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ESPN rules analyst calls out SEC officials for controversial penalty decision against Alabama

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•10/19/24•

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KendrickLawUT
Alabama wide receiver Kendrick Law (1) runs with the ball during an SEC conference game between Tennessee and Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. © Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Alabama wide receiver Kendrick Law was called for a critical 15-yard penalty late in Saturday’s game against Tennessee. The foul backed Kalen DeBoer‘s squad to a 4th and 22, making it a nearly impossible play to pick up when they needed it the most. But ESPN’s Matt Austin believes there should have been offsetting penalties on the call.

Law got into it with Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter, pushing him in the face. Austin, along with play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough and color commentator Greg McElroy, noticed Carter did swing back at Law but did not make too much contact. Even so, the trio believes a flag should have been called on Carter and canceled out the 15-yard call.

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“I certainly think, in this case, offsetting fouls would have been appropriate,” Austin said. “He did get up, he did get right in his face. You don’t know what he was saying, you don’t know what if it was actually taunting or not. But in this situation, because there was a retaliation, I would have liked to see them offset.”

You can check out the full situation here.

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Even with the long distance to the first down deep in their own territory, DeBoer kept the offense on the field. A screen play was called and ultimately held up quite short, giving Tennessee the ball well inside field goal range. At best, they can run the clock out and win the game but if Alabama does get the ball back (barring a turnover) the deficit could be seven instead of four.

If the offsetting fouls were called, a fourth down decision would have still had to come from the Alabama head coach. You have to imagine if 4th and 22 was not deep enough to send out the punt unit, 4th and 7 surely would have not been.

Either way, not a sequence people wearing crimson and white are going to be happy with during the postgame.