Upon further review, Mountain West says Bulldogs came up short again
The Mountain West Conference released a statement on a controversial ruling by officials to award Boise State a first down with 18 seconds remaining in its 24-17 victory over Fresno State on Friday at Albertsons Stadium.
The Bulldogs apparently had stopped Boise State short of a first down on a 3rd-and-1 play from their 38-yard line. Broncos’ coach Bryan Harsin let the game clock wind down, calling a timeout with just 18 seconds remaining.
The officials at that point conducted a measurement and ruled that the Broncos had gained the yard necessary for a first down, even though several photos of the measurement made it appear that the ball was short of a first down.
The ruling: there were no video perspectives that were directly perpendicular to the line to gain and therefore no conclusive evidence that the line to gain was not in fact reached.
The statement from the conference:
Immediately following the conclusion of last night’s Fresno State at Boise State football game, the Mountain West initiated a thorough and detailed review of the measurement with 18 seconds remaining which resulted in a first down for Boise State.
That review included assessment of video footage and photographic evidence from all available sources, including the television feed, institutional coaches video, in-stadium video board cameras, content from the instant replay system, and extensive research of internet and social media platforms.
Those efforts generated multiple different camera angles displaying the measurement process. Several conversations with the referee and a written report from the involved officials were also a part of the process.
The available views display various perspectives of the ball position both vertically and horizontally in relation to the first down pole. While certain camera angles make it appear the ball was short of a first down, there are no perspectives which are directly perpendicular to the line to gain and therefore no conclusive evidence that the line to gain was not in fact reached. It has been confirmed the spot, instant replay review and measurement processes were all executed correctly.
Therefore, the judgment of the referee, who was looking directly down on the ball and the pole, and was supported by the umpire and back judge, prevails.
The Bulldogs, 8-2 and 5-1 in the Mountain West, play San Diego State on Nov. 17 at Bulldog Stadium with a chance to clinch a West Division title in the conference. The Aztecs are 7-2 and 4-1 with a game against UNLV on Saturday night.
This story was originally published November 10, 2018 at 10:22 PM.