SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
It wasn’t certified as flag day for the packed house looking down at Clemson’s comeback against visiting Syracuse in Atlantic Coast Conference college football early Saturday, and the same was said at Oklahoma State when the flags were tossed only against visiting Texas in midday.
Believe it, in the Longhorns Big 12 match-up in Stillwater, they were flagged 14 times and this no doubt went the way of the home side in the Cowboys’ 41-35 triumph that was the sixth in eight starts against Texas, but the biggest surprise was how No. 11 Oklahoma State was never penalized, never had the referee point its way.
Wow, Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy had it all figured out just as the full house at his field had it down.
“That was the difference in the game,” he said.
At Clemson’s renowned Death Valley in South Carolina, it was a stunning first half when 14-point underdog Syracuse ranked 14th was having its way against the 5th-ranked Tigers in the class of undefeated rivals. Up by 22-7 at the intermission, the smaller, but quicker Orange had an early interception, and a 95-yard fumble recovering picked up by speedy L.C. Carter and race untouched into the end zone.
Clemson, seeking its eighth straight win, was being outplayed by the 6-0 Cuse taking care of business. It wasn’t flag day yet as the Orange had the yellow flag tossed its way four times and the Tigers the same.
And the huge turnout at Tigerland, knowing that its team was out to set an ACC record with a 38th straight success at home, was hoping for a turnaround.
Well, it got it. While Texas had seen 16 flags thrown its way, it was worse for Syracuse, which came into this game averaging only seven penalties a start and stressing discipline on both sides of the ball. Midway through the third quarter, the finger-pointing began, five consecutive penalties coming the Orange way. Twice it stopped Syracuse’s offensive drive, and then handed Clemson a first down on fourth and three.
Late in the quarter, it appeared that about every time there was a play alongside the Tigers’ sideline, the flag came out. Five more followed and again the visitors had their offense shut down while Clemson and its fans had hope closing to within 22-14.
But the final quarter really turned this game around. It became habit-forming for the referee to signal penalty Syracuse’s way. While the Clemson sideline and fans looking down cheered, the Cuse received a punt on its own 25 and received back-to-back penalties. And when its sophomore quarterback Garrett Strader ran the option with a 12-yard first down run, out came the flags again, the run was nullified, and Syracuse punted.
Now the scoreboard clock showed 10:18remaining in the second half. The Tigers gathered in the punt and took it to midfield with the help of not one, not two, but three flags belonging to the suddenly frustrated Orange getting peeled apart by the officials. With this, a field goal followed and it was now 22-17, in fact while the visitors were shut down over the last two quarters, the home team took advantage.
Twice it put more points on the board as its crowd erupted. One was a fourth and one touchdown after another call went against Syracuse. Now it was Clemson with its first lead. 24-22, but it missed on the 2-poont conversion and head coach Dabo Swinney was totally upset. A 5-point lead was better than a 2-point advantage, but on the next possession as the clocked showed 2:13, his side nailed a 33-yard field and it became 27-22.
The Orange, as down as it was now, still had a chance to win as its offense began at its 25. Shrader connected on two passes and handed off to Sean Tucker for a 7-yard scramble, but that was nullified by a Syracuse hold. Next came a sideline pass caught at the Clemson 35 by Gabby Gadstan, but low and behold with his team out of time outs, the clock read only 13:3 seconds when Shrader was intercepted on a probable first down at the 20.
That was it, 27-22 and the Tigers kneeled down twice.
The grand total of flags tossed at Syracuse was 19, 19 yellows for 182 yards.
None of these comments made later didn’t come for me. They were already made.
For instance, “It was a whole bunch of home cooking,”
“Some iffy holding calls against Syracuse and some by Clemson that included an important face mask.”
“Calls against the Orange were needed to beat a lacrosse team.”
“Don’t tell me the officials don’t get paid for dropping continuous flags pointed one way.”
“Home is where the calls went, and how the final score came.”
Sorry Texas, that was a shocker when you were penalized 16 times and Oklahoma State got away with not a single one, but at least Clemson had five flags, which wasn’t much when the other team had a whole lot more.
Go figure, at least next year will have Syracuse playing host to Clemson at the Carrier Dome, and it might me good to check the officials list.
