Daily Cal: Tedford Says No-Call Was a Safety

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By Matt Kawahara

With just under two minutes left in the first half of the Cal football team's loss to Maryland, Bryan Anger unleashed a 63-yard punt that pinned the Terrapins at their own one-yard line.  On Maryland's first play from scrimmage, Da'rel Scott rushed up the middle -- and right into the arms of Bears nose tackle Derrick Hill.

Hill, Worrell Williams and Rulon Davis wrestled Scott backward and onto the grass of the Maryland end zone. Davis jumped up and raised his hands in the air, signaling a safety. Only the referee didn't follow suit.  "There was no doubt in my mind that was a safety," Hill said. "Can't really cry over spilled milk, but from my view -- and from Worrell's and maybe Rulon's -- we thought it was a safety."   After a brief conference, the officials placed the ball inside the one-yard line and the Terrapins kept possession. Cal coach Jeff Tedford called a timeout but didn't challenge the play.

"(The officials) said they were reviewing it (in the booth)," Tedford said immediately after the game. "I was going to call timeout right then anyway, probably should've used a challenge ... But they said it wouldn't matter because they were reviewing it anyway up there."  It is the job of a replay official in the press box to immediately review every play of the game, and Rule 5, Section 12 of the 2008 edition of NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations says that, "He may stop a game at any time before the ball is next legally put in play," when he sees "reasonable evidence" that an error was made in the on-field ruling.

No review was called for.  On Sunday, after having a day to review the tape, Tedford was direct when asked about the play.  "That was a safety," he said.  The no-call turned out to be a pivotal point in the game, as the Bears trailed 21-6 and had little offensive momentum at the time. Cal did get the ball back before the half ended, but David Seawright missed a 25-yard field goal and the Bears went into halftime trailing by 15 points.  "(The officials) didn't give us an explanation at all, actually," Hill said. "It was one of those things that just slid right by. I was telling the coaches on the sideline, 'That's a safety, coach. We need to challenge that.'"  Rule 12, Section 3 of the NCAA rule book says that, "Reviewable plays governed by a side line, goal line or an end line include ... Scoring plays, including a runner in possession of a live ball breaking the plane of a goal line."  Rule 8, Section 5 includes the safety as a scoring play.  Because the NCAA does not share the NFL rule stating that challenges can come only from the booth in the final two minutes of a half, Tedford did have the option of challenging. But Hill didn't even think it should have come to that.  "I was just more upset that it wasn't called in the first go-around," Hill said.