A day after an improbable kickoff return helped give Miami an upset win over Duke, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced it has suspended the crew that officiated the Hurricanes’ 30-27 victory Saturday night, saying the group committed “a series of errors” on the game’s final play.
That play – a 75-yard kickoff return by Hurricanes corner Corn Elder – ultimately proved the difference in Miami’s victory, but the ACC said on Sunday it’s a score that never should have held up under review.
According to the league, the replay official should have overturned the ruling on the field that Mark Walton’s knee did not touch the ground as he released the ball during one of eight laterals Miami made on the play. Had officials ruled Walton’s knee was down, the play would have been whistled dead and Duke would have held on for a 27-24 win.
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The league also determined that officials failed to penalize Miami for an illegal block in the back at the 16-yard line which, were it called, would have put the ball on the 8-yard line and given the Hurricanes one untimed play.
The other errors noted by the ACC were referee Jerry Magallanes’ miscommunication in not properly explaining why a block in the back penalty on Miami was waved off and the failure of the crew to penalize Hurricanes’ receiver Rashawn Scott for leaving the sideline and entering the field prior to the play being whistled dead. That call would not have negated the Hurricanes’ touchdown, but would have been enforced as a dead-ball foul.
Though the league said it reviewed all of the calls in Saturday’s game, those were the four mistakes specifically detailed by the ACC in its statement, which was issued after the league’s weekly review of game film and interviews with officials and administrators.
“The quality of our officiating program is of the highest importance to the league and its schools and the last play of the game was not handled appropriately,” ACC commissioner John Swofford said in the statement. “Officiating is an extraordinarily difficult job, but our players, coaches, programs and fans deserve the best that can be offered. We will continue to strive to meet that standard.”
Understandably, both Miami and Duke had differing views of the outcome, though both felt they had causes to be upset with the officiating.
The Hurricanes were penalized a school and ACC-record 23 times for 194 yards, while the Blue Devils were whistled just five times for 41 yards.
Three of those Miami penalties were pass interference calls on Duke’s final drive, penalties that helped the Blue Devils move the ball into Hurricanes territory and eventually score a go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Thomas Sirk with six seconds left.
Even that wasn’t without controversy, as Miami players contended they kept Sirk out of the end zone.
Despite the suspensions and the frustration, the game will not be overturned, though Duke coach David Cutcliffe said Sunday he is hopeful the way the outcome was handled will create a conversation about the need for both better officiating and better reviews.
The final play was reviewed by officials in Durham for several minutes before Elder’s score was upheld.
“It’s unfortunate because what instant replay is in place for is to get it right,” Cutcliffe said. “And we did not get it right. I’m venting a little bit still, not for long, but I hurt badly for our players. It was a very stinging feeling for our people … I don’t know every piece of the technicalities of how many pictures they get, but I would hope that we would, in this case, whether you would get not only video feed, but if you needed such, that you could get still pictures. If we’re going to have technology, if we want to get right, then let’s get it right. Otherwise, let’s not have replay. If you can’t get the game right, then it’s just…something has to happen. It’s unfair to the players of the game.”
And though there’s been plenty of national conversation about whether Miami deserved to win the game, whether Duke was robbed of the victory, and even if the Hurricanes should forfeit the win, interim coach Larry Scott said that Miami was moving forward.
“I’m not going to respond to that stuff because at the end of the day, it’s a win for our kids, it’s a win for our program, it’s a much-needed win,” Scott said. “We got back on that plane, we got back to Miami and we’re on to [Virginia]. That’s kind of where I am with that and what our kids’ mindset is going to be. … we’re going to keep moving forward. We can’t get caught up in what happened in the past.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.