ACC football officials have come under a lot of heat this season. There have been on-field calls in conference games that get talked about for several weeks to follow. But now, it is a non-conference coach that shared his thoughts over the weekend, as Jim Mora rips the ACC and its officials.
The Setup
Wake Forest traveled to UConn over the weekend to face Jim Mora’s Huskies team who went into the game with a 4-2 record. They left the game 4-3. That is a starting point for what happened. But there is also this. UConn has no conference affiliation. The Huskies are an independent. Wake is a member of the ACC. Accordingly, by NCAA rules, the officials come from the visiting team’s conference for an out-of-conference game.
ACC officials handled the game. Riley Johnson was the referee in charge of the crew.
The Huskies had the ball fourth and eight at their own 43-yard line, down 23-20. There was 1:31 left in the game, and UConn needed another 27 yards to get into viable field goal range to tie the game.
Quarterback Nick Evers dropped back, checked down on his progressions, and threw to his left for receiver Jasaiah Gathings at the Wake Forest 47-yard line, (enough for a first down).
The No-Call
The play happened in between back judge Michael Defee and line judge Kirk Lewis who was running down the left sideline. There was plenty of contact between Wake defensive back Jamare Glasker and Gathings. The receiver grabbed Glasker’s facemask for barely an instant. Glasker made what could have been called premature contact with the receiver. No flags were thrown. Neither of the officials near the play even reached for a flag. Lewis was waving it as an incomplete pass.
Wake Forest took over possession on downs, took a knee three times and that was the game. Mora met Wake head coach Dave Clawson at midfield for the customary handshake after the game.
Mora’s Comments
And then Mora went into his postgame press conference. It lasted 55 seconds. He gave the following opening statement:
“I’m proud of them for fighting back. We’ve got to make sure we put ourselves in a position where it doesn’t come down to one play where an ACC [officiating] team makes a horses–t call against an Independent. That’s up to us to play better at the start of the game so it doesn’t come down to that call, which was [defensive] holding and PI. And that’s what I told them. And we’ll come back, and we’ll fight. It’s on us to play better earlier, but it would sure be nice if it was a level playing field.”
He was asked one question, to explain what happened on the play. “Here’s your explanation: ACC versus Independent. There’s your explanation. It’s pretty f–king simple.” And with that, Mora left the press conference.
Clawson’s Perspective
The two coaches had more than the customary handshake after the game. By appearances, there was actually a conversation. Clawson was asked Tuesday if Mora was complaining about the lack of the pass interference call. “After the game, he was extremely professional,” Clawson said of Mora. “I told him how much respect I had for the job he’s done there, and how quickly he’s turned that team from last year to this year. He could not have been any nicer, and more professional.”
Clawson added the clear point that all coaches do. There are calls missed and made that could go either way in any game. He said, “I mean, could it have been a PI (pass interference call)? Yeah. But it also could have been a facemask. Because that facemask kind of drug Jamare right to the play.”
The ACC’s Season in the Barrel
The controversial work by ACC officials in the Miami vs. Virginia Tech, and Miami vs. Cal games were standard in-conference issues. Mora’s rant will be used as an exhibit for some time to come by those who don’t think there should be conference officials, but instead, one large team of national officials.
