College football fans are shaking their heads again as the Big Ten officially admitted an officiating error this week in the Nebraska-Maryland game, an admission that shines a spotlight right back on the same crew that controversially called Michigan’s last-second Hail Mary win over Western Michigan just weeks prior. This isn’t just about one bad call, it’s about the continued struggles of an officiating crew that is now front and center for the wrong reasons, twice.
Another Blunder in Broad Daylight
The latest gaffe happened at the end of Nebraska’s blowout 48-23 win over Maryland. A roughing the snapper penalty was called, but the crew “incorrectly officiated” the ensuing kickoff sequence. Nebraska kicker Kyle Cunanan missed an extra point attempt. According to Big Ten rules, because the attempt was missed, the penalty should have resulted in Nebraska getting to retry the kick with the penalty yardage enforced half the distance to the goal. Instead, that miss was allowed to stand, and the penalty yardage was slapped onto the subsequent kickoff. The Big Ten released a statement, confirming the screw-up: “The missed attempt took place after Nebraska took a 48-23 lead when roughing the snapper was called during play. Since the attempt was missed, by rule, the penalty should have resulted in Nebraska retrying the attempt with the penalty yardage enforced half the distance to the goal. However, the miss was allowed to stand and the penalty yardage was incorrectly enforced on the subsequent kickoff.”
The Same Crew, The Same Problems
What makes this sting even more is that much of this very same officiating crew was at the heart of the controversial Michigan-Western Michigan game. Referee Jim Wharrie, head linesman Ric Hinkamper, back judge Jeff Latkiewicz, side judge Grady Smith and field judge Kyle Debuse were all on the field for that ‘last-second’ Hail Mary win for Michigan. In that game, the crew faced heat for not following proper review protocols when deciding if a second should be added to the clock, setting up that final, decisive play. It’s one thing to make a mistake, it’s another for the same group of officials to be repeat offenders on highly visible, impactful calls.
Coach Rhule’s Boiling Point
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule didn’t hold back about the penalty during his Monday press conference, detailing a maddening series of miscommunications. Rhule said an official asked if he wanted the penalty on the kickoff. Rhule, unable to see clearly, asked if Cunanan had made the kick. The official confirmed, “Yeah, he made it.” So Rhule agreed to take it on the kickoff. But then, the scoreboard showed 48 points, not 49. Rhule asked “Why is it 48?” and the official responded, “He missed it.” Rhule expressed his frustration, saying, “I just asked you this.” While he took some blame, saying, “Poor by me. I’m not gonna blame anybody. It was poor by me,” his exasperation was clear. This isn’t new for Rhule either. After the game, he was “befuddled” by the overall officiating, which saw a combined 28 penalties for 247 yards. He called it “ridiculous” and “poorly handled.” You can’t blame him for being fed up with what seems like a consistent lack of clarity and proper procedure from this crew.
So, where do we go from here? With the Big Ten admitting their errors, and a coach like Rhule openly questioning the quality of officiating, you have to wonder what’s next for this crew. Will accountability actually stick this time?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply