Two controversial calls at the end of the Georgia-Alabama game on Saturday have seemingly overshadowed what was actually a pretty entertaining game.
Georgia escaped Tuscaloosa with a 20-17 win over the red-hot Crimson Tide, but some argue the game should’ve had a different outcome.
Late in the fourth quarter, Alabama wide receiver Rico Scott sped his way toward the end zone. He appeared to be in perfect position to catch a go-ahead touchdown pass but Georgia defensive back KJ Bolden said otherwise.
Bolden flung himself into Scott, making contact well before the ball got to him. The crowd went crazy expecting a flag for defensive pass interference, but they got even louder once they saw one wasn’t thrown.
Bolden Gets Brutally Honest on the Pass Interference Call
During an interview with WSBTV’s Zach Klein on Monday, Bolden was asked point-blank whether or not he thought he should’ve been flagged for pass interference.
He gave quite a shocking response.
“In your heart of hearts — you always shoot me straight — was it pass interference?” Klein asked.
“I’m not going to lie, if that was to happen with them — if they did that to us — I would want them to call pass interference, for sure,” Bolden admitted. “Like, definitely, for sure.”
Had Bolden been flagged for PI, it would’ve given Alabama first-and-goal on the 2-yard line — and the outcome of the game could’ve looked much different.
Instead, the game (and the pay) will live in infamy at least until the College Football Playoff field is determined.
Bolden Makes No Apologies About No-Call
Though Bolden admitted he probably should’ve been penalized for PI, that doesn’t mean he’s losing sleep about how things went down.
Bolden admitted that even if it was pass interference, if the officials didn’t call it, then that’s not on him.
“What did you see (on the play)?” Klein asked.
“He was staring down the receiver, so I was like ‘OK, the ball must be going over here,’” Bolden stated. “I didn’t like the position our corner was in, so I had to make a quick decision to go over there and try to save the day, just try to get the ball out.
“… As long as he don’t catch the touchdown, we just got to get this ball down. I feel like I got there close, but I feel like it could go either way. I get to looking around, and there’s a lot of refs on the field. None of the refs threw a flag, so it’s not PI to me.”
Georgia’s KJ Bolden Makes Stunning Admission About Controversial Ending vs. Alabama