Pac-10: Officials
wrong at USCAfter his review, the league's
supervisor of officials
admits to blown calls
LAS VEGAS >> The supervisor of Pac-10 football officials said yesterday two key calls by the officials from his conference that went against Hawaii in UH's 61-32 loss at Southern California last Saturday were bad decisions.
Verle Sorjen said the officials who made the calls will receive official "downgrades."
Sorjen said officials are graded positively and negatively throughout the season.
"We see every play, on the school's game tape and TV. It's all totaled up and at the end of the season it will affect (the officials) in two ways," Sorjen said in a telephone interview with the Star-Bulletin. "One, it affects if and which postseason assignments they might get. Two, it affects if they remain as Pac-10 officials."
Hawaii coach June Jones said it's too bad Sorjen wasn't the referee.
"There's nothing we can do about it now that helps us," said Jones, whose team is in Las Vegas to play UNLV today. "I don't have a problem with officials being wrong. People make mistakes. But the white hat (referee Jay Stricherz) knew his crew was wrong on both plays and didn't have the courage to overturn either one."
The plays in question:
>> Score: 0-0, Time: 11:20 first quarter, Situation: Fourth-and-9, Hawaii ball on Hawaii 46.
On a fake punt, Chad Kapanui threw a pass in the direction of David Gilmore, an eligible receiver who was entangled with two USC defenders.
The play is ruled an incomplete pass, but Jones argued it should have been interference on USC. Jones had told officials prior to the game to expect the play.
>> Score: 3-3, Time: 11:46 second quarter, Situation: Second-and-10, Hawaii ball on Hawaii 34.
Tim Chang threw a pass into the left flat to Gerald Welch. Welch juggled the ball, fell to the ground and dropped the ball. No USC players were within 5 yards of him. But defensive back Ronald Nunn picked up the ball and ran it 38 yards for a Trojans touchdown, for the first score in a second quarter in which USC outscored UH 28-3.
Sorjen's opinions:
>> On the fake punt, Sorjen said the play should have been ruled interference on both offense and defense, resulting in offsetting penalties and replaying of the down.
"Both the offensive and defensive players interfered with each other. The wide out, or gunner, had no intention of catching the ball and didn't look back for it. He just tries to drive through the defense players. That's offensive pass interference. The USC defender was just trying to hold the receiver or gunner up, thinking it's a punt. That is interference, too," Sorjen said.
>> On the pass to Welch, Sorjen said viewing of tape clearly indicates an incomplete pass rather than a fumble.
"In my opinion the pass was incomplete and should have been ruled that way. They ruled a catch and fumble, but I don't think the receiver ever had control of the ball," Sorjen said.
