Iowa WR Nico Ragaini eviscerates Big Ten officials after no-call on Cade McNamara interception

In the second quarter of the CyHawk game between Iowa and Iowa State, Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara threw an interception on a pass intended for Nico Ragaini. Fans thought there should’ve been a flag on the play, but the referees didn’t call pass interference and the game went on.

Iowa ended up turning the tables with a pick-six on the ensuing drive. But that didn’t make it any easier for Ragaini, who slammed the officiating crew with an NSFW response about the no-call.

Warning: The following video and quote contain language that could be offensive.

Nico, anything you'd like to get off your chest? pic.twitter.com/Ugt6aZGE4U

— Owen Siebring (@owensiebring) September 12, 2023

“Was it pass interference? I mean, I feel like — what’s, the NCAA or Big Ten going to fine me if I say that’s a horsesh-t f***ing call or what?” Ragaini said Tuesday. “I shouldn’t have dropped an F bomb in there, but goddamn. … It’s whatever.”

The call generated plenty of conversation, but McNamara put it in perspective right after the game considering what the Iowa defense did shortly thereafter.

“It was questionable,” McNamara said, via the Cedar Rapids Gazette’s John Steppe. “But then our defense got a pick on the next play, so maybe ball don’t lie.”

Iowa’s win in the CyHawk game helped Kirk Ferentz reach an impressive milestone

The pick-six put the Hawkeyes ahead 17-0 and, although Iowa State got back into it, they eventually came away with the 20-13 victory in Ames. It marked yet another CyHawk victory for Iowa, but it was even more special for head coach Kirk Ferentz.

The win was Ferentz’s 200th as Iowa head coach. He took over the program in 1999 and now has reached 200 career victories.

Afterward, though, Ferentz made sure to credit others within the program for helping him reach the milestone. While it’s not why he got into coaching, he still recognized how special it was to reach that mark and celebrate with his players — who were just as happy as he was.

“It’s always good,” Ferentz said in the postgame press conference. “First win or whatever, 200th, it’s always good and I think part of that as a coach, not just myself, everybody on our staff, you realize just how hard these guys work, and it’s year-round almost. There aren’t a lot of days off for these guys. I mean they really work hard and they do so much and they’re held to a high standard character-wise, citizenship-wise, academically. So, to see them happy and to see them celebrate, that’s a pretty good thing.”