We didn't know the Tennessee Volunteers were going to be playing against the No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs AND the officials on Saturday night. Unfortunately, that appears to be the case, as several questionable calls and missed calls have been posted.
In the third quarter, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 24-17 lead thanks to a run from Carson Beck. However, on a 2nd-and-long play, Tennessee was called for a defensive facemask penalty that gave UGA a first down.
Instead of the Bulldogs facing a 3rd-and-9, they got their first down and they didn't have to break a sweat in driving down the field. However, Vols head coach Josh Heupel was livid with the call and we don't blame him. Just what in the world was this?
This was called a face mask😬pic.twitter.com/C0HPHcjZSs
— Rocky Top Now (@rockytopnow) November 17, 2024
A phantom facemask call against Tennessee vs. UGA was totally absurd
Multiple angles were showcased on the broadcast, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit convinced the refs made the right call. However, we still have extreme, extreme doubts. This was a questionable call at best, but one that came at a back-breaking moment.
It sure looked like the Tennessee defense was going to be ready to make a 3rd-down stop to try and get the ball back to their offense, but the team in stripes had other ideas. Not long after the laundry hit the turf, Beck had Sanford Stadium rocking thanks to his great TD run.
However, Heupel was still angry and his blood pressure was only raised when a '12 men on the field' penalty was called due to a late substitution on that same drive. Tennessee has shot itself in the foot a bit with some mental mistakes, but they're not getting any help from the refs either. It's a shame they're having such a massive impact on this huge SEC tilt.