After Tennessee’s 31-17 loss to Georgia, Coach Josh Heupel voiced his frustration with a “12 men on the field” penalty. Kirby Smart, who serves on the rules committee, clarified the rule, explaining that defensive substitutions must be made quickly to avoid delaying the game. Heupel had urged his players to hurry, but Tennessee’s Jaxson Moi didn’t leave the field in time, resulting in the penalty. Smart highlighted that the rule is intended to prevent teams from stalling, and while substitutions are allowed, they must be done efficiently.
In a lighter moment, Heupel joked about SEC officiating during the “Vol Calls” show, saying, “It’s because of the officiating on the road,” but quickly added, “Make sure the commissioner doesn’t hear that.” Though Heupel wasn’t seriously criticizing the officials, his comment reflected the frustration many coaches feel with controversial calls. Tennessee, in particular, faced a questionable facemask penalty and the rare 12-men-on-the-field call in the Georgia game. This sentiment was shared by other SEC teams, such as South Carolina, which had a controversial call affect their game against LSU earlier in the season.
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