Texas awarded first down on controversial fumble ruling
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Texas found itself on the wrong end of a controversial call right before halftime against Mizzou, after what appeared to be a Cayden Lee fumble ultimately wasn’t when the Tigers’ star wide receiver was ruled down by contact after a review.
In the third quarter, it was the Tigers’ turn to have a grievance against the officiating crew in Columbia.
It happened late in the third quarter and with Texas trailing 20-13 at the Mizzou 39. With 2:22 remaining, Arch Manning threw what appeared to be an incomplete pass that bounced off a Tigers player and landed near the 25-yard line.
After a review, though, the ruling was that Manning hadn’t thrown an incomplete pass. Rather, it was considered a live ball that, after a few seconds, was picked up by a Texas player. Here’s video of the sequence:
To rub salt in the wound for the Tigers, Texas ended up scoring a touchdown on the drive to make it a 20-20 ballgame with 1:52 remaining in the third.
If Mizzou ultimately loses this one, Eli Drinkwitz is going to be demanding an explanation for why Manning wasn’t whistled for an incompletion. In any event, it’s been an interesting day for the SEC officials assigned to this game.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
