The SEC has released an official statement on a mistake made by referees in the first half of Oklahoma‘s win over Auburn on Saturday.
The Sooners took a 10-3 lead over Auburn early in the second quarter on a 24-yard touchdown pass from John Mateer to Isaiah Sategna. Auburn appeared to have a coverage bust on the play, as Sategna was wide open when he caught Mateer’s pass in the end zone.
However, Auburn coaches claimed Sategna was open because he deliberately tried to confuse Auburn by making it seem as though he was subbing out of the game after the previous play.
According to a statement from the SEC, Oklahoma should have been flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on the penalty and had the touchdown taken off the board.
“The officiating crew did not properly interpret the action as a hideout tactic,” the statement reads. “If properly officiated, the second down play should have resulted in a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards assessed from the previous spot.”
Here’s the full official statement from the league office:
For context, here’s a look at the full play:
Oklahoma went on to win this game by the score of 24-17. The Sooners are now 4-1 on the season while Auburn falls to 3-1.
The statement also says officials will receive “appropriate accountability” but it’s unclear what that means for this crew in future weeks. The SEC says it will not provide further comment on the matter.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
