Longtime football referee Terry McAulay had the time to rant and argue with people on X after a report that the Southeastern Conference “permanently suspended” Ken Williamson, the referee who led a crew officiating the Auburn-Georgia game on Oct. 11.
Taking to X Wednesday, McAulay, a rules analyst for NBC and a three-time Super Bowl referee lead, confirmed a report by YellowHammerNews.com that there were eleven complaints made against Williamson and his crew, with nine of them validated by conference officials.
After that, McAulay ripped the decision in a series of tweets — and blasted Auburn athletic director John Cohen for his “disgraceful behavior” toward the referees in the Tigers’ loss to the Bulldogs, 20-10.
“This is insane. Ken is a very good Referee and has been for a very long time,” McAulay wrote. “I’ve commented on the Ga/Auburn game and no, the crew did not have a very good game. It happens to officials, just as it happens to coaches and players.
“I look forward to the day an AD suspends his coach for, in a single game, poor clock management, allowing players to feign injury, bad play calls, etc. Or let’s permanently bench a QB for throwing a game ending interception regardless of his past performance.
“*If* this is solely based on that one game, then shame on everyone involved. It’s yet another reason why Conferences should not oversee officiating and will forever be a dark stain on college football.”
“Did I miss the fine/suspension notice for this disgraceful behavior by the Auburn AD?” McAulay wrote, including a video of the Cohen letting the refs have It while on his way to the locker room.
McAulay directly called out Cohen for chirping at the referees after Auburn’s play at the goal line was ruled a fumble right before halftime.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze made it clear after the game that his staff believed Jackson Arnold had broken the plane on a quarterback sneak.
In another tweet, McAulay said Cohen “appears to have the power to end a career because he thinks his team was slighted.”
Many believe Auburn (3-3) has been on the wrong side of the whistle across multiple games this season.
“It sure feels like we’re not getting many breaks,” Freeze said after the Georgia loss.
When someone asked, “Did it seem one team got far more calls than the other? Did you feel like the calls helped out one team and dictated the outcome of the game?” McAulay didn’t hold back.
“The only two calls of note specific to the Referee were a missed roughing the passer/targeting against Auburn that Replay created and the incorrect one he called on Auburn later,” he said.
“As for the crew, the major misses were the blindside block called on Georgia and the restoration of the Georgia timeout.
“The Replay decision to uphold the fumble at the goal line was correct and Georgia was not offside on that same play. I did not look at every single play.”
The veteran referee also suggested that SEC officiating staff protest Williamson’s suspension this weekend.
“This won’t happen, but the entire SEC Officiating staff should delay starting every game this weekend in support of Ken,” McAulay wrote. “Check that, every crew in the country should do so.”
This comes a month after the SEC officiating issued a statement acknowledging a critical blunder in No. 11 Oklahoma’s 24-17 win over the Tigers on Sept. 20.
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