Louis Riddick calls out SEC officials for 'bad' OPI call against Auburn vs Texas A&M

On the first possession of double overtime against Texas A&M, it appeared Auburn was set up for a 1st and goal at the two yard line. But a flag was down.

A completion to KeAndre Lambert-Smith from Payton Thorne was wiped off the board by offensive pass interference on Auburn’s Rivaldo Fairweather. It was a call that neither Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze nor color commentator Louis Riddick agreed with.

“That’s a bad call,” Riddick said as Freeze protested with the officials. “I do not see offensive pass interference. Fairweather is just running a crossing route. Just watch him right here and you tell me if he’s trying to literally block someone out. He’s literally trying to avoid the defender. He’s trying to get over the top of Taurean York. He wasn’t trying to box him out. He was trying to get over the top of him. You can see the coaching staff is just losing it down on the sideline. That’s a bad call. That’s a bad call.”

that call on Auburn is rough pic.twitter.com/yqrkCEPUAj

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) November 24, 2024

Riddick continued his diatribe against the call.

“We know what offensive pass interference, what pick routes look like,” Riddick said. “When guys are really trying to run interference, that is against the rules. That was not one of those situations and I’m a defensive guy by nature, played the position my entire life. That was not offensive pass interference as I saw it.”

The penalty backed up the Tigers, who eventually settled for a field goal.

In response, Texas A&M could only muster a field goal and the game headed to a third overtime, with the score knotted at 41-41.

Auburn held on for a big win on senior night

It’s no secret that the 2024 season had not gone as hoped for Auburn. Entering the penultimate weekend of the season with a 4-6 record and a pair of ranked opponents on the schedule, even getting to a bowl game was a reach.

Not after Saturday night. Auburn took a 21-0 lead over Texas A&M, blew it, then clawed back to tie the game and prevail in quadruple overtime, 43-41. While winning on the road in the Iron Bowl is still another bridge to cross, Freeze raved postgame about how his players never lost their fight during a tumultuous season.

“Well they haven’t quit all year, “Freeze said. “We’re young and we’re getting better each week and you know we made it harder maybe than it could’ve been, but you’ve gotta give them credit, too. They didn’t fold and their quarterback played outstanding to get ’em back in it. Just so happy for our people, our fans, our administration, especially our kids.”

For a while, Saturday night seemed like it was going the way of many Auburn games of late: Promising moments, a close contest, and it ultimately slips away from the Tigers.

When the Aggies pulled ahead after having trailed for so much of the night, it seemed Auburn was destined for yet another let down. But this time, they managed to pull it out of the fire.

“I’m just so happy for our fans and our kids,” Freeze said. “Our kids have fought all year and we’ve been in so many close ones and they just hadn’t gone our way and m