The Virginia Tech football team battled California and the ACC officials on Friday night at Lane Stadium. The good news is the Hokies picked up the 42-34 win in double overtime over the Bears, and the even better news was that it was done in front of a national audience.
Leading 27-20 in the fourth quarter, Virginia Tech's defense appeared to stop California on a third-and-goal with a sack of Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele by Ben Bell. Instead of a fourth-and-goal at the 12-yard line and Cal kicking a field goal attempt, they had a first-and-goal at the 3-yard line because of a roughing the passer call. Kendrick Raphael scored his third touchdown of the game to tie the game at 27-27.
As soon as the roughing the passer penalty was called, social media blew up over it from national college football insiders to even Virginia fans, of all people. To be fair, the roughing the passer call on Cal earlier in the second half was a bad call, too. On ESPN's College GameDay from Nashville at Vanderbilt, Desmond Howard quietly said what all Hokies' fans know: Virginia Tech beat two units on Friday night.
Desmond Howard calls out ACC officiating on College GameDay
After coming back from a commercial early in the show, College GameDay showed highlights from Friday night's games, and when it got to Virginia Tech, Howard didn't hold any punches about what he saw from his hotel room.
“Virginia Tech beat both Cal and the officials.”
Yes, Desmond, we know, and so does most of the country. The call exploded on social media, which allowed people who were not watching the game to know what was going on. It was a bad night for the officials, who had a pair of targeting penalties on the Hokies overturned on review. Just a typical weekend for ACC officials.