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National Coordinator of Officials explains punishing Clemson for faking injury in Georgia Tech loss

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra09/19/25SamraSource
Dabo Ref
(Gannett-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Clemson was hit with a timeout for being accused of faking injuries against Georgia Tech in Week 3. That didn’t sit well with the Tigers, as it happened on the Yellow Jackets’ game-winning drive.

The NCAA National Coordinator of Officials, Steve Shaw, took some time to explain what went into that call. He recognizes the rule isn’t perfect, but it’s helping the NCAA get false injuries out of the game, and he believes it was the right call in Atlanta.

“We were late in the fourth quarter, just before the two-minute timeout. It’s second and 10, they throw the slant, it’s caught, and the receiver is down just short of the line to gain. The offense hustles to the line, the ball is spotted, and then there’s a stoppage in play for an injury timeout,” Shaw explained.

“As we look at the timing, we see the umpire gets the ball just after the receiver is down, prepares to spot it, and then the defender, number eight, goes down injured. The crew properly charges the defensive team a timeout. We never make a value judgment on the play.

“We see that the defender played the previous play without contact and is headed out of bounds toward his sideline when he goes down. One final look at the sideline shows the coach in the off-color jacket pointing to the ground multiple times just before the player goes down.

“The crew cannot diagnose injuries, but the rule is clear: if a player goes down after the ball is spotted, we charge the team a timeout. We know this rule isn’t perfect, but early returns show that the ugly potential of feigned injuries that we used to see has dropped significantly this year—and that’s good for the game.”

Even Clemson fans can agree that the call made sense after looking at the replay. Regardless, that won’t make the Tigers’ second loss of 2025 sting any less.

All told, Clemson entered the 2025 campaign as one of the betting favorites to win the national title. The team returned 16 starters from a team that won the ACC title and reached the College Football Playoff last season.

Most notably, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik returned for his third season as the team’s starter behind center. Expectations were sky-high for Klubnik following his standout campaign in 2024.

Alas, Klubnik has underwhelmed this season, only completing 59.1% of his passes for 633 yards and three touchdowns, compared to three interceptions. For reference, Klubnik finished last season with 36 touchdowns and six interceptions.

On Saturday, Clemson will look to bounce back as it squares off against Syracuse at noon ET. The game will air live on ESPN. We’re willing to bet they won’t be faking any more injuries.