Sports

Georgia Tech Robbed Of Game-Winning Touchdown By Referee’s Early Whistle On Obvious Fumble Recovery

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Georgia Tech Fumble recovery touchdown colorado robbed whistle forward progress controversy
ESPN

Colorado hung on to beat Georgia Tech during the first game of the college football season by one point. However, the Yellow Jackets were robbed of a fumble recovery touchdown that would’ve given them the advantage in the final score.

It was ruled dead too early.

The college football officials granted forward progress that did not exist. The ball-carrier had not yet been stopped when the ball came loose!

Colorado beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

One of the biggest games of Week 1 lived up to the hype. Although it was not an offensive onslaught by any stretch of the imagination, the two sides were never separated by more than one score.

Georgia Tech sold out its season-opener but Colorado traveled better than expected. Buffaloes starting quarterback Juju Lewis is from the Peach State so there was a good chunk of black and gold mixed into the whiteout crowd.

Both teams failed to get on the board in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets took a 10-7 lead into halftime. Neither side scored during the third quarter. The Buffaloes had a field goal blocked with just under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

However, the hometown kid led Colorado down the field on his next drive and found the end zone for six to take the lead.

Bobby-Dodd Stadium got eerily quiet as Georgia Tech took back over on offense with less than one minute remaining in the game. A huge 42-yard completion on first down brought the crowd right back into it.

The Yellow Jackets set up a game-winning field goal as time expired. Aidan Burr’s kick was blocked.

Game over. Colorado defeated Georgia Tech 14-13.

College football officials robbed the Yellow Jackets of a fumble scoop-and-score touchdown with an early whistle.

The home team could not prevail in the end. It could not convert the chip shot field goal to win the game on the final play.

However, Georgia Tech shouldn’t’ve been in that position in the first place. The Yellow Jackets should’ve scored (at least) six points in the first quarter. They forced a fumble in the red zone, scooped up the loose ball, and took it the distance. 6-0.

And then the touchdown was called back. Officials blew the play dead on forward progress. Was it the right call? Probably not.

Here’s another angle of the scoop-and-score touchdown that wasn’t, but should’ve been:

I don’t see forward progress stopped. Georgia Tech was robbed of an early touchdown that might’ve changed the momentum of the entire game. More importantly, it proved to be the difference between a win and a loss. College football officials robbed them of an obvious fumble recovery touchdown.