ATHENS, Ga. — Tennessee had a chance to take the lead early in the second half of its 31-17 loss at Georgia but its drive stalled out with the Vols facing fourth-and-six at the Georgia 36-yard line.
It was a doable third down and Max Gilbert had already made a 52-yard field goal in the game. But Heupel opted for the conservative call and punted as Georgia took over at its own 13-yard line.
Georgia’s ensuing 12-play, 87-yard touchdown drive proved to be one of the most defining of the game and made Heupel’s decision to punt a poor one in hindsight. On that drive, a pair of critical calls went against Tennessee.
First came when Georgia was facing second-and-24. Carson Beck hit Nitro Tuggle on a slant that picked up nearly 15 yards. When Tuggle’s helmet popped off, an official threw the flag and called facemask which moved the sticks. Tennessee corner Rickey Gibson never grabbed Tuggle’s facemask.
Later on that drive, Georgia subbed late before a second-and-seven play and Tennessee slowly substituted to try and draw a delay of game. The officials eventually moved to let Beck snap the ball as Jaxson Moi hustled off the field. Beck’s pass to the end zone was incomplete, setting up a third-and-seven.
But the officials reviewed the play and deemed Moi was still on the field and called too many men on the field. Three plays later, Beck scrambled for the go-ahead touchdown on third down.
Following the game, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel expressed his frustration with the calls, calling them “pretty big” penalties.
When a reporter asked Heupel about Gibson seemingly not grabbing his facemask, Heupel turned his microphone around and asked the reporter to repeat his question while indicating it wasn’t a facemask. Tennessee’s fourth-year coach said he had no comment about what the officials explanation was.
Heupel then proceeded to ask the reporter if he wanted to ask about the 12-men on the field call. The reporter did and Heupel did not provide a comment. It was a very bizarre interaction with Heupel turning his microphone around. Read the full transcription of the interaction below. Watch the video below too to see Heupel’s tone and mannerism.
More From RTI: Everything Tennessee HC Josh Heupel Said After Vols Fell At Georgia
Reporter: Josh, a follow-up on the facemask (penalty). When we watched the replay, like I mentioned, it looked like.
Heupel: Yeah, what did it look like?
Reporter: It looked like the back of the helmet popped off. We didn’t see a hand on the facemask. What was the explanation?
Heupel: Can you repeat that?
Reporter: It looked like his helmet popped up, but there wasn’t a hand on the facemask. Did they give you an explanation of why it was called?
Heupel: Next question.
Heupel: You wanna ask about the 12 men on the field?
Reporter: I would, yeah.
Heupel: What did it look like? Okay.
10 Responses
Yeah cry me a freaking river! The guy grab the side of the helmet really close if not touching the facemask! Good call! The 12 men on the field was the right call. You have around 3 seconds to get your fat arse off the field. You can’t force the offense into a delay of game by walking off. Good call again, maybe Heupel will teach his kids to move next time.
So, according to one laughable comment here, if your hand gets CLOSE to the face mask it should be a face mask call… Makes total sense if you’re for the team rewarded by that call 😂
These SEC officials are horrible no matter who is playing.
I don’t know what game MT was watching but there were a lot of bad calls in this game and most were against the Vols.
What do you expect? So many games are decided by the officials instead of the players and who knows how many officials are crooked in this league.
There is no rule stating that substitutions have to take place in 3 seconds. And I guess Beck didn’t false start by falling backwards before the snap. These are facts. I guess you voted Democrat… Thus the rules don’t apply to you and your opinion. GG Georgia. Bad officiating is almost expected. MT eat a “D”!
Bs calls grabbing the back of a helmet that was coming off isn’t a face mask period also the 12 men call was B’s as well never has that call happened when offense subsuted and every game they let defense of the field watch every game everyone takes their time off the field plus Carson Beck should have been called for false start on the last drive the catch by the tightened was a fumble caught the ball turned had it pulled into chest ball knock out that’s a fumble period plus the pitch to to tighten wasn’t a pass that’s a pitch that’s a fumble not a pass wasn’t a shovel pass holding calls plan as day wasn’t called on Georgia and the pass interference when db was two seconds early and push squirrel white wasn’t called the catch squirrel white had and then fumble shouldn’t have been called incomplete it’s very funny how people in the pros and everyone else is all saying how bad of Calls they were against the vols and how Georgia got everything in their favor did Tennessee play their best nope but when you give a team every call their way made it easier and that changes the game I do believe if there wasn’t such bad calls the game is completely different than it was the incomplete pas that was a catch by squirrel white that would have been points on the board the fumble that was called incomplete when tightened made a complete catch wouldn’t have been points for Georgia sad thing is game wouldn’t have been 31 to 17 so yeah Georgia got a ton of breaks wouldn’t have been another touchdown if false start was called on beck he moved back way before the ball was hick period the pass interference that should have been called on Georgia wouldn’t have been a punt that was pass interference play as day can’t hit player before ball gets there period
Yes… quit trying to bend the rules Coach Heupel, just like the fake injury! Your player clearly looked to the sideline as he was walking back to huddle. All of the sudden he falls down like he’s hurt. Shame on you Coach teaching cheating. No one was worried, no Coach, no trainer, just what looked like the water girl came out to check on him. In a bit your player got up and walked off the field..
MT.. so they need to call “almost face mask” penalties? I swear, Georgia fans are complete idiots.
Ok so the caught pass by georgia player that was then knocked out by the tennessee player recovered by tennessee that was ruled incomplete and not even reviewed was ok or how about the bobbled ball out of bounds that was ruled a catch for Georgia but one bobbled by tennessee which did have a hand under the ball whole time was considered incomplete so no I ain’t crying about it but bias is bias and the officiating was definitely bias
Ok so the caught pass by georgia player that was then knocked out by the tennessee player recovered by tennessee that was ruled incomplete and not even reviewed was ok or how about the bobbled ball out of bounds that was ruled a catch for Georgia but one bobbled by tennessee which did have a hand under the ball whole time was considered incomplete or the clear false start by beck on a movement by him before the ball was set and him set as well so no I ain’t crying about it but bias is bias and the officiating was definitely bias
Or the clear false start by Beck on a movement by him before the ball was snapped and him feet set as well or possibly the pass interference by georgia player clearly had his arm wraped around White well before the ball even got there