WATCH: Ole Miss fans throw trash on field in protest of controversial fumble review decision
The Ole Miss fans in attendance for the Egg Bowl were outraged after a fumble review in the fourth quarter, throwing trash on the field. A pass from Jaxson Dart to the outside of the field was dropped as Jonathan Mingo was hit, resulting in the play being blown dead by the officials.
The officials ultimately reviewed the play and determined the pass was a backwards pass that resulted in a fumble, and awarded possession of the football to Mississippi State. The decision drew immediate outrage from Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and the fans in the stadium, as the Rebels players failed to recover the ball as they believed the play was ruled an incomplete pass — after the officials blew their whistle on the field to signal the play over.
Ole Miss fans throw trash on field in protest of fumble review
Once the officials were finished with their review, they returned to announce the play was a backwards pass resulting in a fumble recovered by Mississippi State linebacker Jett Johnson. Immediately, the cameras caught Kiffin protesting the call with an official, as the fans in attendance let their feelings be heard by loud boos and a chant.
The tough scene broke out after the officials announced their review decision and awarded the ball to the Bulldogs, immediately receiving a chorus of boos. The cameras on the broadcast caught items on the field and in the end zone after fans threw beer cans and cups along with other trash items to protest the call.
The play drew major attention from around the college football landscape as fans were questioning how the officials could review what transpired on the field after they had prematurely blown the play dead. The replay seemed to show clearly that multiple players were in range to pick up the football if they had felt it was a live play, but didn’t recover the ball as they believed it was called an incomplete pass by the official’s whistle.