SEC calls out refs for missing OU's 'hideout tactic'

An SEC officiating unit failed to place a "hideout tactic" connected Oklahoma's second-quarter touchdown successful the 11th-ranked Sooners' Week 4 triumph implicit No. 22 implicit Auburn, the league announced successful a connection precocious Saturday night.

Oklahoma led 10-3 aft backmost John Mateer connected with Isaiah Sategna for a 24-yard touchdown with 10:45 remaining successful the archetypal fractional connected Saturday. Before the snap, Sategna had walked toward the Sooners' sideline appearing to feign a substitution, but helium remained connected the tract earlier streaking down the sideline done the Tigers' secondary undetected for the scoring reception.

Oklahoma went connected to bushed Auburn 24-17 aft Mateer's go-ahead rushing touchdown with 4:54 near successful the game. Hours later, the SEC announced that its officiating unit "did not decently construe the enactment arsenic a hideout tactic" and said that the Sooners should person been assessed an unsportsmanlike behaviour punishment that would person wiped retired Sategna's touchdown.

"If decently officiated, the 2nd down play should person resulted successful an unsportsmanlike behaviour punishment of 15 yards assessed from the erstwhile spot," the connection read. "Appropriate accountability volition beryllium applied without further comment."

The connection referred to NCAA shot regularisation G-2, Article 2 related to "unfair tactics."

"No simulated replacements oregon substitutions whitethorn beryllium utilized to confuse opponents," the regularisation states. "No maneuver associated with substitutions oregon the substitutions process whitethorn beryllium utilized to confuse the opponent. This includes immoderate hideout maneuver with oregon without a substitution."

Following the game, Oklahoma violative coordinator Ben Arbuckle referred to the telephone arsenic a "tempo play." Sooners caput manager Brent Venables likewise knocked down the proposition that it had been a lawsuit of deception, claiming that Oklahoma confirmed with an authoritative that Sategna was lined up and that "everything's bully and legal."

However, Auburn manager Hugh Freeze made his feelings wide afterward. The Tigers' sideline appeared to announcement Sategna's pre-snap question and Freeze said helium attempted to telephone a timeout earlier the shot was snapped portion noting that warnings against utilizing specified tactics had been intelligibly emphasized earlier the season.

"They said they didn't perceive america trying to telephone timeout," Freeze said. "We were instructed each offseason astir deception plays and things. So we'll spot what's said. I truly don't cognize what volition beryllium said astir that."

Shortly after, the SEC released a uncommon connection criticizing its ain officials and promising further accountability. The determination marks astatine slightest the 2nd high-profile officiating contented implicit the opening period of the 2025 regular play aft the Big 12 reprimanded 1 of its officiating crews for failing to place a rules usurpation successful Missouri's 42-31 triumph implicit Kansas connected Sept. 9.