More often than not I prefer watching college football over professional football because each game means so much more.
But after watching the Rutgers football team's season opening loss at the paws of the Fresno State Bulldogs, I couldn't help but become downright perturbed by a pass interference call against Fresno State on a long toss from Mike Teel toward the end zone to Tim Brown.
Brown, who had a good two or three steps on the cornerback, appeared ready to make an easy touchdown catch that would have broken the scoreless tie and possibly given the Scarlet Knights a shift in momentum going into the half. Instead, the Knights were escorted 15 yards up the field and granted another go.
Sadly, that second go at it did not prove fruitful and the Knights headed into the locker room embroiled in a scoreless tie after numerous missed opportunities. An offense that was expected to be as potent as last year's 33 points-per-game team was left deflated.
College football's interpretation and enforcement of defensive pass interference is asinine in comparison to the NFL's spot-of-the-ball version and desperately needs to be changed.
It has affected teams all over the country with high power potential, but lowbrow opponents understanding that if they cannot keep up, they can just hold receivers down.
As was the case on Nov. 18, 2006 when an undefeated and seventh ranked Rutgers traveled to Ohio to take on the unranked and uncouth Cincinnati Bearcats.
Throughout the game quarterback Mike Teel was looking deep down the sidelines and threw pretty passes which looked in line to connect with his plethora of speedy receivers. But the Bearcats corners under the realization that they were being consistently beaten up the field and would continue to be, decided that it would be more beneficial to their team to pull down, trip up, turn around, and pretty much maul the RU receivers instead of giving up big plays.
Think about it. The cost-benefit ratio is this: Pass interference penalties according to NCAA rules is a 15-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage and a do over down.
So, if a player is getting beat time and time again than it would seem logical for him to pull down a receiver on any play of 15 yards or more.
In the NFL pass, interference is an automatic first down at the spot of the foul. If the penalty takes place in the end zone, it is first down for the offense on the defense's one-yard line. And if the line of scrimmage was within the defense's one-yard line than the penalty is half the distance to the goal.
Now that makes more sense. This rule eliminates any opportunity for a player to decide that he is getting beaten and can nullify a player's ability to perform by literally taking him out of the game.
It must be said that something needs to be done.
It seems unfair that a powerhouse school can be beaten by a no name school, simply by the school deciding to stoop to a level of unethical proportions that no athlete or team with self-respect should.
I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that a coach can see such poor play and not reprimand or bench the player. If a coach is supporting such actions, then he too should be reprimanded. And, if his player is not performing in the manner that a top collegiate athlete should then he should be benched or cut, not given free reign to hijack a game because he can't keep up.
If the coaches aren't going to do it then I will. I hereby reprimand all coaches who turn a blind eye and even more so who encourage their players to purposely interfere with a play to save his own bottom line.
Along with them in the Hall of Shame, I place the players who can't keep up who instead keep their opponent down.
The receivers who play through it and eventually get to dance in celebration after burning a lesser defender deserve a lot more credit. It is for that reason that I support choreographed football celebrations.
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