Week 11 Overreaction: Utah AD fined $40K for ripping officials, Big 12 conference after loss to BYU

Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger and Pat Forde discuss the Cougars' controversial 22-21 win over the Utes and discuss Utah AD Mark Harlan's comments that the game was stolen from them.

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[TSSolutionsPro]

They only scored in one quarter. The UofU lost the game in many other ways besides a holding call. Give credit to BYU's defense and adjusting at half time to shut down their offense. BYU capitalized on the UofU's mistake. There was no cheating the calls were the calls. you can debate the tic tacky of the calls however in video replay he was holding. Much better evidence than the face masking call on BYU. We live with the calls and move on. Time for the UofU AD to grow up and be a man rather than an elementary kid crying over something that did not go his way.

[JonnyRay]

Far removed? Qb is trying to find a open receiver and the receiver is being held. It was happening all night, it was about time they called it.

[lylesmith]

This retired ref liked the call.. advantage/ dis advantage… at the NFL officials camp that I attended in Fresno in the early 2000s, told us to have the balls to call what we see when it is a critical down. This clearly was a defender not letting go beyond the 5 yard cushion.

[johndotter]

It was a flagrant holding call that Utah got caught on! Ref made the right call!

[Colin-Fenix]

It wasn’t controversial at all! The game was on the line and Utah tried to cheat! Sitake said they were holding all night!

[sputnik]

It was clearly holding, on a passing play no less, that’s a foul, it’s that simple. The phantom face mask that BYU was called for though, that was a bad call, and it led to points for Utah. Utah wining about the loss and officials says more about them than the officials.

[Kimmer]

The idea of not liking a call simply because it's an end of game situation is ridiculous! A foul is a foul no matter when it happens in a game!!

[phav]

No one is more shocked that BYU is 9-0 than us BYU fans . . . It's a nice kind of shock 🙂

[lukeslc-xdds]

Controversial??? According to whom????

[marlowplumb]

It was the play. The QB was looking for an open receiver.

[FaithCrisisSurvivor]

Now that Big XII fanbases have seen the way that Ute Fan behaves, I’m sure none of them would be pressed if “not happy to be in the Big XII Utah” took their talents back to the MWC.

[brb]

For what it's worth, statistically, BYU beat Utah.

[MrPerfesser]

The flag was thrown by the ref standing on the end line directly behind Retzlaff, who saw the QB's first read was the receiver who was held. Retzlaff, immediately after the game, said his first read was the receiver who was held. To say it the call was on a receiver far away from the ball ignores the reality that both the QB and the ref knew that the receiver who was held was the first read on the play.

[DK]

Utah is 1-5 in BIG 12 conference play and may lose 8 straight at this point (@ Colorado this Saturday).

This was their last chance of redeeming a lost season which is why emotions rose to a boiling point where the AD and Coach Whit just released all their frustrations on this heartbreaking loss and used the refs as a scapegoat.

[SydJames-wm]

Utah did not complain about the bad calls against BYU that led to 7 points for Utah just before the half. A roughing the passer and a face mask call that was proven wrong. Utah has no reason to complain. Learn to follow Kalani's example.

[danielclark]

BYU reminds me of the LA Raiders the year that they won all those games in the last few seconds. They did not blow many teams out that year but won a ton of games in the last few minutes. Finally, it was holding and a penalty is a penalty except when it is a fake face mask against BYU.

[murdog]

I have never understood people that say "you shouldn't make that call in that situation". Why isnt the conversation about the DB that didn't understand the situation and that he shouldn't hold and risk a penalty!?

[roboslug]

I keep hearing this argument that a ref shouldn't throw a flag on a game ending play, and I don't get it. Why do people feel like there are moments in the game when the rules shouldn't apply? Do they feel like they're entitled to cheat and break the rules when it's 4th down late in the 4th quarter? And how do they not see their own hypocrisy when they are complaining that the officials cost them the game, while simultaneously arguing that those same officials have a duty to ignore a call and cost the other team the game? If you don't want a penalty call, don't commit penalties. And if you don't want to be at the mercy of a single call that doesn't go your way, play harder and smarter and put the game out of reach. If they were more than 2 points up, a field goal wouldn't have been enough. And if they were more than 8 points up, there's just no realistic way BYU could have won it at all, even with that call.

[steeltalon]

I got a free ticket for this game. So I was there. I'll be short. Utah fans are simply bad sports. I was seriously surprised at how rude, and some of them were intoxicated--including the guy sitting next to me. I had heard about their bad behavior all my life in Utah, but finally saw it in action at the game. They are definitely NOT a good addition to the BIG12. Side Note: There is an investigation under way where immediately following the game, a BYU cheer leaders was hit in the head with a bottle coming from the Utah stands. She is okay.

[aBrewster]

And did you guys see Mark Harlan’s “apology?” Pretty much doubled down, pledged loyalty to the Big 12 and patted BYU on the head. It’s absolutely threadbare and hilarious. 😂what a clown.