Florida Benefits From Yet Another Blown Call

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is livid about a blown call in Saturday night's game against Florida, the second week in a row the Gators have benefited from errors by a Southeastern Conference officiating crew.

Florida linebacker Dustin Doe was ruled to have scored on a 23-yard interception return with 8:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, but replays showed that Doe was stripped of the ball before crossing the goal line by Mississippi State receiver Brandon McRae.

Doe's touchdown was upheld after being reviewed, giving Florida its second touchdown in 33 seconds and a 29-13 lead. The Gators won, 29-19.

"I don't know why we even have replay right now in the Southeastern Conference if they are not going to utilize it," Mullen said. "That's twice that they've blown calls on the replay with our games resulting in big plays and I think that's inexcusable for that official. I mean, I hope he is severely punished, if [he] ever works another SEC game again, because I think it is completely unacceptable."

Mullen wasn't finished. "Someone that can look at a videotape over and over again and miss a call. You can understand a guy that has one one-hundredths of a second to make a call or a decision, with the athletes in the SEC, the speed that's going, but in a replay, that should never happen."

At that point, team spokesman Joe Galbraith, who was moderating Sunday's teleconference, intervened and said there would be no more questions about officiating.

Mullen, who will likely be reprimanded by SEC commissioner Mike Slive, thought his team was the victim of another mistake by replay officials in a 31-24 loss to Houston on Oct. 10.

Comments

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1192402814]

I think the refs in the SEC need to have a long meeting and go over HOW TO CORRECTLY CALL A GAME!! How much $$ are they getting from the SEC to keep Florida and Alabama at the top of the rankings?

[T-Bone]

Every play is subject to review resulting in the refs not making calls on the field and just leaving the decision up to the replay. Meanwhile, the replay official is basing the decision off of a DVR of the game and limited camera options.

[Eric]

Watched the replay on Sun Network which replays FSU and UF games with their own cameras. They had 3 angles that showed the player crossing the goal that were all better than the ESPN shot. Almost certainly, the player crossed the goal line with the ball. Only if you had a camera on the goal line from the player's right could one, with certainty, see both the ball and the player crossing the goal line. But I'd guess 80 to 90% of people who watched Sun Net's shot would say the player crossed the goal with the ball. How the MSU coach could say the replay people should be suspended for failing to overturn based on ESPN's replays is absurd.

The MSU coach should be suspended for faking a punt from his own 20 against a lightening fast D in a 3 point game, IMO. That, as much as any single play, cost MSU a chance to win that game.

[AD]

the question isn't whether he crossed the goal but did he have control of the football....and the answer is NO!!!!!!

[Madison]

I'm positive that 80-90% of the people that watch the Sun Network live in Florida. The fake punt is excusable because Dan Mullen needed a big play to spark the offense. It was a hard fought game from both sides. By the way how is your bandwagon coming along?

[cn16]

the ball is clearly not in his hand when he first crosses the goal line, so that tells me that obviously he didnt have control of it just before he crossed...enough said.