Getty Image
West Virginia head football coach Neal Brown exploded on officials after a missed pass interference call led to a North Carolina touchdown in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Brown gave a referee a piece of his mind, which quickly landed him a sideline warning before halftime.
On the play, Tar Heels wide receiver JJ Jones leapt up to catch a pass in the endzone over a Mountaineer defender. After a second look, it appeared Jones got away with a very visible push-off to create separation.
Great catch by JJ Jones for a North Carolina touchdown
— Brendan Moore (@bmoorecfb) December 28, 2023
The pass catcher clearly shoved the defensive back, fully extending his arms and nearly sending the corner to the ground.
Compounding the frustration was the fact that West Virginia had just been called for a phantom defensive pass interference call that gave North Carolina a first down and continued the touchdown drive.
Neal Brown was not happy with the end result, as the touchdown cut his team’s 14-3 lead to just four points before the halftime break. He received a sideline warning for his tirade.
Fans were quick to comment on the explosion on social media. Most agreed with Brown’s response.
“That’s as easy an Offensive Pass Interference call there will be all year. This crew has kept Carolina in this game all half.”
“Good on Neal Brown for losing his absolute **** on that. He should have.”
“Good for Neal Brown. That was the world’s most obvious push off. West Virginia got so very screwed.”
The Mountaineers were able to get three points back before the half ended, kicking a field goal as time expired.