Oklahoma Sooners Football Blog: (9/19) Official no stranger to controversial calls, Stoops Unsatisfied, and Oklahoma Articles

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Pac-10 Official no stranger to controversial calls, future games will 'be closely monitored': Suspended were instant replay officials Gordon Riese and Roger Judd, both retired field officials, along with referee David Cutaia, umpire Dennis Angel, linesman Dan Antonietti, line judge Manuel Alonzo, back judge Steve Hudson, field judge Dan Spriesterbach and side judge David Curschman. Hansen said their work in future games would "be closely monitored." Riese and Judd are Oregon residents. "We generally don't travel our replay officials, nor do other conferences," Pac-10 associate commissioner Jim Muldoon said. This wasn't the first time Riese has been involved in controversy. On Nov. 20, 1982, he was the line judge when California defeated Stanford on arguably the most controversial finish in college football history. Cal won the game on a crazy kickoff return that ended with Kevin Moen scoring the winning touchdown before crashing into Stanford band trombonist Gary Tyrrell. In 2002, Riese told the San Jose Mercury News he wasn't in position to call an illegal forward lateral -- Mariet Ford to Moen -- because he had been run over by the on-rushing Stanford band. Riese said he has received menacing phone calls and a death threat over Saturday's game, adding he would make a decision soon about whether to finish the season, or even whether to return next year. (LA Times)

More controversial calls: Washington State fans may remember how [Gordon] Riese ruled in a 2002 Apple Cup game against rival Washington. In triple overtime, Cougars quarterback Matt Kegal lost the football and the Huskies recovered. Many thought it was either a fumble or an incomplete pass. After huddling with other officials, Riese made a confusing announcement that it was a backward pass and, thus, a live ball. Washington State coach Mike Price said afterward, "That's wrong." Riese also made a strange ruling in the 2004 USC-UCLA game. The Bruins held up Reggie Bush, and while the running back pushed for more yards, he fumbled. A UCLA linebacker picked up the ball and raced for an apparent touchdown. Riese told the crowd that Bush's forward progress had been stopped and the play was dead. ABC announcers said at halftime that the officials took a touchdown away from UCLA. (Dallas Morning News)

Coach Stoops unsatisfied w/apology: Stoops believes Riese, who elected not to overturn the calls, should have faced a much stiffer penalty. "I find it still absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable," Stoops said. "In particular the people who had an opportunity to review it all and look at it and get it right. They chose not to. "You discern whether a one-game suspension is appropriate for those individuals. I'm not talking about people in the heat of the moment out there in the middle of the chaos. I'm talking about people who, like every viewer at home, had an opportunity to see it. It's not for me to decide what is appropriate, but I think it's fair to say that a one-game suspension compared to the way our season now is altered, I don't know if that fits the situation. "Like I said, I've made a million mistakes. In a game I'd love to have a chance to replay it and do it over. They get that opportunity, we don't. To me again it's just unacceptable and inexcusable." (Norman Transcript)

Cooper may be held out: Stoops said Jon Cooper and DeMarcus Granger are "limited" in practice, but "should be fine" for Saturday's game against Middle Tennessee State. Wilson said Cooper should be available but, with an open date upcoming, would likely be held out a week. (Tulsa World)

Sooners moving forward: Stoops said his team is fully focused on the season ahead and what it can bring. "Our players understand there's a lot in front of us," Stoops said. "The season's young. We've got a ton to get better at, improve at and that's what we're focusing on. I have to deal with this because I'm the head coach. There's too many questions about it. "We're on to Middle Tennessee. We had a great practice. Our players are upbeat. They understand the potential that's on the football team, and we're going to continue working to get better." (NewsOK.com)

Easy Monday workload for AD: Running back Adrian Peterson had a light day at practice Monday, working only on blitz pickups. Head coach Bob Stoops said he likes to give Peterson a light load on Mondays "after he's has a hard day." (Tulsa World)

Oregon reaction; Ignore and 'move on': Ducks coach Mike Bellotti told The Oregonian that he wouldn't allow outside focus on the controversy to taint his team's win. "We ignore it and move on," Bellotti told the newspaper. Bellotti did say that if the calls were proven to be bad, as they since have been, he would feel bad. And he said he wouldn't want to win a game that way. "It still can't take away the effort and the will of our players," Bellotti said. (NewsOK.com)

Weekly team awards: Stoops said Peterson, Iglesias and Paul Thompson were OU's offensive players of the week, cornerback Marcus Walker was defensive player of the week and Reggie Smith and Michael Cohen were special teams players of the week. (Tulsa World)