The referee crew chief of the Georgia-Auburn football game that featured a large number of questionable calls reportedly was suspended by the Southeastern Conference, according to multiple media reports.
Ken Williamson will not be back on the field this year, and he intended to retire after the season, according to ESPN. The Athletic also reported that Williamson likely will not referee another SEC game.
The SEC declined comment to both media outlets.
Williamson has refereed games in the SEC for more than 20 years. He didn’t work a game last week, though six members of the crew from the Georgia-Auburn game did.
Two incidents led to the biggest controversies in the Oct. 11 Georgia-Auburn game.
In the second quarter, Auburn led 10-0 when Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold tried to run for a touchdown from the Georgia 1-yard line. Bulldogs linebacker Raylen Wilson forced a fumble that teammate Kyron Jones recovered.
The officials ruled it a fumble and awarded possession to Georgia, but Auburn argued that Arnold had already broken the plane of the goal line and it should have been a touchdown. The Bulldogs kicked a field goal on the ensuing possession to get within 10-3, and they went on to win 20-10.
Then in the fourth quarter, Georgia coach Kirby Smart seemingly called for a timeout with the play clock winding down with the Bulldogs on offense. Play was halted, but the officials wound up not charging the Bulldogs with a timeout, as Smart argued he didn’t ask for a timeout, he was merely telling the refs that Auburn players were clapping to cause a distraction.
According to The Athletic, the SEC noted nine plays in the game that were incorrectly officiated — though the list didn’t include the Arnold fumble nor the non-timeout. Five of those calls went the Bulldogs’ way and four went the Tigers’ way, per the report.
Terry McAulay, a former NFL referee who is now an NBC football rules analyst, decried the SEC’s reported move to oust Williamson.
“This is insane. Ken is a very good Referee and has been for a very long time,” McAulay tweeted. “I’ve commented on the Ga/Auburn game and no, the crew did not have a very good game. It happens to officials, just as it happens to coaches and players. I look forward to the day an AD suspends his coach for, in a single game, poor clock management, allowing players to feign injury, bad play calls, etc.
“Or let’s permanently bench a QB for throwing a game ending interception regardless of his past performance.
“*If* this is solely based on that one game, then shame on everyone involved. It’s yet another reason why Conferences should not oversee officiating and will forever be a dark stain on college football.”
–Field Level Media
