Hugh Freeze addresses Isaiah Sategna substitution no-call: ‘I should probably be quiet’
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Isaiah Sategna III took a light stroll to the end zone, completely uncovered.
The Oklahoma receiver looked up and spotted a perfect pass from John Mateer. The nearest defender was yards away from him when he snagged the ball for a touchdown, giving Oklahoma an early 10-3 lead in what would eventually turn out to be a 24-17 win for the Sooners.
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze was irate on the sidelines. He first tried to call a timeout, but officials didn’t see his request. When the play was ruled a touchdown, he had some choice words for officials on the sideline, no doubt echoing what ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin said on the broadcast, that the play should not have been ruled a touchdown because Oklahoma subverted the substitution process to deceive the Tigers.
The broadcast later reported that officials defended the no-call, emphasizing Sategna “technically never left the field of play.”
Freeze wasn’t too happy about the call even after the game was over. “I guarantee you…” Freeze started when asked about the play. “Well, I’d better be quiet.”
He eventually did continue after finding the proper words for the situation. “We were instructed all offseason on ‘deception plays’ and things, so we’ll see what is said.”
Here’s a look at Freeze’s full comments from the postgame conference:
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
