Referees don’t always get it right. They make questionable calls all the time, leaving fans anywhere between perplexed and irate.
And after Saturday’s Texas-Houston game, college football fans had a lot of questions about where officials spot the ball for the Cougars late in their 31-24 loss to the Longhorns.
With less than 90 seconds to go in the fourth quarter as Texas was up by a touchdown, Houston was on the Longhorns’ 10-yard line on third-and-1. Running back Stacy Sneed got the ball and initially appeared to get to the nine-yard line and grab the first down, just barely.
But after officials spot the ball and brought the chains out, they ruled that Sneed was short. Houston ultimately turned the ball over on downs, and Texas held on for the victory.
Houston was marked short here pic.twitter.com/Cp1JPbyHXC
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 21, 2023
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Cougars coach Dana Holgorsen on the sideline seemed to have some concerns about the spot. And even the Fox broadcast noted it looked incorrect:
“If the mark is near the 10-yard line, the actual 10, then he was not given credit for all of that run with forward progress.”
College football fans were beyond baffled by the spot, and here’s how they reacted on Twitter (now X):