Big Ten acknowledges missed substitution penalty on play that led to Quentin Moore’s injury

It wouldn't have changed anything, but now you know.

The play in question.

Lest you believe the Washington Huskies left all zaniness behind in the Pac-12, their first game as a Big Ten member produced a play unlike many (any?) I’ve ever seen — and yielded an acknowledgment by the league office that said play should have been penalized.

Admittedly, I didn’t notice live that the player who tackled Quentin Moore in the second quarter — leading to the senior tight end’s leg injury — ran in from the sideline after the ball had been snapped. But a clip of the play is now circulating on social media, and the school submitted the video to the Big Ten office for review (the officiating crew, led by referee Francisco Villar, works for the Big Ten).

A conference spokesperson wrote Wednesday: “With 8:03 remaining in the second quarter of Saturday’s game between Washington and Weber State, a Weber State defender entered the field after the ball was snapped and eventually made the tackle following a 14-yard completion. The late addition of the eleventh defender was not seen by officials. The play would not have been stopped in progress if the illegal substitution had been observed. 

“At the conclusion of the play, a five-yard penalty from the previous spot should have been assessed to Weber State under Rule 3, Section 5, Article 2.a.”

I assumed as much, after watching the play and consulting the rulebook. Others wondered about a personal foul penalty.

Let’s start from the beginning:

On second-and-six from the UW 34 yard-line, Will Rogers throws a quick screen to Giles Jackson, who gains eight yards to pick up the first down. The Huskies go up-tempo from there, moving quickly to snap the ball without substituting. Weber State, though, tries to make subs, and appears to be stuck with just 10 players on the field when UW snaps the ball with 29 seconds still on the play clock.

Senior linebacker Garrett Beck (No. 13) had been on the field for the previous snap, lined up on the boundary side. He runs off as part of the Wildcats’ substitution shuffle, and does not appear to be on the field at the snap. After Rogers takes the snap, though, Beck seemingly realizes he is supposed to be Weber State’s 11th player, and jogs back onto the field just before Rogers throws to Moore, about seven yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Moore catches it on the run and gains seven more yards (14 total) before Beck tackles him with a hard hit to Moore’s left leg. 

You then see Beck, who tied for the team lead with five tackles, turn to his sideline and throw his hands up, perhaps frustrated or confused by whatever communication led him to run off the field when he was supposed to stay in the game.

Moore didn’t get up right away, and eventually was helped off by teammates. Fisch hadn’t met with the team doctor yet when he spoke with reporters on Monday, but said he didn’t think Moore would miss more than a “couple weeks” at most. The coach is scheduled to address the media again Thursday.

The rulebook states that “no incoming substitute shall enter the field of play or an end zone while the ball is in play,” including those who are filling a player vacancy, which was Beck’s intent. It’s certainly worth noting that UW would have declined the five-yard, live-ball penalty in favor of Moore’s 14-yard gain, so the missed call didn’t cost the Huskies anything.

Some have wondered if the officials could have — or should have — penalized Weber State further. The rulebook does include a section dedicated to “unfair acts,” which grants the officials broad authority to legislate certain acts “not specifically covered by the rules.” In theory, I suppose they could have assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Weber State, reasoning that an illegal substitute making a tackle constitutes an unfair act, though that section of the rulebook is open to interpretation.

 (For what it’s worth, the NFL rulebook addresses “palpably unfair acts,” and includes this relevant example: “if a substitute enters the field of play or end zone while the ball is in play, it is an illegal substitution. If an illegal substitute interferes with the play, it may be a palpably unfair act.”)

The NCAA rulebook is more ambiguous. Maybe it matters that Beck wasn’t some deep backup who decided he’d try to play hero; it seems he (or perhaps a teammate) simply misunderstood the substitution call, attempted to correct the error on the fly, and wound up tackling the ballcarrier in front of him. 

The larger issue — and, I assume, the reason UW most wanted to submit this to the Big Ten office — is Moore’s injury. By rule, a player who begins a play on the sideline is not supposed to enter the field after the snap, and in this instance, such a player made a hit that knocked UW’s starting tight end out of the game (and perhaps some number of future games). I don’t believe Beck had any intent to injure — though I’ve seen folks wonder if an illegal entry at that angle might increase risk — but it’s understandable the Huskies would want an explanation and some clarity on what, if anything, the officials should have done differently. 

It turns out they should have thrown a flag, even if it wouldn’t have affected the outcome of the play.

Washington’s first game as a Big Ten school also was its first game using coach-to-player helmet communication.

I asked defensive coordinator Steve Belichick how it went. Helmet comms are old hat for him, considering his 12-year stint in the NFL, but this was the first time for players like Carson Bruener and Alphonzo Tuputala to wear the green dot in a game. UW practiced with it throughout spring and training camp.

“We've mixed it around,” Belichick said. “Multiple guys had it in the game, multiple guys have had it in practice, so those guys did a great job. I was really impressed with how those guys handled it.”

How does he determine which player will wear the helmet outfitted with the microphone?

“There's a lot that goes into it,” Belichick said. “I've had a lot of different guys doing it in the past — safeties, linebackers are kind of the guys on the forefront — but most importantly, it's what the other players hear in the huddle. Their opinion matters a lot to me, because the person who hears it from me then has to reiterate to 10 other guys. 

“I was big on talking to the other players — ‘who do you like to hear from? How's the message perceived?' — which all those guys did a great job. There was a lot of positive feedback. It kind of went down to the wire (for) who was going to have it, but at the end of the day, someone will. We're going to use it if we've got it. I always appreciate player feedback on that stuff."

Belichick takes pains to not heap praise upon individual players, instead emphasizing the team whenever possible. It’s kind of funny. Here is a sampling from the coach’s Tuesday availability.

Asked about Zach Durfee’s starting debut: “All the guys, they played hard, they played aggressive. I appreciated how the full defense played. (Durfee) hasn't played in a longer period of time, but those guys were excited. They were ready to go, just kind of getting in the groove."

Asked what Dixon did to win a starting job at cornerback: “I just think that him and the rest of the guys on the defense, their approach to the game, how much they love the game, how hard they play — he brings a physical skill set, just like the other guys do. But I've enjoyed working with all those corners, just like everybody else on the defense. (Dixon’s) been great. Thad's a good kid. He brings some good energy. Talking smack to the offense is good energy for the team, good camaraderie, and he loves his teammates, so it's always in good fun with those guys when we're out at practice, and I appreciate that."

The Huskies are ranked in the coaches poll, moving up to No. 25 after the first week of games after finishing 26th in the preseason poll. They’re effectively 33rd in the AP poll, which is actually down a spot from their preseason rank.

— Christian Caple, On Montlake