Official: Stanford-ND call correct

Associated Press

The national coordinator of NCAA football officials says the decision to uphold the ruling on the field for the last play of the Stanford-Notre Dame game was correct.

Field officials ruled Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor’s progress had been stopped before he reached the ball across the goal line for what would have been a potential tying touchdown on fourth-and-goal in overtime.

Replay officials reviewed the play and the call was confirmed, giving Notre Dame a 20-13 win Saturday.

National coordinator of officials Rogers Redding told the AP in a phone interview Tuesday there was nothing unusual about the way officials on the field or in the replay booth handled the decisive play.

He also says that from the replay he saw, he “would have to let that call stand.”

“Most of the comments I heard were, ‘It looked like to me that’ or ‘It sure looked like this.’ The replay official has to say, ‘There is no doubt in my mind.”’

Redding said a runner’s progress is reviewable only on plays that could produce first downs or touchdowns.