Vandy coach heard from SEC on no call

A late no call on obvious pass interference by South Carolina might have cost Vanderbilt a big win. Vandy head coach James Franklin told the media at his Monday press conference that he heard from the SEC shortly after the Commodores’ Thursday night loss to the Gamecocks.

Asked if he heard from the SEC office about the no-call, Franklin responded.

"I heard from the SEC probably 15 minutes after the game," said Franklin.

In the final moments of the fourth quarter and faced with a fourth-and-7 from its own 38-yard line, Vanderbilt went for it. Quarterback Jordan Rodgers' pass to Jordan Matthews appeared to fall incomplete. However, video replays clearly showed that Gamecock cornerback D.J. Swearinger interfered with Matthews well before the ball reached the Commodore in full view of an official. Vanderbilt went on to lose 17-13.

Vanderbilt was also victimized last season in Gainesville by a similar late game no-call on pass interference against Matthews in a 26-21 loss to the Gators.

Despite these officiating breakdowns Franklin still believes that the officiating in the SEC is very good.

"I actually think the officiating in the SEC is really good," said Franklin. "I think when you play a bunch of very close games like we do every call is magnified. When we start being able to spread the gap and have more significant wins where every call is not so important they won't cut as deep for us."

Vanderbilt (0-1) faces Northwestern (1-0) on Saturday in Chicago.