Questionable Replay Decision Looms Large in Oregon's Win Over Nebraska

The Oregon Ducks escaped Saturday night with a win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but the game could have gone drastically different had a few decisions made by the referees gone a different way. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks improved to 4-2 with the win, yet Nebraska led for nearly the entire game until Oregon took its first lead with 28 seconds remaining in the game.

Controversial Replay Review in Oregon vs. Nebraska

Nebraska's first touchdown, however, has been a point of controversy since the play was reviewed by the replay officials during the game on Saturday. Cornhuskers quarterback Anthony Colandrea found receiver Kwazi Gilmer in the back corner of the end zone, and the play was originally ruled a touchdown on the field.

With Oregon defensive back Na'eem Offord in close coverage, determining whether Gilmer secured the catch while also staying in bounds is nearly impossible in live time. Even when the play is slowed down,

"You know the word I kept saying? I think. I think that foot hit the ground, but I like where replay mostly stays in that it's got to be clear and obvious before you absolutely reverse something. . . . Does that hit the ground? I don't think you can prove it didn't, so you have to stay with the call," Fox Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira said on the broadcast.

The angles available do not show clear evidence that Gilmer's right foot scraped the turf before his body lands on the out-of-bounds line in the back of the end zone.

Other Questionable Moments in Oregon's Win Over Nebraska

While the outcome of the game likely doesn't rest on any officiating decision, there were a few questionable moments during Saturday night's game.

In the fourth quarter with under six minutes remaining in the contest, Nebraska running back Isaiah Mozee caught a check down pass from Colandrea before turning up field. Mozee was tackled near the line of scrimmage, and the ball popped out of his arms while being tackled. Whether or not Mozee was down before the ball came loose is hard to see, yet the officials on the field did not review the play.

Instead, Mozee was ruled to be down with the ball, and Nebraska retained possession.

The moment matters because Oregon defensive back Davon Benjamin made a clear recovery of the ball, so had the play been ruled a fumble, the Ducks would have gotten the ball back in the red zone. Instead, Oregon's defense had to force a traditional stop, and the Cornhuskers punted the ball back to the Ducks offense on the next play.

Mozee may have been down, but a review feels appropriate for that moment. For an Oregon offense that struggled to find the end zone all night, having such a short field would have given the Ducks an immediate advantage in the fourth quarter. Instead, Oregon did not take its first lead until there were 30 seconds left on the clock.

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