Forcier to Matthews" with :11 left, but I think we can all agree on the worst thing: the blunted celebration. Imagine what we would have seen if the clock read all zeros? I found this quote on page 2 of ESPN that sums up my feelings pretty well.
"The only downer was what happened just after the winning touchdown. If you missed it, here's the scene: Tate Forcier completes a legend-making drive with another great scramble-and-throw, hitting receiver Greg Mathews with just 11 seconds left. The archrival is vanquished. The Big House goes bananas. The Wolverines run to mob Mathews. Then the ref steps in, takes the ball from Mathews and reminds him not to celebrate. At the same time, Rich Rod desperately waves for the rest of his team to restrain its enthusiasm and stay on the sideline. Nice job, NCAA. What a shame it would've been for those players to celebrate one of the biggest moments of their athletic careers. What's next? Are you gonna ask the crowd to keep it down, too? Or maybe you should just cut to the chase and play in an empty stadium. All that cheering for the home team probably hurts the visitors' feelings."
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=dameshek/090916
I remember "Henne to Maningham" and the complete chaos that ensued and how glorious that was. I know I am splitting hairs at this point but the NCAA has a history of calling ridiculous celebration penalties over the past few years and what is so bad about letting 19 year-olds be 19 year-olds?
September 18th, 2009 at 7:22 PM ^
I prefer the celebrations to happen at :00, lest you have a gut punch like Colorado in 1994....
September 18th, 2009 at 7:34 PM ^
I like that the refs are quick to hand out penalties for unsportsmanlike behavior after touchdowns ;)
September 18th, 2009 at 7:42 PM ^
15 yards can prove quite handy.
September 18th, 2009 at 7:43 PM ^
armando allen got the pf for excessive celebration
September 18th, 2009 at 10:41 PM ^
His flag was for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Two different things in this case, as he (allen) was "taunting the crowd"
September 18th, 2009 at 7:43 PM ^
Seeing USC get away with the celebratory equivalent of genocide when they kicked our butts back in '07... man. To hell with that flashy Bro shit.
Also
"The archrival is vanquished." this is wrong. There were 11 seconds left. Game not over, therefore rival not vanquished.
Also
Handing the ball to the ref is a good thing. Keeps us on their good side.
September 18th, 2009 at 7:51 PM ^
for the Immaculate Deception (Titan's kickoff return vs. Bills), I agree with the calmed celebration. However, if clock reads :00, then commence going apeshit.
September 18th, 2009 at 9:03 PM ^
for the Music City Miracle. Maybe we sat next to each other. Maybe I high-fived you.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:01 PM ^
hand it to the ref, celebrate with your teammates, stay classy, and get back to work.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:24 PM ^
It's Mathews, with one "t." Come on, the guy's a senior.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:46 PM ^
I think Mathews handed the ball to the ref because it seems like Rich Rod has placed an emphasis on handing the ball to the refs after every play.
To me it almost seemed like he was about to run by the ref, but saw him and handed it off to him.
September 18th, 2009 at 10:44 PM ^
Correct. The ref didn't try to stop him from celebrating. Mathews was smart and gave him the ball.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:47 PM ^
This is fine with me. There's still game to play, and I'd rather not have my whole team on the field celebrating while ND prepares to win the game in a play or two. Keep your head in the game, finish it, and then celebrate.
September 18th, 2009 at 9:33 PM ^
I didnt have a problem with it. It was nice to see the players restrain and RR making the motion to get back. There was still time left.
September 18th, 2009 at 10:29 PM ^
RR coached until the clock showed 00:00
September 18th, 2009 at 10:49 PM ^
for ruining many a touchdown for everybody and for prompting the NCAA to do something to stop it.
And of course implementation of the rule and interpretation eventually goes overboard.
Way to go Hurrilames!
September 18th, 2009 at 10:48 PM ^
Did Darius Fleming ever get his jock strap back?
September 18th, 2009 at 11:12 PM ^
Wasn't there an interview where Mathews says the ref told him to "be smart" and hand him the football? After watching the tape again, it's clear that the ref says something to him as he runs past to celebrate with the offense on the field. He clearly kinda stops awkwardly and remembers to stay classy and hand the ball to the ref.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:53 PM ^
I think Greg was just lost. He just made the biggest catch of his life and he was looking for his team. He happened to find them and the ref at the same time that made the moment a bit awkward. I do agree with the OP. After a huge play like that I think the NCAA needs to give the kids a break and let them celebrate without worry. Like Washington last year. They got screwed out of a game.
September 19th, 2009 at 10:37 AM ^
Its called discipline - something Bo was a big fan of.
The game was not over (unlike the CU hail Mary and Henne to Manningham victory over PSU).
The rules are there for a reason, and if a player/coach disagrees with them, during the game is not the time to show it. RR and Matthews behaved properly.
I've always liked the adage that when a player gets to the endzone, he should act like he's been there before. This and winning with class has been a hallmark of Michigan football since before Bo. Its a good tradition to keep.