Controversial calls in Kentucky loss to Florida show limitations of instant replay system

Had the Kentucky football team’s game at Florida not spiraled out of reach in the fourth quarter, the furor over a controversial Gators touchdown would likely still be rampant.

With UK trailing 27-20 in the third quarter, the Wildcats’ defense appeared to make its third red zone stand of the game to hold Florida to a field goal attempt by stopping running back Jadan Baugh just shy of the end zone on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line. But unlike in the first half when officials quickly blew a Kentucky fourth-down attempt dead when running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye was held up at the line of scrimmage by Florida defenders, the crew let this scrum go long enough that the official stationed on the far sideline from the play ruled Baugh had stretched the ball over the goal line.

Replay reviews broadcast by the SEC Network appeared to show Baugh stopped well short of the end zone, though.

“Oh wow, I don’t think there’s any chance he got in there,” play-by-play man Dave Neal said on the broadcast after viewing the first replay.

Only one of the replay angles shown on the television broadcast — the one from above the goal posts — appears to show Baugh extending the ball forward toward the goal line while being held up by UK defenders, but even that angle could not show if his knee had already touched the ground or if the ball actually reached the goal line.

Most of the replay angles were from cameras on the side of the field closest to the play where the ball is not visible after Baugh runs into the mass of defenders. The only replay shown on the broadcast from the side of the field where the official who initially ruled the play a touchdown was stationed came from the pylon camera, which was not clear enough to see the ball.

With apparently no clear replay angle showing the ball in relation to the goal line, officials elected to let the call on the field stand. The touchdown counted, stretching the Florida lead back to 14.

As of Monday, UK coach Mark Stoops had not heard an explanation from the league on the ruling, though Stoops has declined throughout the season to comment on officiating explanations from the league office out of fear of being fined.

“I say any more, I’ll get annihilated,” Stoops said. “I like working with you all. … You understand me, we’ve been here for a long time going through this, but when I elaborate, somebody grabs something, and next thing you know, I’m complaining. I can’t be fun Mark today.

“You guys are professionals. Just some people don’t listen to the whole conversation. They just grab a piece, and next thing you know, I’m whining and complaining. So, I want to make that very clear: I’m not.”

While Stoops declined to elaborate on the conversation with officials or the league office, it is easy to understand why he might have been frustrated.

At least part of that frustration appeared to be lingering from UK’s failed fourth-and-1 attempt at the Florida 2-yard line in the second quarter.

On that play Sumo-Karngbaye was held up at the line of scrimmage but appeared to reach the first-down marker after a late second effort. However, officials had already blown the play dead, and the play could not be reviewed because there would be no way to know if Florida defenders let up after hearing a whistle.

A long, animated discussion between Stoops and an official followed. Asked Monday if he thought the official could not understand his argument because of the crowd noise, Stoops dismissed that suggestion.

“No, he heard me,” Stoops said. “Oh yeah, he understood me. Really don’t have any other comment.”

Stoops elected to call a timeout after the play to give replay officials more time to review available camera angles, but he did not officially challenge the ruling.

“If they don’t stop it, if they don’t see anything on there I’m not going to win the challenge anyway,” Stoops said. “I did call the timeout there and part of my discussion was, is it worth the challenge? Essentially, they’re looking at it anyway. So, whatever the result, whether I challenge it or stop play, they are looking at it.

“So, if it was going to be reversed, they would buzz it and reverse it. Generally speaking — I think you know this — anything that’s called on the field in those types of situations is what’s going to happen.”

Stoops is correct.

The NCAA rule book states that “the instant replay process operates under the fundamental assumption that the ruling on the field is correct. The replay official may overturn a ruling if and only if the video evidence convinces the replay official beyond all doubt that the ruling was incorrect. Without such indisputable video evidence, the replay official must allow the ruling to stand.”

The replay official assigned to each game reviews every play automatically. If there is reasonable evidence to believe an error was made on a reviewable play, that official can stop play before the next snap. The referee then consults with the replay official to determine if the ruling needs to be overturned.

Replay officials are limited to using video available to the television broadcast.

The referee then announces one of three outcomes: the on-field ruling is confirmed, the on-field ruling stands or the on-field ruling is overturned. The distinction between the ruling being confirmed or simply standing rests on whether there was a replay angle that clearly showed the call was correct.

If no angle proves the call is correct but also does not prove it was clearly incorrect, the on-field ruling “stands.” That was the outcome of the review of Florida’s third-quarter touchdown.

A week earlier against Vanderbilt, Stoops did use the challenge allotted each coach to signal a replay review not initiated by the replay official to try to have the ruling that Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was down before losing control of the ball overturned. That decision backfired as television replays showed Pavia down, and Stoops lost his challenge and the timeout used for it.

By calling the timeout and not challenging the fourth-down play at Florida, Stoops essentially gave the replay official more time to review the play without risking his challenge should he need it later in the game, but he lost a timeout in both circumstances.

While Kentucky fans on social media were irate that the Florida touchdown was not overturned, the replay review process appears to have worked as intended in Gainesville. Entering the weekend, 48.05% of replay reviews in SEC games had resulted in the on-field call being overturned, up from 35.2% the last two seasons.

That does not mean the initial call on either Kentucky’s failed fourth-down conversion or the Florida touchdown was actually right, though. Officiating mistakes have always been part of the game. This sequence was just especially frustrating for Stoops and UK fans because one play was blown dead quickly while another was allowed to proceed longer, and both decisions went against the Wildcats.

The final score suggests neither play decided the game, but it is impossible to know how momentum might have shifted if either sequence had gone in Kentucky’s favor.

It is unlikely then that whatever explanation Stoops receives from the league office does much to improve his mood.

“I generally will get those probably (Monday night),” Stoops said before making what appeared to be a not-so-veiled reference at officiating controversies elsewhere in the league, including the reversal of a pass interference call in the Georgia-Texas game after Texas fans causes a stoppage in play by throwing debris onto the field. “Although, I have a feeling they’re quite busy, so it might be tomorrow.”

Next game

Auburn at Kentucky

When: 7:45 p.m. Saturday

TV: SEC Network

Records: Auburn 2-5 (0-3 SEC), Kentucky 3-4 (1-4 SEC)

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1

Series: Auburn leads 27-6-1

Last meeting: Auburn won 29-13 on Sept. 26, 2020, at Auburn, Ala.

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