ACC: Both calls in UNC game correct

After further review, both calls from the replay booth in the final minutes of North Carolina’s 29-24 victory over Notre Dame were right, the ACC’s coordinator of football officials said Sunday morning.
“They were both close, but there was irrefutable video evidence to support the reversals as correct,'' Doug Rhoads said in a phone interview.
There were actually four reviews in the game, but the final two — in the final 2 minutes, 2 seconds — were the most controversial.

-- With Carolina leading by five points, wide receiver Brooks Foster appeared to grab a 29-yard pass from Cameron Sexton on the sideline on third down. As Foster's elbow hit the ground, the ball was jarred loose. The play was originally called a completion, but it was overturned on instant replay, Rhoads said, based on guidelines set by the College Football Officials Association.
So Carolina had to punt.
“If a player is airborne and catches the ball, with or without contact, when the player comes to the ground, he must maintain possession of the ball,’’ Rhoads said, citing the CFO’s rules. “If he immediately loses it, it’s incomplete.”

-- Then, with about 11 seconds left, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen threw to wide receiver Michael Floyd, who caught it around the 7-yard line. UNC cornerback Jordan Hemby tackled him, the ball popped loose, and Tar Heel safety Trimane Goddard dove on it at the 19. Officials on the field originally ruled Floyd down by contact, Notre Dame tried to spike the ball with 1 second left — and as both teams started running onto the field, officials started waving them back to their respective sidelines.

Rhoads said that Joe Rider — the replay official in the booth who officiated for the ACC on the field for two decades — did buzz the official on the field before Clausen snapped the ball, but there was a delay in announcing the review because of all of the hubbub.
Upon replay in the booth, Rider judged that Floyd fumbled as he rolled over another player’s back, and that 3 seconds should be put back on the game clock.
The review took so long — 4 minutes, 7 seconds — Rhoads said, because the official in the booth had trouble communicating immediately with the official on the field. (It may have been caused by an equipment malfunction, or just so much noise that the field official couldn't hear.)
Big East officials were on the field, and an ACC replay official was in the box, Rhoads said, because unless it is otherwise stated in the contract, the home team’s league provides the replay official and the visiting team provides the officials on the field. He added that the same communications problem could have happened had the all be from the ACC, or from the Big East.
The most important thing, Rhoads said, was that in the end, the correct calls were made.

ROBBI PICKERAL