Ole Miss questions Pac-12 refs after bizarre finish
Ole Miss interim AD Keith Carter said he was “extremely disappointed” after a Pac-12 officiating crew chose not to review a…
Saturday’s game between Ole Miss and California ended in controversy when a Pac-12 officiating crew decided not to review a play on which a Rebels receiver caught a pass with both feet in the end zone in the game’s waning moments.
Officials quickly spotted the ball at the 1-yard line as the clock continued to run. After a failed quarterback sneak on fourth down, the No. 23 Bears won 28-20 in Oxford, Mississippi.
Afterward, Ole Miss interim athletic director Keith Carter said he was “extremely disappointed” in the officiating at the end of the game and said he expects “a full explanation from the Pac-12 regarding the call and subsequent non-review” of the play.
“We feel strongly that the play should have been reviewed by the Pac-12 officials in the review booth,” Carter tweeted. “Even if the play didn’t result in a touchdown, the spot of the ball on fourth down was questionable.”
On third-and-goal from 3-yard line with 17 seconds left, Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee rolled to his left and connected with Elijah Moore near the goal line. Moore’s feet were in the end zone, but the official on the sideline nearest the play ruled that the ball did not cross the plane, and the ball was spotted just short.
Rebels coach Matt Luke pleaded with officials to stop the clock and review the play, but the ball was quickly marked at the 1. Plumlee attempted a sneak and was held short of the goal line on fourth down as time expired.
“I thought at the very least, it should have been buzzed and reviewed,” Luke said. “We didn’t have a timeout. We could not spike it. Our only option was to get a quarterback sneak and get the ball off.”
A spokesman for the Pac-12 said in an email the conference will not comment Saturday on the sequence.
In July, the Pac-12 announced it implemented a new policy to improve transparency with its officiating process. The policy calls for the Pac-12 vice president of officiating to issue a public comment if any of the following criteria are met:
• Game-ending call or no-call affecting the result of the game
• Call involving a significant error in officiating mechanics
• Call involving an error in rules interpretation
• Other extraordinary circumstances
The policy states and statement will be “issued no later than the end of the day following the game in which the call occurred.”
About The Author
