Southeastern Conference officials said Monday that they stand by the officials’ calls during the LSU-Auburn game this past Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
SEC spokesman Charles Bloom said the officials ruled correctly on two questionable calls made – the pass interference flag picked up in the fourth quarter and the pass interference call against LSU defensive back Daniel Francis also in the fourth quarter.
“Basically what was ruled because the flag was picked up was because the tipped ball rendered the pass ‘uncatchable,'” Bloom said of the play involving LSU wide receiver Early Doucet near the goal line. “We saw there was some contact as the ball was being tipped and maybe a fraction of a second before the ball was tipped.”
Bloom said the contact made between Doucet and Auburn defensive back Zach Gilbert before the tip was not enough to merit a pass-interference penalty.
NCAA rules indicate that pass interference cannot be called once a pass has been deflected.
The other questionable pass-interference call in the fourth quarter involved Francis and LSU defensive back Jesse Daniels, who appeared to have intercepted Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox’s pass on third down and 29.
“What was ruled there was the receiver would have had an opportunity to come back and make a play on the ball if [Auburn wide-receiver Courtney Taylor] wasn’t interfered with,” Bloom said. “In that case, the receiver was run out of bounds. [The pass] was ruled ‘catchable.'”
One other call in question involved LSU fullback Jacob Hester’s “drop” on fourth down and 1 in the first quarter.
The ruling on the field was that Hester caught the pass then fumbled the ball out of bounds.
After a video review the officials changed the call to an incomplete pass, which gave Auburn the football at its 27-yard line.
“That’s more of a judgment call,” Bloom said. “The booth thought that he did not have possession of the ball.”
LSU coach Les Miles said Tuesday he “respectfully disagrees” with the conference’s rulings on the plays in question.
LSU defensive end Chase Pittman said he did not understand why the pass interference flag was picked up.
“I think if you throw a flag, it’s because you see something,” Pittman said. “And I don’t understand going back and picking it up, saying you maybe didn’t see it, but you threw it. You know you saw it, or otherwise you wouldn’t have thrown it.”
Regardless of the ruling, Pittman said it is not worth laboring over the calls because the game is over.
“I know that the officials have a rough job,” Pittman said. “Sometimes they miss calls. The game, I don’t think in my opinion, should have come down to officiating.”
LSU offensive lineman Will Arnold agreed with Pittman and said that despite what happened, there is nothing they can do to change the outcome.
“Did it affect us some in the end? Maybe it had,” Arnold said. “We should have never let it get down to that. There’s nothing much you can say about it.”
—–Contact Kyle Whitfield at [email protected]