Dave Hyatt / Hyatt Media LLC
Middle Tennessee football coach Derek Mason speaking with referee
College football coaches complain about holding approximately every Saturday, but Derek Mason apparently needed a spreadsheet for this one. The Middle Tennessee coach says his staff submitted 17 separate plays it believed should have produced holding flags against Jacksonville State before he used Monday’s press conference to unload on Conference USA officiating as a whole.
Mason had already spoken with CUSA associate commissioner Tre Stallings about the disputed calls following Middle Tennessee’s 23-13 loss. Then he took the complaint public, telling reporters he was “tired of the bullsh—” and that officials needed to “show up and do their damn job,” according to FootballScoop.
Derek Mason Had 17 Plays Ready For The League Office
Seventeen is a hilarious number of possible holding calls to leave one game angry about.
That works out to more than one disputed hold for every four Jacksonville State offensive snaps.
Mason specifically said the clips occurred “at the point of confrontation,” arguing the alleged holds directly affected his defenders’ ability to make plays. He also made clear that his frustration extended beyond Saturday’s crew.
“These referees gotta be better,” Mason said. “That’s a message going out to everybody who refs these damn games. Be better.”
The actual box score does provide some fuel for why a defensive-minded coach might have spent his Sunday going frame-by-frame through the film.
Jacksonville State piled up 517 total yards, including 276 on the ground, while quarterback Caden Creel rushed for 119 himself. The official numbers show the Gamecocks were penalized only three times for 30 yards. Middle Tennessee was flagged seven times for 55.
None of that independently proves Mason’s 17 holding submissions were correct. It does explain why he was still furious two days later.
Conference USA Responded Almost Immediately
If Mason’s goal was getting the league office’s attention, mission accomplished.
Conference USA formally reprimanded him for violating its sportsmanship policy. The league said public criticism of officials is prohibited and that complaints about officiating are supposed to remain between schools and the conference office, per Underdog Dynasty.
No additional fine or penalty was publicly announced.
That creates a pretty funny sequence.
Middle Tennessee sent the league 17 plays questioning the officiating. Mason then held a press conference questioning essentially all of the officiating. Conference USA responded by reprimanding Mason for publicly questioning the officiating.
Everybody appears to have received the message.
Mason also insisted he was not blaming the entire 10-point loss on referees. Jacksonville State scored 13 unanswered points after Middle Tennessee took a 13-10 third-quarter lead, while the Blue Raiders were shut out over the final 25 minutes.
Still, there is normal coach-speak after a loss, and then there is submitting 17 alleged missed holds before declaring war on college football officiating.