Kentucky players sound off on controversial holding call vs. Florida

Kentucky RB Benny Snell Jr. took the handoff and sprinted through the hole, not being brought down until he was well within range for what would be a game-winning field-goal attempt with six seconds left.

But wait, there was a flag on the field — holding against the Wildcats. Pushed out of field-goal range, a last-second kick fell short and the Florida Gators extended their winning streak over Kentucky to 31 games in a row.

After the devastating loss, OL Nick Haynes — who was flagged for the penalty — didn’t hold back, calling it a “BS” call that cost the Wildcats the game (via 247Sports):

“It’s heartbreaking, because you pour your heart in a game, they go down and score, you get a 2-minute opportunity with 49 seconds left, you drive down the field, get in position for a fifth-year senior to make a kick that he can make all the time — and a BS call gets made and that’s just how it ended,” Haynes said.

But was it a BS call? Though it certainly was unfortunate, it’s hard to blame the referees for throwing a flag when you watch the play below:

I’ve seen much, much worse, but, whatever. pic.twitter.com/83qmWjt6ws

— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) September 24, 2017

QB Stephen Johnson also was upset with the call, but wouldn’t talk too much about it in the aftermath of the loss:

“It’s extremely frustrating,” Johnson said. “That’s all I wanna say about that cause if I say anymore, I’m gonna get myself into trouble.”

Right call or not, the Wildcats need to gather themselves and not let one loss spiral. Though they fell to 1-1 in SEC play, they proved they can play with anyone and should continue to be a force in the coming weeks.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.