Jim Mora blasts ACC officials: Be nice if it was a level playing field

There's no conference commissioner for Jim Mora to worry about -- not that Kirby Smart would, mind you -- and no doubt his own administration would back him up.

So, in arguably the shortest-ever postgame press conference from a college football head coach -- Butch Jones spoke for roughly 70 seconds after his 2016 Tennessee team lost to Vanderbilt, Jim Mora put Saturday's ACC officiating crew on absolute blast.

With his UConn squad trailing 23-20 in the game's waning moments, Mora saw his Nick Evers-led offense claw its way near midfield. 

Evers threw a sideline-out that we'll never know whether or not it could have been caught.

Replays from CBS Sports show Wake Forest defensive back Jamare Glasker draped on the back of Huskies wideout Jasaiah Gathings. 

Glasker not only made early contact but also, per the video, impeded Gathings from even fully stretching out to make the catch after Glasker hooked his arm around the wideout.

No penalty. UConn stalled. Wake Forest won, 23-20.

In a postgame that lasted roughly 50 seconds, Mora did not hold back.

"I'm proud of them for fighting back. We've got to make sure we put ourselves in a position where it doesn't come down to one play where an ACC (officiating) team makes a horseshit call against an Independent," Mora, who's also been a head coach at UCLA and for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, fumed. "And that's up to us to play better at the start of the game so it doesn't come down to that call, which was (defensive) holding and PI (pass interference). And that's what I told them. And we'll come back, and we'll fight.

"It's on us to play better earlier, but it would sure be nice if it was a level playing field."

More took a single question in the postgame setting, which was to ask him if he received an explanation from the ACC crew which consisted of: Riley Johnson, Troy Riley, Darryl Johnson, Kirk Lewis, Michael Defee, Michael McCarthy, Aaron Hochuli, Josh Fath and replay official: Mark McAnaney.

"Yeah, it was a hold and a PI. Hold and a PI," Mora emphasized. "Here's your explanation: ACC versus Independent. 

"There's your explanation. It's pretty f*****g simple."

See the play below:

UConn, seeking to earn a second bowl berth in three seasons, stands 4-3 as it continues a six-game homestand this week against visiting Rice. The Huskies also host Georgia State before road games at UAB, Syracuse and UMass to close out the 2024 regular season.