Sports

Big Ten Admits Costly Officiating Error On Oregon’s Game-Tying Two-Point Attempt Vs. UCLA

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iStockphoto / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Big Ten admitted a costly officiating mistake in a football game between Oregon and UCLA.


The Oregon football team fell to UCLA in Big Ten action on Saturday, 17-15. The conference has admitted to a costly officiating mistake late in the fourth quarter of action.

The Ducks attempted to tie the game with a two-point conversion. They were stopped just shy of the goal line. Had the ball been spotted correctly, the outcome might’ve been quite different.

Big Ten officiating costs Oregon football team.

The contest was one largely controlled by the Bruins across the first three quarters. UCLA took a 17-6 advantage early in the fourth period. Oregon stormed back to make things interesting late.

The Ducks added a field goal with 5:16 to play. That cut the deficit to 17-9. Three minutes later, they found the endzone.

Oregon lined up for a two-point try to tie the game. The first attempt was stopped a yard short, but a UCLA facemask penalty gave the Ducks new life.

The ball should’ve been lined up at the half-yard line. The rulebook reads that the ball is supposed to be spotted half the distance to the goal from the end of the run.

Instead, it was spotted half the distance from the initial line of scrimmage. It forced Oregon to take the snap from the 1.5-yard line.

The extra yard proved costly. The Ducks were stopped short of the goal line on the second try.

Had the ball been correctly spotted, running back Jordon Davison crosses the line to gain. Instead, he fell a half-yard shy. UCLA would later run the clock inside a minute before pinning the Ducks deep in their own territory with a punt.

Oregon fumbled on its final drive just outside of field goal range.

Big Ten officiating has been a concern.

The league has been under the spotlight since Week 1. Michigan’s second Hail Mary pass to beat Western Michigan in the opener was incorrectly reviewed.

That same crew again made headlines in a meeting between Maryland and Nebraska. A Cornhuskers’ PAT try was incorrectly officiated.

That call had no impact on the outcome. The Cornhuskers still won the game by 25 points. The same can’t be said for Oregon’s football loss to UCLA.

A successful two-point try would not have won the game for the Ducks. It could’ve been enough to force overtime. We’ll never know.

The loss was Oregon’s second of the season. It is now 3-2 and on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff.

The Bruins, meanwhile, improved to 5-0. They sit atop the Big Ten standings in a three-way tie with Indiana and Ohio State.