Cheers exploded from the record crowd in Rice-Eccles Stadium. BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff gathered himself from the turf after being clobbered into the wrong end zone on fourth down.
For a few moments, the Utes had done the unthinkable. They spoiled their archrival’s season and ended a dreadful four-game losing streak. Bowl game hopes had returned. But, instead, a yellow flag flew from the hands of a Big 12 official and onto the turf.
Utah senior cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn was called for a crucial holding call, which gave the Cougars a new set of downs and, ultimately, a spark of momentum that allowed BYU to nail a game-winning field goal for a 22-21 win in the final seconds on Saturday night.
From that point on, tempers flared. Fingers were pointed. Kyle Whittingham quarreled with a sideline official even before the game reached its closing point. Utah AD Mark Harlan wagged his finger at one league official before entering the tunnel of RES and delivering a scathing rebuke of the Big 12’s officiating.
“I’ve been an athletic director for 12 years. This game was absolutely stolen from us,” Harlan said. “We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. I’m very disappointed. I will talk to the commissioner. This is not fair to our team. I am disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight.”
Whittingham added: “I don‘t want to go over those (calls). They are what they are. It’s a ridiculous situation. I’m not going to get into it.
Before angrily tossing a chair to the ground at the end of his post-game news conference, Whittingham shared why he was arguing with officials even after the game was over.
“(It was about the) two previous calls,” he said. “The game was all but over, and then it wasn’t.”
Despite Whittingham and Harlan’s protests, the league officials seem to have made the right call on Vaughn’s penalty — especially when analyzed from different angles.
From ESPN’s broadcast
At the top of the screen on ESPN’s broadcast, Vaughn could be seen pressing the BYU wide receiver at the onset of his route.
The receiver cut right, as if he was about to run a slant. Vaughn then appeared to place his hands on the chest of the BYU wide receiver before the Cougars receiver cut upfield.
As the receiver ran up the left sideline, Vaughn seemingly kept his hands on the back of the wide receiver’s shoulder pads — nearly causing him to trip at the end of his route.
“That’s a good call by the officials,” ESPN’s Brock Osweiler said on the broadcast. “It’s Keelan Marion working against cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn up top and it is clear as day. Vaughn grabs some jersey early on in the down.”
“You’re going to see Vaughn get a little bit handsy. It’s a really good call by the officials.”
A blurry view from the north end zone
While this angle might be blurry, it showcases two things:
Vaughn got handsy with wideout three times during his route. The first time the senior cornerback grabbed after Retzlaff snapped the ball. The second time came as he shifted up the left sideline.
Vaughn appears to make contact for a third time mere seconds before Retzlaff was sacked and the flag was thrown.
From the southeast
A view from the south is how the line judge saw the play, and it might be the most damning angle.
The video was shot by a fan in the stands. It‘s blurry, but let’s break it down second by second:
0:03: At this point, the receiver has made his first move on his route, which appears to be an inside slant. Vaughn is allowed to “ward off or legally block an eligible pass receiver until that player occupies the same yard line as the defender or until the opponent could not possibly block him.” But this angle appears to show the defensive back grabbing the receiver’s jersey, and it affects his balance before he eventually cuts up the field.
0:05-0:06: The wideout looks to be stumbling as he approaches the 15-yard line and it appears Vaughn is making contact.
0:07: The Cougar WR regains his footing and Vaughn disengages with him. But, once again, Vaughn extends his arm into the receiver’s pads causing a third and final point of contact before the flag was thrown.
A slow-mo look
This slow-motion look gives the clearest look at Vaughn‘s extended arms. Again, he’s allowed to make some contact. But the apparent pull on the jersey may have brought on the flag as it appears “could not possibly block him” at that point.
Other angles
What BYU said about the holding penalty
“Whatever decision the refs made, I don’t think they are trying to get it wrong,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “That’s just part of the game. The refs are part of the game. We were able to capitalize on [the holding] and make a big play. ... Nothing was granted to us.”
A fine coming for Utah’s AD?
There’s little doubt that Harlan has a hefty fine on the way from the Big 12.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) University of Utah athletic director Mark Harlan speaks during a news conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium after announcing the school’s entrance to the Big 12 Conference, Monday, Aug. 7, 2023.
But what is the precedent? In February, according to ESPN, Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades was given a $25,000 fine and a public reprimand from the league. It came after he criticized the officiating after Baylor men’s basketball head coach Scott Drew was ejected from a contest.
“I’m not somebody that calls the officials or calls the league after every game,” Rhoades told reporters. “In fact, I never call when it comes to officiating. It’s always about, ‘We need to play better, we need to execute better, we need to play tougher,’ all of those things. But tonight was an embarrassment for this league. We have the best basketball league in the country, and the officiating tonight did not match it. Period. End of story.”
On Sunday afternoon, the Big 12 announced Harlan had been fined $40,000.
“Mark’s comments irresponsibly challenged the professionalism of our officials and the integrity of the Big 12 Conference,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. “There is a right way and a wrong way to voice concerns. Unfortunately, Mark chose the wrong way. Accordingly, this violation warrants a public reprimand and financial penalty. The Big 12 Conference prioritizes professionalism, integrity, and fairness, and will continue to do so.”
Correction: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the language of the NCAA’s defensive holding rule, which states: “Defensive players may ward off or legally block an eligible pass receiver until that player occupies the same yard line as the defender or until the opponent could not possibly block him. Continuous contact is illegal.”
