Snyder: Auburn had our signals

Submitted by Cold War on

Kansas State switched up its offensive signals Thursday night because coach Bill Snyder believed Auburn was stealing signs.

"They're getting our signals," Snyder told ESPN sideline reporter Samantha Ponder, adding that the Wildcats changed up some of their signals during halftime.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn denied any first-half advantage after the game, which the Tigers won 20-14.

"No, no," he said when asked if Auburn knew the signals.

 

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11551618/kansas-state-wildcats-coach-bill-snyder-accuses-auburn-tigers-signal-stealing

FreddieMercuryHayes

September 19th, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

If Auburn did not use any illegal means like hidden cameras and such to figure out the signals, then there is absolutely no wrong doing.  If AU was able to just look across the field and deduce the signals, then that's really good coaching on AU's part, and poor planning on KSU's part.  I hate that it's always implied that it's a dirty thing if you look at someone's hand movements and then figure out what they're planning on doing.  Is it dirty to jump the snap cout if you figure out the center's pattern's?  Hell no.

LSAClassOf2000

September 19th, 2014 at 7:09 PM ^

If I am not mistaken, the rule is that voice communication is the only sort of media communication (e.g., headsets) that they'll allow between the team area and the booth or, where permitted by team management, other designated personnel. Video equipment, for coaching purposes is not permitted in the team area. There is nothing in the college rules, however, which prevents you from being smart enough to figure out which hand signal or placard or whatnot goes with which call. 

gwkrlghl

September 19th, 2014 at 5:34 PM ^

if the other team is yelling "THROW THE BALL DEEP THIS PLAY!!!" are you supposed to just pretend to play your base defense and let them? or are you gonna back up?

If KState's play communication is easy to decipher you'd be dumb not to adjust for it

B-Nut-GoBlue

September 19th, 2014 at 11:58 PM ^

Are you serious?  The spirit of the game?  If a team can figure out another team's plays and signals by relatively easy monitoring of said communications, that's the other team's issue and no where near unsportsmanlike.  It's actually pretty spiritual in the name of gamesmanship.  Hide your shit better.  And I completely dislike Auburn and all the SEC propaganda.

nowayman

September 19th, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^

Did you see the first interception from the two yard line?

How else do you think Auburn knew Lockett would fake catch the td reception and allow the ball to bounce off his chest and over his head to be caught by the KSU receiver on that trick play?  

Pretty obvious Auburn saw that play coming.  

edit: /s (I wouldn't think I actually need this tag but you never know.  That was a painful game to watch. KSU beat themselves).  

gord

September 19th, 2014 at 4:25 PM ^

My rough calculation show KSU had more yards in the 1st half (197 vs. 122).  The box score says KSU had 285 total yards so it's not adding up but didn't KSU play better on offense during the first half?

vertiGoBlue

September 19th, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^

Me thinks ESPN is making more of this than Snyder did/does. ESPN uses the word "stealing", Snyder does not. He simply says "They're getting our signals" (I didn't see the game so I don't know what his demeanor was when he made that statement). And that he changed signals at halftime.

So, it appears to me that ESPN is trying to create a controversy where there may well be none.

In general, if you are communicating via an open/public medium and wanting to limit the communication to a subset of those who may be receiving the communication, it's your (the communicator's) responsibility to communicate in such a way that enforces that limit. It is certainly not the responsibility of any and all receivers to enforce it on their end.

 

trustBlue

September 19th, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^

When Auburn did it against FSU in last years NC game, there story was that Auburn had hired a former FSU coach and had him up in the box to identify what plays FSU was calling on the sidelines. At halftime FSU had assistants stand around with towels to block the view of the play calls. Anybody who watched both halves of that game can certainly see the difference that this made. That's sneaky, but if FSU knew that Auburn had hired a former FSU coach, they should have known that their signals may have been compromised.  

Unless Auburn just hired a K-State coach, I'm not sure how Auburn would have access to K-State's signals through "legal" means.  

Tater

September 19th, 2014 at 4:51 PM ^

Stealing signals has been part of baseball for over 100 years.  I can't imagine it not having been a part of football for that long, either.  I don't see it as "unethical" at all as long as it is being done on the field and the sidelines with no video assistance.  

AFAIC, it's just part of the game.  Hide your signals better next time.

JamieH

September 19th, 2014 at 5:03 PM ^

been a part of football for that long because teams haven't been using hand signals to call all of their plays until somewhat recently with the rise of the no-huddle.

 

I see it as an occupational hazard.   Don't want your signals stolen?  You have the option of sending in the play with a player from the sidelines.  No one is forcing you to call your plays with hand signals.  So if you are choosing to call plays with hand signals, it is YOUR job to keep them secure.

 

funkywolve

September 19th, 2014 at 5:26 PM ^

but there was a story on here about how Northwestern had figured out UM's playcalling in one game during the late 90's.  UM's ball boy on the Northwestern side figured out that NU was stealing UM's play calls and let the coaches know at halftime.

Larry Appleton

September 19th, 2014 at 5:03 PM ^

Where these signals stolen or bought? 

Either way, this is eerily similar to the incident when Darwin College attempted to get Huxley College's signals prior to their annual clash back in '32.  Thanks goodness the honorable president of Huxley, Quincy Adams Wagstaff, was able to ward off these attempts, allowing Huxley to pull of the huge upset.

goblue16

September 19th, 2014 at 6:27 PM ^

I don't understand why coaches accuse others of stealin their signals. Isn't that something an opposing coach can learn by watching game film