Controversial officiating decision wipes out Auburn scoop-and-score vs. Oklahoma
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A controversial officiating decision took away some early Auburn points and some much-needed momentum on the road while helping pave the way for an Oklahoma field goal.
Auburn went 3-and-out on the opening possession of Saturday afternoon’s SEC showdown in Norman between ranked teams, and so the 22nd-ranked Tigers punted it away to No. 11 Oklahoma and John Mateer. Auburn looked like it had not only stopped the high-powered Sooners offense on its first possession, it looked like it turned a fumble into a long return for a touchdown that would possibly set the tone for a road upset.
Instead of it being roughly a 64-yard fumble return for a touchdown with less than 5 minutes gone in the showdown, the play was reviewed and ultimately reversed. It was ruled an incomplete pass by Mateer, so after all of the excitement or anger, depending on what side you’re on, the slate was wiped clean and Oklahoma’s first drive of the game continued.
Here is the controversial first-quarter play:
That meant the controversial 2nd-and-10 play from the Auburn 40 simply became 3rd-and-10 from the Auburn 40. Ultimately, Oklahoma turned the good fortune into a 49-yard field goal by Tate Sandell, which gave the Sooners a 3-0 lead with 8:32 left in the first quarter.
Auburn is looking for its first-ever win over Oklahoma.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
