Former Georgia football coach Mark Richt let loose on the officials for their pass interference call reversal in the Bulldogs heavyweight SEC matchup against the Texas Longhorns. The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame inductee did not hold back when reacting to the sequence in real time.

“If you’re going to make the call, make the call, (and) if you blow it, you blow it, everybody does that from time to time,” a frustrated Richt said while on-air with the ACC Network. “But the timing of when they changed their mind, so to speak, was very suspect considering how the fans reacted and considering how much time that it took.”

The controversial call has been the subject of widespread debate in the college football world. Up until then in the game, No. 5 Georgia was beating No. 1 Texas handily in the SEC clash at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Bulldogs were up 23-8, dominating the line of scrimmage, and flustering Texas star quarterback Quinn Ewers so much that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian replaced the early season favorite for the Heisman Trophy with freshman Arch Manning.

The Call Reversal Almost Cost Georgia the Game Against the Longhorns

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In a game-changing sequence at 23-8, Georgia football quarterback Carson Beck was picked off by Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, who was brought down at the Bulldog 9-yard line. The play was then quickly called back on a defensive PI call against Barron. Shortly after Longhorn fans saw the replay, they started throwing trash on the field, causing a game delay. During that time, SEC officials decided to reverse the pass interference call, giving the ball and momentum back to the home team.

Current Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart was understandingly livid at this huge decision and did not hide his feelings on the officiating in his postgame interview. Richt sympathized with his successor during his honest take on the call reversal. “You understand that after a quick communication they might pick up a flag and say no flag, but to wait that long and to change a call that was so crucial as that, I’d have been a little pissed off, too,” the 15-year head coach at Georgia noted.

Fortunately, for the now No. 2 Bulldogs, they responded quickly to this adversity with an 11-play, 89-yard drive touchdown drive that helped solidify the lead in their 30-15 win over the Longhorns. This victory is a major step for Georgia as they look to return to the College Football Playoff after missing it last year, despite only losing one game. With a trip to Oxford, Mississippi looming as well as a huge SEC matchup against No. 7 Tennessee, the Bulldogs still have a long way to go to win their third National Championship in four years.