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The South Carolina football team was upset with a handful of calls in its loss to LSU on Saturday which they believe directly affected the outcome of the contest. Included in those controversial rulings were a pair of negated pick-sixes and a phantom offensive pass interference that wiped out another potential scoring opportunity.
Shane Beamer contacted the SEC office soon after the 36-33 loss, demanding clarity on the penalties. He got his answer on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the one he wanted to hear!
Beamer disagreed with the flags, most notably a 100-yard interception return that was called back due to a block on the quarterback. A game-changing ruling, it came late in the fourth quarter with the Gamecocks up by four points.
@jlfootballclips Unnecessary Roughness brings back 100 yard pick 6! #lsu #southcarolina #interception #touchdown #collegefootball #cfb #sports #fypage #trending #explore ♬ original sound – JordansClips
Kyle Kennard was called for unnecessary roughness on the play. A debate has been sparked ever since.
Those on the LSU side believe it to be a blindside block. Those for South Carolina say the hit was legal as the QB became a defender when he decided to track the ball carrier.
The hit wasn’t as vicious as Garrett Nussmeier’s reaction would lead you to believe, but an emphasis on quarterback safety has been put in place, especially given what transpired with Tua Tagovailoa just days prior.
Shane Beamer responded to the play after the game, saying that he teaches his players to find the QB on interception plays. After all, they’re usually the first person to know when a ball will be picked off.
Was Nussmeier in position to make a play? That’s up for debate!
Either way, the play was called back to wipe a touchdown off the board for South Carolina’s football team. LSU later scored a touchdown in the final two minutes to escape with a victory.
The Gamecocks had hoped to gain clarity on the calls after the fact though it wouldn’t change the game’s outcome. In the very least, Shane Beamer would’ve liked to hear an apology.
He got neither!
Shane Beamer said today he’ll ’agree to disagree’ with a few of the calls made in Saturday’s game against LSU after hearing explanations on several from John McDaid, the SEC’s head of officials.
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) September 17, 2024
SEC referees believe the calls were correct. Shane Beamer will have to “agree to disagree.”