The No. 1 Miami Hurricanes’ perfect season came to an end in South Bend on Saturday night, but not without one of the most controversial calls of the college football season.
Trailing 31-24 with under four minutes left, Miami faced fourth-and-6 from the Notre Dame 18 when quarterback Darian Mensah found tight end Elija Lofton in the corner of the end zone.
Lofton came down with two feet in bounds before Fighting Irish safety Luke Talich knocked the ball loose as he went out of bounds.
The ACC officiating crew ruled the pass incomplete, and the call stood after a brief replay review. Notre Dame took over on downs and held on for the win.
There were some saying the officials got the call right. However, there was a large contingency of fans and analysts arguing the refs were wrong, and they weren’t happy that bad officiating affected the outcome of another high-profile college football game this season.
Officials Facing Backlash Over Elija Lofton TD Call
Plenty of fans sided with Miami, arguing the play was over once Lofton got both feet down with possession. Even the next day, the blown call was a big point of contention on social media.
“And I still don’t know how that wasn’t a TD catch for Miami,” ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor Kevin Neghandi posted on X.
“This is a bs call. That’s a touchdown. Plays is over once he has firm possession and feet in bounds. Plays done at that point. He could have thrown it in the stands the second after. Still a touchdown,” one fan wrote.
“He stepped out of bounds and then they knocked the ball out 100% touchdown officials got it wrong,” another fan added.
“In with possession, steps out of bounds, then the ball knocked is loose. How can you knock the ball out when the play is over?” one user asked.
“This some tick tack s—. That’s a touchdown inbounds. Knocking it out out of bounds shouldn’t mean squat,” another user remarked.
“It was a catch. Just like with a runner and the ball crossed the plain and nothing matters after that, if should be the same with receivers with the ball in the end zone,” exclaimed one fan.
Another fan argued: “NCAA clearly got the call wrong in the @CanesFootball vs @NDFootball game. I personally have no dog in the fight but as a fan of the game its getting old watching the refs and replay officials get it wrong.
“The NCAA has a rulebook for situations. … The offensive player catches the ball, gets his required 1 foot in bounds, gets a second foot in bounds, takes a third step out of bounds. At the time the third step is taken, both the offensive and defensive player are both out of bounds. The defender swats the ball loose causing the offensive player to lose possession. Since the offensive player remained upright, had possession, made a football act, and was already out of bounds. The correct ruling is a catch for a touchdown.”
Ex-Buckeyes Star Beanie Wells Says Refs Got it Wrong
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal wasn’t the only one who believed Lofton scored.
Former Ohio State star Beanie Wells broke down the play on CBS Sports HQ alongside Richard Johnson and Ryan Kerrigan. He didn’t see much room for debate.
“Absolutely [that was a touchdown],” he said (video here). “How do you get things like that wrong in this day and age? They slowed it down for you, he got two feet in, he clearly has control of the ball — the guy swats the ball when he’s out of bounds. Like, what are we doing?” Wells said. “Absolutely (it’s definitive). This absolutely, unequivocally should be going to overtime. We should still be sitting in our chairs watching this matchup.
“When you really look at how this plays out, this is absolutely a catch. And I know every Miami Hurricanes player and fan should be ticked off. I’m right there with them.”
However, the man paid to judge these calls on the broadcast saw it differently.
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay, a three-time Super Bowl referee, agreed with the ruling on the field and pointed out that the ball started moving as soon as Lofton caught it.
That distinction matters. Under NCAA rules, a catch requires firm control, a foot down in bounds, and control long enough to perform an act common to the game.
The controversy comes from whether or not you consider the play over after Lofton scored in bounds or whether you believe he didn’t make a football move after tapping his feet in bounds.
The officials determined Lofton never completed that last step before Talich knocked the ball away.
College Football Officials Under Fire Over Controversial Miami-Notre Dame Ending