Saturday’s rivalry game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys was a close affair that went either way. But one missed pass interference call late in the fourth quarter helped decide the game, which certainly upset fans watching at home.
Oklahoma found themselves trailing by six points with 4:53 remaining with a chance to potentially take the lead with their offense in the red zone.
They were facing a 3rd-and-12, and Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw a ball into the endzone to star wide receiver Drake Stoops.
The Oklahoma State defender did everything possible to deny Stoops of making a play on the ball, essentially tackling him in the endzone before the ball arrived. But no pass interference was called on the play, and despite a great effort, Stoops wasn’t able to haul in the pass.
It certainly looks like this was enough contact on the play to be deemed pass interference. Regardless, Oklahoma would have to settle for a field goal on the drive instead of getting a fresh set of downs right near the goal line.
This call would loom large in the final result. Oklahoma State would hold on to defeat Oklahoma 27-24, which clearly may not have been the case if this fairly obvious pass interference call was made.
Fans took exception to the no-call after the game, blasting the officials and blaming them for Oklahoma’s loss.
This no-call not only cost Oklahoma a chance of winning this game. But it also directly impacts their season as a whole. It is their second loss of the season, which likely takes them out of the running for a bid in the College Football Playoffs.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.