It was a bitter loss at home for the 20th ranked Kansas State Wildcats at home on Thursday night to the number 5 Auburn Tigers for many reasons. The Wildcats missed three field goals, had sure-handed Tyler Lockett drop a pass in the end zone that was intercepted, and turn the ball over twice more in a 20-14 loss.
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So when a frustrated Bill Snyder was stopped by ESPN sideline reporter Sam Ponder on the way to the locker room at halftime, he said that “They’re getting our signals” and suggested that the Wildcat staff would change some at halftime.
Bill Snyder has always had a reputation of being a stand-up guy, and this observation was no different. He didn’t accuse Auburn or head coach Gus Malzahn of any wrongdoing. This is not baseball, where sign stealing is in clear defiance of the baseball gods. If signs are signaled out in the open, are they fair game?
Since there is nothing in the college football rulebook governing this practice, most think that it’s fair game. From the casual way that Snyder said it, you can infer the same from him.
This is likely the reason that we see so many poster boards of images on the sideline nowadays. Most of these are decoys, and they are certainly much harder to decipher than regular hand signals. We can thank Chip Kelly for his lasting legacy on the college game.
This is not the first time that Auburn has been mentioned for stealing signs. During last year’s National Championship game, Florida State thought that former assistant and current Auburn assistant Dameyune Craig was intercepting their offensive signals. The Seminoles hid their signals in the second half, and rallied from a 21-3 deficit to win the game. Was it just a coincidence?
Malzahn has denied that Auburn tried to intercept signals for either game, but the fact that Snyder alluded to it in front of a national television audience could make it a hot topic. At the very least, it will make teams that play Auburn be a little more discreet.
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