Report: ACC assigned ref to Notre Dame game for second straight week following Week 3 controversy

Following a highly controversial call in Notre Dame‘s 24-17 win over California in Week 3, the ACC assigned the linesman responsible for a seemingly botched call that favored the Fighting Irish to another Notre Dame game in Week 4.

The call in question was an offsides decision that went against Cal on a fourth-and-5 for Notre Dame from the Cal 27-yard line in the second quarter. Notre Dame had lined up for a field goal, which it missed wide left prior to the offsides ruling, which gave the Fighting Irish a first down instead.

Notre Dame would score a touchdown two plays later to tie the game at 7-7, and the Fighting Irish went on to win 24-17. But no Cal players appeared to be offside on the field goal attempt in question, as you can see below.

According to sources, ACC has suspended side judge from last Saturday Cal at Notre Dame who called Cal for being offside on this play. ACC apologized to Cal for error and admitted was bad call. As of now, they don’t plan on making public acknowledgment of error and punishment. pic.twitter.com/DYd8C0AFCD

— Roxy Bernstein (@roxybernstein) September 24, 2022

The ACC never publicly commented on the seeming gaffe, though it did adjust its ACC officiating crews for Week 4 games. According to refereeing assignments listed on StatBroadcast.com, the same crew that called California-Notre Dame in Week 3 called the Georgia Tech-UCF game in Week 4, with one change: Linesman Matthew Fitzgerald was replaced by Brian Perry.

But Fitzgerald was not suspended by the ACC in Week 4, despite a report to the contrary. Instead he was moved to another crew, the crew that ended up calling the Notre Dame-North Carolina game on Saturday.

Fitzgerald was the linesman listed for that crew, headed by referee Jeff Flanagan. The Fighting Irish knocked off the Tar Heels 45-32.

Notre Dame has rallied since controversial call by ACC refereeing crew

Notre Dame started the season 0-2 and was staring at a 7-0 deficit in the second quarter against Cal prior to Fitzgerald’s controversial call on the 45-yard field goal attempt.

Since then the Fighting Irish have secured two wins, knocking off both Cal and an offensively potent North Carolina squad.

First-year coach Marcus Freeman has things trending in a positive direction again after a rough start, and the Fighting Irish get a chance to reset this week with a bye week following the win over the Tar Heels. Confidence is high again.

“Winning is always great. We focused all week on execution,” quarterback Tyler Pine said this weekend. “Coach Freeman and coach (Tommy) Rees both focused on that, and our offense went out there and executed. We scored on a lot of drives. And that all starts with our O-Linemen.”

Notre Dame returns to action on Oct. 8 when it hosts No. 19 BYU.