ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin criticizes SEC officials for questionable call against Alabama

A controversial call went against Alabama in the contest against Missouri on Saturday, when officials failed to properly blow a play dead after a delay of game.

Instead of the action pausing with a delay of game penalty that would have backed Missouri up to third-and-12 from deep in its own territory, the play unfolded as usual.

Alabama edge rusher LT Overton got to Missouri quarterback Brady Cook and bulldozed him from behind, driving him into the turf.

He was flagged for a personal foul as a result, since the play was supposedly blown dead.

The ABC broadcast crew immediately took issue with that ruling and went to rules expert Matt Austin for his take on the situation. He noted he wouldn’t have penalized Alabama in that instance.

“Well this is a tough situation,” Austin explained. “I had a play exactly like this in Alabama one time, exact same thing. Delay of game, I couldn’t hear a whistle blow. The defender came around the corner, blew up the quarterback, who was stopping. I didn’t hear a whistle, I didn’t enforce a late hit because I couldn’t hear the whistle. I didn’t blame the defender. So this is a tough one.”

Alabama would go on to stop Missouri, but not until after there was a significant flip in field position as the Tigers drove out to nearly midfield before being forced to punt.

In the early going, Alabama led Missouri 3-0, with the score sitting there with 2:31 to play in the first quarter at the time of this writing.

Neither offense was having much success in the first quarter, with only 68 combined yards through the first 12 and a half minutes. Alabama had 36 yards, while Missouri had 32.