[DeltAlum]

Following is a quote from Coach Coker and an explaination from the Field Judge who made the questionable call:

"Asked about the call on Miami corner Glenn Sharpe, who was defending two-way Buckeyes player Chris Gamble, Hurricanes coach Larry Coker said he didn't see the flag thrown.

"I don't know," he said. "I know the call was made, and that's what we have to deal with.

"We obviously had to adjust and go on to the next play. Obviously a fourth-and-long, that was a huge, huge play in the game. You hate for an official to have to make that call. You would like for it to be a legitimate call."

But irate 'Canes fans thought it was anything but legitimate. The flag was thrown by field judge Terry Porter, of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew.

Porter explained his call like this: "I saw the guy holding the guy prior to the ball being put in the air. He was still holding him, pulling him down while the ball was in the air. I gave the signal for holding. Then I realized it should be pass interference because the ball was in the air." (Bold type is mine)

Asked why he made the call late, he answered, "I replayed it in my mind. I wanted to make double-sure it was the right call."

Here are my thoughts, for what they,re worth, and the word "replay" looms large in my consideration. First, as many of you know, a large part of my career over the past thirty-five years was directing live sports events from local TV stations to NFL games on NBC Sports -- so I speak from some degree expertise on the following:

I think that the ABC production crew really blew the call. When the first ground level end zone replay came up, I thought that the official made a questionable call. When the second one was played, I said to my wife, "Wait a minute, that wasn't what he called -- the foul was at the beginning of the replay, not the end." I think, and the quote from Field Judge Porter above would seem to confirm my feeling, that the call was holding/defensive interference earlier in the play. Unfortunately, the TV replays all concentrated on the very end of the play. That's always the natural assumption, and in the split second world of the live TV truck, sometimes errors are made.

Remember that interference can happen anytime the ball is in the air. Holding can happen anytime. It appeared to me that as the replay(s) began, the defender was clearly holding/interfering with the receiver.

I sure wish I had recorded the game so I could go back and look again.

Just an educated observation for whatever it's worth.

(this bold type added 7-17-03 in response to new thread)