Evan Stewart's TD Catch Was Good

[The Kamikaze Kid]

This is the only slow motion replay I could find on the internet. This video may be behind a pay wall and not viewable for some. If anybody can find an alternate  video please post it here.

 

Refs issue statement on Oregon WR Evan Stewart's controversial touchdown against Michigan

247SPORTS.COM

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Refs issue statement on Oregon WR Evan Stewart's controversial touchdown against Michigan

At first I agreed that the ball bounced on the ground incomplete but after seeing this video, I changed my mind. It looks like the ball actually bounces off his forearm not the turf. It may have still also touched the ground but that seems somewhat inconclusive to me. I've seen plays where a catch is ruled a catch even when the ball touches the ground but is not resting on the ground. I don't know the specifics of the rules there. If anybody does, some clarification would be helpful.

 

If the video replay officials felt this was a TD because of what I just mentioned, I wish they would have clarified that during the game. The way it went down live, makes them appear to have made an error. Also on his spectacular catch that was waved off for illegal man down field, can anybody point out the infraction because I just don't see it.

 

[30Duck]

I've heard that the ball can touch the ground, but that's fine as long as the receiver still has a good hold on it. On the downfield penalty, Danielson and Nessler said they didn't see it. 

[OregonDucks]

On 11/3/2024 at 8:40 AM, 30Duck said:

I've heard that the ball can touch the ground, but that's fine as long as the receiver still has a good hold on it. On the downfield penalty, Danielson and Nessler said they didn't see it. 

 

This. My understanding is that the ball can touch the ground, as long as the ground doesn't aid in the reception.

 

That said, the B1G replay officials should have probably stopped the game to review the play and we would have been upset if we were Michigan fans.

Edited Sunday at 02:56 PM by OregonDucks

[Solar]

The pass was not caught. Yes it was touching his upper forearm at the same time it was touching the ground, but not even Evan can control a ball with just a forearm.

 

I thought the angle from behind was the best that showed the ball contact the ground with velocity.

 

With regards to the intelligible man down field, it was called against Harper at the top of the screen who did drift down field farthest at the point in time the ball was released. 

 

The video does not give a clear shot of where the ball was snapped from, but my guess would be the first hash after the five yard increment line, and it appears Harper was just shy of five yards from that.

 

Is the call like a QB passing beyond the line of scrimmage where their whole body must be past it, or is it any part of their body past it or some approximation of their center of body past it? It sure seems like the ref was trigger happy. Could have been a make up call for the earlier missed call.

Edited Sunday at 03:20 PM by Solar

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

I just saw it on X. It landed on his forearm and the referee was in a great spot with the perfect view. He didn’t think twice about calling it a touchdown. I think the replay officials wouldn’t have had enough to overturn it.

[Steven A]

On 11/3/2024 at 12:31 PM, DrJacksPlaidPants said:

I think the replay officials wouldn’t have had enough to overturn it.

Which means it would have been!!

[1Ducker1]

That catch would have been overturned.

[30Duck]

Replays showed that the ball may have hit the turf, which Michigan alumnus and longtime sportscaster Rich Eisen believes was a cut-and-dry case of an incorrect ruling by the game's officials. 

"Oregon scores a TD CBS shows a replay of the ball being dropped," Eisen wrote. 

"But not until after the extra point. Oh and the B1G ref who called it a TD was looking right at it.

"'Too late now,' says Gary Danielson. Come on, everybody." 

[David Marsh]

Best part is that let's pretend for a moment that it was called incomplete. Ducks would have taken the field goal (i would have hoped) and gone up 3 points. 

 

And if you say the game strictly plays out the way it did, which it wouldn't but let's get real those arguments are their own thing. 

 

Oregon still wins and covers the spread. 

[DanLduck]

The call that canceled the amazing catch by Evan was the correct call.

It was unfortunate because he wasn't blocking anyone, no defenders close. He just took 2 steps too many and was standing watching DG throw.

 

Was a ticky tacky call, but couldn't argue it.

Truly an amazing catch anyway.

[Solar]

Just to close this out, a picture is worth a thousand words:

 

 

[JabbaNoBargain]

Of all the plays not to review, this up there with not reviewing our INT against tOSU. Why would such huge plays EVER not be reviewed?

 

For this play specifically, I thought there was definitely a chance the ball never hit the ground, and there certainly wasn't conclusive evidence that it did hit the ground. Call should stand either way.

[Solar]

The photo above was just a photo, not a freeze frame of the feed the refs had access to.

 

There was a video from behind the end zone showing the ball's nose see daylight and touch the turf just before Stewart hit the ground. To me that was the only conclusive video, but apparently not enough for the replay team.