Former NFL Referee Weighs in on Miami-Notre Dame Officiating Controversy
Nope, this call won’t be going away anytime soon and it will cause a fight at Thanksgiving dinner, you’re welcome.
The Miami Hurricanes suffered a heartbreaking 31-24 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday, with an officiating call that has left fans and players questioning its validity. The controversy stems from a fourth-quarter play where Miami tight end Elija Lofton appeared to score a touchdown in the corner of the end zone. However, after stepping out of bounds, Notre Dame safety Luke Talich knocked the ball out of Lofton's hands, leading officials to rule the pass incomplete and confirm the ruling on review.
Former NFL referee and CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore, who served in both the NFL and NCAA basketball, expressed his opinion on the matter in a video on X. He argued that the rules governing catches in the end zone are the same as those in the field of play and that all three elements of a catch—possession, two feet in bounds, and a football move—must be met.
According to Steratore, the time element in making a catch is subjective, and in this case, the officials ruled the play incomplete because the ball was knocked out too quickly.
Steratore suggested that officials should review plays at three-quarters of real-time speed, which he believes would have allowed for a clearer decision. The Miami coach, Mario Cristobal, expressed his frustration with the decision during the post-game press conference, stating, "I’m pissed off. It’s [expletive], and I’ll leave it at that."
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