Officials overturn timeout without penalty after Kirby Smart claims refs mistook clapping motion

There is more controversy in a game between Auburn and Georgia. Officials halted the game as the play clock was winding down on a third-and-9 for the Bulldogs, seemingly ready to grant Kirby Smart a timeout.

Only Smart seemed to argue that he was simply clapping, not signaling for a timeout. Somehow, the officials seemed to think that’s what happened.

UPDATE: Kirby Smart clarifies ‘clapping’ plea to refs which led to controversial timeout decision

The result was that Georgia essentially worked its way out of either a false start or a guaranteed delay of game penalty, as the officials reset the play clock following the snafu. Georgia was not charged a timeout.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze was absolutely livid on the sideline. He pleaded with officials, pointing to the scoreboard that was showing Kirby Smart on the sideline signaling. But to no avail.

Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy try to make sense of Kirby Smart getting off the hook for calling a timeout here. pic.twitter.com/L6Bk43fuvs

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The broadcast crew, for the second time in the game, was absolutely stunned watching the sequence unfold. Sean McDonough broke in with the call.

“Timeout called by Georgia. Kirby Smart’s trying to say I didn’t want the timeout,” McDonough said. “Well, you know, can they let him get away with this? Because the play clock was at one when they stopped it. He’s signaling for a timeout. He’s signaling for a timeout. The officials stop the play. There’s one second on the play clock, so they’re going to give them a redo and not charge him the timeout?”

Analyst Greg McElroy chimed in saying he’d never seen that happen before. Then he went in on the decision.

“You could see him signaling the timeout. I don’t understand,” McElroy said. “And I’m sure Hugh Freeze very frustrated by it. It looked pretty clear to me. That’s not going to make a very loud clap if you try to just put your fingers into the palm of your hand. I’m not sure that’s going to pierce the noise. Might have gotten away with one there.”

Finally, though, Auburn caught a break following the Kirby Smart ordeal. The drive ended in a missed field goal by Georgia’s Peyton Woodring, so the lead held at 13-10 Georgia as the fourth quarter continued. And the timeout snafu proved costly only in the sense that it burned some additional clock.

Controversy over goal line fumble

The final two minutes of the first half between Auburn and Georgia lasted a seeming eternity following a highly controversial fumble call at the goal line. And coach Hugh Freeze did everything in his power not to earn himself a fine during a halftime interview.

The controversy in question happened when Jackson Arnold attempted to take a quarterback sneak in for a score. He fumbled, seemingly after he had crossed the plane of the goal line.

But officials ruled it a fumble live, then upheld the ruling on a replay review. Kirby Smart and his team took possession. Freeze was livid.

ABC sideline reporter Molly McGrath asked the Auburn coach what the officials told him about the call on the field. Freeze was seething.

“I have no clue,” he said, trying to maintain his composure. “I think it’s … our kids have played really hard, really well. We should be up more. We dominated the first half.”

McGrath followed up by asking what he would tell his players in the locker room. That’s when Freeze began to question the officiating a bit.

“Hey, good, keep playing, man,” Freeze said. “I mean there’s more stoppages, more, I mean it’s … that may have been the longest half of football ever. I don’t know how many timeouts Georgia got with all the stoppages. Don’t have no clue how that doesn’t break the plane. No clue. We’re due a break, maybe, one of these damn times.”