College Football Notebook | Oregon State AD criticizes officiating
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Athletic director Bob De Carolis of Oregon State called for the on-field officials who worked the Beavers’ Pac-10 game against Washington on Saturday to be disciplined, and for the replay officials to face a stiffer sanction.
“If something more doesn’t happen, then the credibility of the conference is out the window,” De Carolis said in a news conference Tuesday.
There were several personal fouls and some near-fights in the second and third quarters of the Beavers’ 29-23 win. Referee Larry Farina and his crew ejected four players - three from Oregon State.
De Carolis also was upset that no replay was called for when, late in the game, Oregon State tailback Yvenson Bernard stretched trying for a touchdown and dropped the ball. Bernard appeared to have been down, but Washington’s Roy Lewis ran the ball back to the Huskies’ 38.
Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen, in a statement Monday, acknowledged a replay should have occurred. He said the replay officials will receive letters of reprimand.
De Carolis said he called Hansen on Tuesday and reiterated he didn’t consider that penalty acceptable.
“When the only people being held accountable for the mismanagement are the student-athletes, then something’s wrong,” he said. “The purpose of instant replay is exactly for that purpose - the game-changing play to get it right. And the inability to push the button and stop play is just flat-out wrong and unfair. And that person should be held accountable. A letter of reprimand doesn’t do it for me. So I am asking that that person either be docked a game or some other penalty.”
De Carolis indicated he was miffed by a quote from Verle Sorgen, Pac-10 director of instant replay, that the lack of replay on Bernard’s fumble “wasn’t that egregious unless you are an Oregon State fan.”
Notes
• Stanford receiver Richard Sherman was reinstated after serving a one-game suspension because of poor sportsmanship on the sideline during a Nov. 3 loss to Washington.
• Texas Tech coach Mike Leach was reprimanded and fined a record $10,000 by the Big 12 Conference for his criticism of game officials after Saturday’s 59-43 loss to Texas.
“Made my feelings known already, so I don’t have a reaction,” Leach said of the penalty. “We’ve broke records around here before. We’re used to breaking records.”
• At least two gunshots were fired Sunday into the apartment of a Virginia Tech student. Hokies coach Frank Beamer identified the student as cornerback Victor “Macho” Harris. No one has been arrested.