The spread affects a bowl game! The spread affects a bowl game!

[dogs24]

Anyone catch the last minute of the Hawaii/Houston bowl game, or was everyone just busy belching dinner?

Hawaii up by 7, within the 10 yard line, just over a minute to play, 3rd down, HOUSTON WITH NO TIMEOUTS LEFT.

Rather than spike the ball and run out the clock, which would have guaranteed the win, Hawaii goes for a pass play to go up by _14_. The pass is incomplete, the subsequent field goal is missed, Houston takes possession and scores to tie the game.

There was absolutely NO reason WHATSOEVER for Hawaii to attempt a pass play. They literally could NOT have lost if they had simply run out the clock (barring a highly unlikely fumble).

The ONLY reason Hawaii goes for that touchdown is so that the Warriors win by 14, and thereby cover the spread. That's it. That's the only reason you do such a thing. Otherwise, they win the game.

Has there ever been a more blatant display of playing for the spread than this?

 

[bucsfan67]

the announcers keep saying that too, and its wrong.....there was 1:07 left, on 3rd down...they couldnt spike the ball, the clock would stop then too...

granted they shouldnt have thrown, they should have run, but they COULD NOT run out the clock, they either had to score, or Houston gets the ball back with a little bit of time...maybe only :25 sec or so, but they couldnt run the clock out......they would have had to snap on 4th down with around 30 seconds left....the clock stops on change of possession....granted, they would have been better off to use up those 30 seconds so houston wouldnt have had much time, but there was no way for them to keep the ball for the rest of the game, once they got to 3rd down from the 10

 

[wilheim]

Hawaii plays wide open all the time, run and shoot is their game. IMO. the pass attempt was just what it was, a pass that ended up incomplete. In hindsight would a run have been better, of course. Whether or not they passed the ball with the express purpose to win by more than 10 pints, and cover the spread is pure speculation.

wil.

 

[IDENTITY]

also the kicker stinks

 

[wilheim]

Hawaii wins by 6 instead of 7. Of course the total score changed drastically. Shame about the fighting.

wil.

 

[Railbird]

I agree with Dogs 24, Jones trying to cover for the Hawaiian mafia, if he runs the ball there is 26 seconds and no timeouts left and 80 yds to go even after the miss fg.

 

[outandup]

Dog is 100% correct. Hawaii got out of bounds 2 or 3 times on the last drive. If Hawaii stays in bounds and just runs the ball the clock runs out.

 

[tuleythetout]

bucsfan and wilhelm...good posts. Pretty much what I wrote in another thread.

Question: Wouldn't a Hawaii cover probably hurt the Hawaiian bookies (mafia-connected or not?) because more locals would be betting the home team?

outandup: Do you honestly believe the Hawaii runners were running out of bounds to try and prolong the game to get the cover? I don't buy it...they were trying to get first downs so they could run out the clock...yes, it was stupid to allow themselves to be knocked out of bounds, but that's more the result of just being immature kids making a mistake in clock management.

Heck, we see it all the time in the pros, too, by players that should know better. Heck, even Herman Edwards (the man who ran the most famous non-kneeldown-fumble back for a TD) was having his Jets running plays when they could have kneeled down a few weeks back. Stupid mistakes are made all the time, but that doesn't mean there's something sinister behind it.

 

[wilheim]

Tuley - Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and games like this will bring out emotional, and in some cases irrational, ideas as to what coaches and players are trying to do, depending on what side ones money is on. Bottom line in a game like the one tonight anything can happen. The players were mostly young, and not as well coached as most of the better teams yet to play their bowl games. The fight at the end of the game only showed how emotional these kids were. As far as the Hawaiian mafia goes, I agree would'nt this outfit, if it even exists, want Houston to get the money. Most likely there will be a few more "they tried to cover" incidents before the football season is over. To each is own.

wil.

 

[DENIRO]

hey wil

"hawaiian mafia"??

lol

"leave the gun.take the coconut"??

 

[mvbski]

all you have to do is look who started this Hawaiian Mafia scenereo

 

[SoundofSilence]

Ummmm... If all Hawaii was trying to do was cover the spread, why did they attempt the FG on 4th down?

Amazing that anytime anyone loses a game, it must have been a fix.

 

[outandup]

Tuley,
Yes I believe Hawaii was trying very hard to score a TD. On that drive they got 1st downs very easy running and could have ran out the clock. The runners were not knocked out of bounds they ran out of bounds. What coach would pass on 3rd down up by 7 with about a minute left in FG position? ANSWER: A coach that's trying to cover, there's no other reason. Even on 3rd down a run just about raps up the victory.

[This message was edited by outandup on December 26, 2003 at 02:33 AM.]

 

[outandup]

By the way I wasn't on the total.

I had Houston +10.5.

No coach is going to pass up by 7 in FG position with around a minute left, unless the number matters. You run the ball and run the clock down and then hopefully put 3 on the board.

[This message was edited by outandup on December 26, 2003 at 02:34 AM.]

 

[SoundofSilence]

outandup:

So not only was the coach have a bet on Hawaii -10.5, but also the running back who went out of bounds twice in the last drive?

Legitimate, yet poorly coached, game.

 

[outandup]

I'm not saying the coach had cash on the game. I'm saying it was painfully obvious Jones was trying to cover.

 

[SoundofSilence]

Bet money/cover, what does it matter... You're still saying that not only the coach, but also the running back that went out of bounds twice in the last drive were both doing so just to cover. Not very likely.

 

[Skyweasel]

the Hawaiian mafia wear grass skirts. They roast a mean pig at the luau also.

 

[Railbird]

nice try Skyweasel,

They are run by ruthless Chinese buisness men and have Samoan thugs that can bench press 600 lbs. they are no joke. Gambling is very big in the Hawaii culture. June Jones has a key to the city, dont think for a second he wont return a favor if the opportunity rises, which it did. Obviously he cant go for it on 4th down, but he did take the shot on 3rd down, and it wasnt the 1st time, obviously you didnt see the Army game.

 

[SoundofSilence]

"Mr. Jones -- late in the game, if the opportunity arises, please try and cover the spread. I'm talking if its like 3rd down late in the game, go for the TD, because I have a lot of money on Hawaii to cover the spread. But if it comes down to going for it on 4th down, don't worry about it, I'm sure I'll make up the money that I lost on this game elsewhere.

Have a Merry Christmas.

Sincerely,
The Hawaiian Mafia Kingpin"