ACC supervisor of officials on Miami fumble vs. Georgia Tech: We made the right call

The Miami Hurricanes College Football Playoff aspirations took a massive hit in Week 6 as they suffered a stunning upset loss at home to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. With less than a minute to go in the game and nursing a narrow 20-17 lead, the Hurricanes elected to run the ball instead of kneeling out the clock. And then, disaster struck in the form of a fumble. But was it really a Miami turnover?

There was much speculation throughout the college football world of whether or not Miami indeed fumbled the football, which Georgia Tech recovered. And now the ACC Supervisor of Officials has weighed in on the controversial late-game turnover.

“We made the right call on the field based on the angles that were afforded to us,” ACC supervisor of officials Alberto Riveron said via ESPN. “The process and the protocol was followed.”

After Miami running back Don Chaney Jr. fumbled the ball with 33 seconds left in the game, the ACC officiating crew and the ACC Game Day Operation Center in Charlotte, NC, collectively reviewed the play. With the play initially ruled a fumble, it would require ‘indisputable video evidence’ that Cheney was down before losing control of the ball in order for them to overturn the play. And since no evidence could be found, the call on the play remained a Miami turnover and Georgia Tech football.

Following the game, fans and college football enthusiasts alike took to social media and circulated a photo that appeared to show Cheney still had possession of the ball with his elbow down prior to fumbling. But even that, in hindsight, held no true merit as Riveron took it a step further and explained what the review process looks like for ACC officials.

“We look for the football in relationship to where he loses control prior to hitting the ground,” said Riveron. “You have to have a view of the football the entire time, and you have to watch the football and make sure it’s in player possession until the time he’s legally down.

“If you don’t have that, you don’t have indisputable evidence to overturn the ruling on the field. In this case, the ruling on the field is a fumble. So if we’re going to overturn a fumble, we have to see the player in control of the football once he hits the ground.”

Despite Riveron coming out and confirming the original call made on the field, there will likely be those individuals who will still contest the ACC Supervisor of Officials stance. Unfortunately, that will not do anything to change the outcome of the game or help Miami’s chance at the College Football Playoff this season.