Sec Referees Face Criticism Following Controversial Call in Texas Game

Southeastern Conference referees are facing criticism from college football fans and media following a controversial call during Saturday's game between the Texas Longhorns and the Missouri Tigers. Fox News reported that Texas quarterback Arch Manning appeared to throw an incomplete forward pass on a third-and-ten play late in the third quarter while being hit. Officials ruled the play a fumble, allowing Texas to recover the ball for a key first down while trailing 20-13. [1]

Replays showed Manning's arm clearly moving forward before he lost control of the football, according to Fox News. The disputed ruling allowed Texas to maintain possession and sparked a 21-0 scoring run against Missouri in a matchup carrying major College Football Playoff implications. [1]

The 2026 Texas Longhorns football team represents the University of Texas at Austin in the Southeastern Conference under head coach Steve Sarkisian. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Sarkisian and athletic director Chris Del Conte previously faced public scrutiny following back-to-back losses during the 2026 season. [4][6]

Controversial officiating has impacted multiple key Southeastern Conference games this season. As FTMQ News reported earlier, a missed pass interference call and a late personal foul penalty led to Georgia securing a 20-17 victory over Alabama in October. [7]