The officiating crew in the Texas-Georgia matchup on Saturday night may have unknowingly set a dangerous precedent.
An interception by Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron of Georgia quarterback Carson Beck late in the third quarter was initially called back because of defensive pass interference on the play.
Longhorns fans expressed their anger with the call, throwing bottles and other things onto the field in protest. As the debris was being cleared, the refs strangely changed their minds and waived the flag and awarded Barron the interception, setting UT up with the ball inside the 10-yard line.
Two plays later, the Longhorns scored and pulled to within one score, and announcers Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler seemingly glossed over the severity of what just happened.
College football analyst David Pollack was among those who pointed out the broadcast booth barely acknowledged the tantrum thrown by Texas’ fans, and several other fans echoed his sentiments while taking jabs at Herbstreit and Fowler.