Tampa, Florida					Monday, September 06, 2010

The Great Game Robbery, Great Win, Or Both?
Sunday, November 30, 2003
TAMPA—Thousands—no, tens of thousands—who saw it live at the University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium up 100-plus miles north on I-75 from here--left ready the scene ready to testify that had they had witnessed a robbery of a jewel of a football game by the Atlantic Coast Conference’s officiating team of Jack Childress. And that does not mention the millions on national television reminded over and over by two respected ABC commentators that the officials had blown nearly a half dozen calls, most against the homestanding Gators of the Southeastern Conference, who at the game’s official end were said by the scoreboard to have lost to their rival Florida State Seminoles 38-34. Florida’s fate was early suggested when FSU first kickoff return man, Antonio Cromartie was down before fumbling in deep in his own territory, thus allowing the Seminoles to keep the ball early. Florida’s fate was sealed late when a desperation pass of 52 yards by quarterback Chris Rix was caught in the end zone by wideout P.K. Sam despite the failing but ineffective arms of safety Guss Scott for the final touchdown FSU had to have to preserve the precious “W” 38-34. It was one of a half dozen key passes thrown by Rix, four on drive for the TD that gave the Seminoles a shot in the final big bowl rotation, that shot the Gators out of any thoughts of a bigtime ending this year to Coach Ron Zook’s second season, and, well, will go down as a victory of which some of its share should go to officials. That is not a personal opinion only. It was wildly shared. It also caused the Gators and Noles to mix it up at midfield after the game, caused referee Jack Childress and his officiating gang to require a police escort from The Swamp, and surely will undergo intense study of films this week, though, whatever the judgment will give no comfort to anyone. It may cause the SEC of Florida to suggest to the ACC of Florida State that a new formula for officiating this game be turned over to an unaligned conference rules crew. Now, the rule is the ACC officiates games played at Florida while the SEC officiates games played at Tallahassee, home to the Seminoles. Perhaps that should have been the way from the start of The Series which had one other game of cry-foul magnitude in 1966 at Tallahassee that favored the Gators. FSU receiver Lane Fenner, who was called out of bounds when his catch of a pass was ruled no-score. The official in that fury was Doug Moseley who judged to have not had control of that ball while still on the playing field. Florida won that game 22-19 but film suggested it was a catch and a loss for the Gators. Then FSU Coach Bill Peterson campaigned exhorting that alleged theft for years, but no avail, and FSU boosters still have the Tampa Tribune Photo of the late Dan Fager behind the their desks in offices all over Florida. The official then, Moseley, said he was hounded for the rest of his time by angry Seminoles, by mail, by phone. There was no e-mail at the time. This, calmer observers on both sides, will declare was payback. The official who made that call in 1967 was battered all of his years by angry Seminoles for the Lane Fenner call. Expect the same to happen now to Jack Childress, whose home address and e-mail address will be made public to the vast Gator Nation. Clearly, it was a lousy officiating day at The Swamp and the Gators were the victims in this one, many said, including Gator line leader Shannon Snell. Florida Coach Ron Zook sidestepped the officiating row by saying the Gators had plenty of opportunities to win despite the poor calls on plays involving fumbles. FSU Coach Bobby Bowden said it was the best of the 28-game series and that he is always pleased when a call goes his way. Whatever the majority opinion on the work of the officials, this Florida-Florida State game of 2003 surely will go down as about as good and about as bad as it gets in college football. I mean, the lead changed four times in the fourth period before the game’s end that ticked away after three and a half hours. It was almost all of high drama, high tension, an absolutely compelling game of college football played on a brisk November afternoon with almost 100,000 fans in the stands when No. 9 nationally ranked Florida State emerged with four more official points than No. 11 ranked Florida. Heck, both should go up in the polls. Florida State led 17-6 at the half, Florida scored 18 unanswered points in the	third quarter to tie it at 24-24, then took that 34-31 lead near the game’s end, before the Rix play rallied his Noles for a cherished 38-34 decision. However, while the Gators surely were the butt of bad calls of consequence and this surely declares the need for a video review of such calls, as the National Football does, that is not likely to happen. A major reason is cost. Cameras, equipment, time, and a need for reviewers will mean the reliance on the officiating crew’s judgment will remain final, as it does after the FSU win Saturday. Zook, of course, is right. He is the coach and he wants to remain the coach and plenty can properly point out Florida did indeed have its chances to win this one. See, after remarkable Gator freshman quarterback Chris Leak (22/36/273yds/2TDs) had put Florida in front 34-31 on a 250-yard scoring pass to tight end Ben Troupe, the Gators needed only to stop Rix and his Seminoles, force the punt, and run out the clock for the climatic win. Two minutes and 50 second remained in the game. The place was electric. Gators everywhere will surely declare Charley Strong’s defense should have prevailed then, though the final minutes have been dangerous times for this Florida team all this year. The Gator defense did stiffen this time. After desperate pleas and play and sacks, the Seminoles of Bowden and Rix were down to a fourth down and 14 on the FSU 24. Game over? The Gators went with a prevent defense. The Gators rushed only three linemen, not a half dozen as fans so enjoy. Rix evaded the rush, moved and hit Dominic Robinson, a sub, for a 24-yard gain, a first down and new life. On the play, Florida again rushing only three men, allowed Rix time to move and to wait for his receivers to break in the clear. P.K.Sam, a receiver favorite of Rix, went down the middle and faded to his right a bit. Gator Safety Guss Scott, a wonderful player who had earlier forced a fumble Florida turned into a score, moved forward two steps when Rix faked a handoff. Hero receiver Sam said after the game, Scott “bit a little. Turned around and saw the ball in the air,’’ heading towards him. Scott tried to recover, and with any luck one of his flying arms could have hit the ball. It didn’t. From 52 yards away, the Rix passed down in the coupled arms of Sam, slipping thought those of Scot. Touchdown, FSU! Point After, FSU!. 38-34, FSU! The game was indeed soon over for sure, with freshman quarterback Leak of Florida trying to snake his way from far too far to be tackled inside the FSU 15. Few thought he would score and he did not. FSU had won this terrific contest. “We had our chances,’’ said Zook, after the game and a bit of a fight at midfield among some players. No harm done there. FSU had done the harm on the playing field, the harm that counted. And the officials, well. . . .many will criticize their work but privately. Those who do it publicly, out of uniform or officialdom, will be charged with sour grapes. FSU’s versatile quarterback, Rix, was as good as he had to be, uncertain at times, but surely certain in the end. Leak remained unflappable and had a quality game. All talk of his future and that of the Gators who will get to continue to play with him. The Noels will go to a big-time Bowl, the Gators to a lesser one. Few who saw this one will forget it. It was a mighty win for the 74-year-old Bowden of FSU, who needed this win to reestablish him and his FSU football as a national power. It was a loss of the manner that is not likely to put Florida Coach Zoo in any more danger of early release. The Gator fury this time will be directed the officiating and the manner of selecting the men in stripes in the future. One writer wrote: “Florida will spend a lot of time spewing over a string of officials’ calls that never seemed to go the Gators’ way. Five fumbles that were not really fumbles, but were not fumbles but looked like they should have been, never were called against the home team,’’ by the way, one picked up and taken for a touchdown, until another official ruling the ball had not been fumbled before the carrier was down. There was a lot of that, indeed too much, at The Swamp Saturday, many think, I think. One group, the well-known Tampa Bananas have gone on record as declaring the officials at the FSU-Florida game “unfit, or blind, or both. Yes, sir, the Gators were robbed.” ##
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