Kiffin claims ref said he'd face backlash for whistling down touchdown

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 12 Oct, 21:37 · Archive

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin says a line judge told him he would have faced serious consequences for stopping the controversial Kentucky touchdown.

Kentucky's 35-34 overtime victory over LSU on Saturday was marred by a controversial goal-line touchdown in the final seconds of the first half. With three seconds remaining in the second quarter, Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey appeared to be stopped by the LSU defense at the one-yard line, but after a second effort, the offensive line pushed him across the goal line. Officials did not blow the whistle to stop the play dead and awarded the touchdown, giving Kentucky a 21-17 halftime lead.

During a Sunday press conference, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin revealed what a line judge had told him about the call. According to Kiffin, line judge Jake Osgood said he would have been 'killed' if he had blown the whistle, explaining that 'there was just too much at stake' in such a consequential moment of the game. The play appeared to last at least six seconds despite only three seconds remaining on the clock.

Kiffin disagreed with the reasoning, arguing that officials should not let the significance of a play influence their decision-making. He suggested the whistle should have been blown regardless of how important the moment was. The controversial call was not the only officiating dispute in the game; the game-deciding two-point conversion was also shrouded in controversy when referee Ted Pitts ruled that Kentucky coach Will Stein had called timeout before a false start could be flagged.

How it is being reported

• Lane Kiffin shares referee’s wild explanation for controversial call in LSU’s loss to Kentucky: ‘Said he’d be killed’Lane Kiffin’s LSU was shocked by Kentucky on Saturday, and the referees admitted to calling a key play differently than all the rest.New York Post · 12 Oct, 21:20
• Lane Kiffin claims ref told him 'he would have been killed' if he blew whistle before Kentucky touchdownLane Kiffin claims a line judge admitted he would have been "killed" for blowing the whistle on Kentucky's controversial goal-line touchdown.Fox News · 12 Oct, 16:56

In this story: Lane Kiffin · LSU · Kentucky · Kenny Minchey · Jake Osgood · Will Stein

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