As bad as the Tennessee-Ole Miss game ended last season, it could have been worse.
SEC Coordinator of Football Officials John McDaid said the UT-Ole Miss game, which was most memorable for debris being thrown on the field, was very nearly suspended.
“That scenario was really close,” McDaid said during SEC Media Days on Wednesday. “When it got to the point where the game was suspended, I was in communication with the referee on the sideline.”
As for the possible feigned injuries in that or any other game, McDaid said he didn’t see any remedy in sight. He said that rules officials committees have tried for four consecutive seasons to address the issue. However, every option they’ve explored could actually increase the danger to individual student-athletes.
For instance, if a player is forced to sit for the rest of the drive because he came was slow to get up and left the field, he might try to force himself to stay in the game in order to continue playing. That could lead to further injury.
“They haven’t come up with anything,” McDaid said. “I’ve been privy to some of the things they’ve talked about and I understand why they haven’t come up with anything because any of the ideas put students in more harm’s way.”
Had the Ole Miss game been suspended, it would have been resumed later that evening, much like a storm delay. With the officials hands apparently tied, McDaid said it falls on the individual schools in the SEC to handle game management.
“The schools understand what the responsibilities are for game management,” McDaid said.
The Tennessee-Ole Miss game ended with a 31-26 victory for the Rebels but was marred by fans who threw trash onto the field. Possible feigned injuries and a questionable fourth-down call late in the game led the fracas.
