Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire sounds off on officials, questions targeting penalty against Colorado star QB Shedeur Sanders
A week after a significant road victory at then-undefeated, top-10 Iowa State, Texas Tech began its Saturday showdown against visiting, nationally ranked Colorado up 13-0.
That was the best it ever got for the Red Raiders, who absorbed a third Big 12 Conference loss.
While making sure he personally must coach better, Texas Tech leader Joey McGuire also blasted the officiating in the game and challenged the referees to likewise answer the call to improve their performance.
McGuire was particularly incensed over a roughing penalty whistled against his Red Raiders defense on Colorado star quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a flag that extended the Buffs possession and helped them build onto their come-from-behind lead.
"You know, the frustrating thing is we're sitting here, it's 41-27," McGuire said. "It could have been a little bit closer, we give up that one right at the end on the turnover. We don't get in the end zone, fourth-and-1.
"But, I'll tell you this: It's 17-13, and we bring, it's third-and-seven, and we bring pressure. It's an incomplete pass. And when you watch that play, somebody tell me how you can call roughing the passer."
See the play below:
McGuire wasn't done.
"How you can no-call five obvious facemasks, one that was reviewed for targeting that wasn't called and then four others on the running back ...," McGuire added. "It's tough for me to say too much, because it's 41-27 and I'll sound like I'm saying that ...
"In a game like this, we have to be better and I guarantee you Deion's going to sit there and say he has to be better, but the officiating has to be better at this level. I'm, I'm just frustrated and I hate it. I will tell you I've got to be better, I thought there was some good things we did tonight."
McGuire was asked if he got an explanation on the controversial roughing-the-passer flag tossed on the hit to Sanders.
"I saw that he hit him below the knee, and I don't know who saw that. He hit him in the hip, it was a great, clean hit that would have forced them to punt the football and instead they get a field goal out of it," said McGuire, who saw his own Red Raiders fans hurl what he said were beer bottles, water bottles and even a vape pen onto the field in anger.
"The same way with the targeting, they don't call targeting but it's a blatant facemask where that happens with the targeting and that gets no-called."
McGuire made clear he would submit missed calls to the Big 12 office and also encouraged reporters to review the game to count the number of missed facemasks.
"I can count five at least. When I watch film and turn stuff in, there will be five no-calls at least. Five no-calls that heads were turned, literally. It's different whenever you put your hand on their face and they don't turn. There will be five of them, and one of them was on our quarterback that they called targeting on, but it's a facemask. It's one reason his head got jerked down.
"There will be five of them. Y'all will be able to probably find the TV copy and record it. You probably can count more than five."
