Celebration penalty dooms Georgia in loss to LSU
When did college football referees decide to hate the world and ruin everyone’s fun?
Down 12-7 with just over a minute remaining in their game against LSU on Saturday, Georgia quarterback Joe Cox found receiver A.J. Green for a 16-yard touchdown pass to give the Bulldogs a 13-12 lead.
Following the play, Green foolishly decided to act joyful about the touchdown pass and celebrate with his teammates, who mobbed him in the end zone. The refs flagged Green for excessive celebration (because you know, nobody should be allowed to show emotion about a touchdown), which is a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, added on to the ensuing kickoff.
After Georgia failed to convert the 2-point conversation, LSU set itself up at the Bulldog 38-yard line with much help from the penalty. Two players later, Charles Scott broke free for a 33-yard touchdown to put the Tigers up 18-13. A 2-point conversation later and LSU hung on for a 20-13 victory.
The celebration penalty was a freaking joke. It’s not like Green and his teammates choreographed a dance in the end zone that went on for five minutes, nor did Green mimic calling somebody on a cell phone he hid in the goal post. It was a crap call and at the very least, aided in LSU’s victory. (Scott was also called for excessive celebration after his TD run, which was just as bad as the call on Green.)
That said, Georgia played like crap in the first half, benefited from two costly LSU turnovers that probably would have generated points and allowed Scott to run basically untouched to the end zone on the game-winning touchdown. The Dawgs didn’t do enough offensively to earn the win and while the penalty certainly helped the Tigers, LSU outplayed UGA for most of the game.
As for the Tigers, they owe their 5-0 record and No. 4 ranking to the defense, because the LSU offense has been incredibly inconsistent so far this season. They moved the ball well in the first half and in the fourth quarter against Georgia, but once the Dawgs made adjustments at halftime, the Tigers didn’t have an answer.
Still, getting a win in Athens is tough and LSU deserves credit for the win, especially considering many pundits deemed the Tigers overrated coming into this game.
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==> [i]LSU set itself up at the Bulldog 38-yard line with much help from the penalty.[/i]
I’m not defending the excessive celebration penalty because it was a bad call – no question – but that’s not the primary reason LSU had great field position after the ensuring kickoff.
Trindon Holiday’s 40-yard kickoff return was the key factor in the great field position.
John A – no argument there, although the penalty certainly helped.
First off, I am a GA fan. But as a football fan how can you say the celebration penalty cost them the game. Trindon Holiday had a great return, that was taken back 15 yrds because of a block that did not affect the return. Then LSU scored on two plays, if the kickoff would have been at the regular line of schrimage Charles Scotts run would have just been 15 yards longer. Also there was a missed tackle at the line, & if Scott would have been caught given an extra 15 yards a chip shot field goal would have won the game for LSU, and that’s only if they wouldn’t have been able to punch it in with a full minute remainig. On top of all that LSU got the same penalty that UGA got on their own touchdown, which put them in the same situation. Just over a minute left with two timeouts, plenty of time to execute, LSU did it in much less. But they simply did not take advantage, the ball was fumbled, which gave UGA 3rd & long, and on that play they threw an interception. Simply put, it was an exciting game, they were both bad celebration penalties, but afterwards LSU, executed & UGA did not.
UGA for Life,
I’m not trying to be rude, but did you read the piece or did you jump right to the comments section? Nowhere did I say that “the celebration penalty cost them the game.”
That said, Georgia played like crap in the first half, benefited from two costly LSU turnovers that probably would have generated points and allowed Scott to run basically untouched to the end zone on the game-winning touchdown. The Dawgs didn’t do enough offensively to earn the win and while the penalty certainly helped the Tigers, LSU outplayed UGA for most of the game.
I never said that the celebration penalty cost them the game.
I’m a former pro football player, and I played NCAA for a D1 team. I have no ties to LSU nor UGA.
The real problem with the UGA celebration penalty (vs the LSU celebration penalty) was that it changed the momentum of the game. LSU failed to move the ball in the second half, and the late go-ahead touchdown by UGA should have been the nail in the coffin. Afterall, LSU led most of the game, but was barely clinging to a lead in the second half. With the wind out of their sails and only a couple of minutes left on the clock, it was highly unlikely that LSU would go down the length of the field and score.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know, because the refs basically gave LSU new life with a non-existant celebration penalty. The players knew they would have a short field to work with, and they came out on the last drive motivated. The world looks a lot different from your opponents’ 45 yard line than it does from your own 20.
Yeah, UGA’s defense should have never let them score, but they were clearly deflated after the “crap” call. They had the LSU offense shut-down for the entire second half, but you could tell by the way they played on the last drive that the penalty demoralized them. Having been in that situation before, you feel like the refs are trying to help the underdog after you’ve shut them down all afternoon. Your blood and sweat were wiped from the field by a yellow flag.
I agree that Cox and company should have responded with a score of their own, but again, it’s tough to ask 11 guys to win a football game for a second time, after the first time was taken from you by an individual official.
Bottom line — referees should not change the outcome of a game. The excessive celebration penalty is a classic example of refs who forget their place in a football game. What purpose does their late apology serve? It only makes the players angrier, and reinforces the perception that refs can blow a game.