Vols OL Cooper Mays answers question about officiating in recent Tennessee games
The Tennessee Vols have lost two of their last four games and while their play on the field is the biggest reason for those losses, incredibly poor officiating hasn't helped. In three straight SEC road games (Alabama, Kentucky, and Missouri), the Vols went almost 12 quarters without a live ball penalty being called on their […]
The Tennessee Vols have lost two of their last four games and while their play on the field is the biggest reason for those losses, incredibly poor officiating hasn't helped.
In three straight SEC road games (Alabama, Kentucky, and Missouri), the Vols went almost 12 quarters without a live ball penalty being called on their opponent.
Tennessee, during this same stretch, had 26 penalties for 220 yards (their opponents had 12 penalties for 76 yards).
The Vols' penalties were mostly legitimate (Tennessee hasn't played disciplined football this season when it comes to penalties). A couple could be considered "ticky tack", but there are always going to be some questionable calls. That's something you just have to live with at times.
It's the fact that so many blatant penalties from Tennessee's opponents have been missed that's been frustrating for Vols fans.
Tennessee offensive lineman Cooper Mays was asked this week during an appearance on Off the Hook Sports about the officiating in recent games and he had no interest in using it as an excuse.
"I think the only way you get better anything in life is if you're able to take accountability and put blame on your own shoulders and figure out ways to fix it," said Mays. "Nobody is going to be perfect, including referees. I don't really even think about the refs. It's kind of like a non-factor in my mind. They probably have missed some calls throughout the season, but it should never be in the referees' hands in my opinion."
You certainly have to respect Mays' take on officiating if you're a Vols fan. While it's been frustrating for Tennessee fans to see some questionable officiating over the last few weeks, Mays isn't about to use it as an excuse.
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