Here we go again: Tennessee fans irate over missed calls

For the second week in a row, Tennessee was on the wrong end of several missed or controversial calls. This time against South Carolina, coach Jeremy Pruitt drew a first-half unsportsmanlike penalty after a targeting call was reviewed and went against the Vols.

Another play that drew the ire of Tennessee fans turned out to be a missed facemask penalty on both teams early in the third quarter. Princeton Fant was tackled for a loss of four yards by Aaron Sterling, but both players grabbed each other’s facemask. But a flag wasn’t called against either team.

This is no surprise for either team as Tennessee last week against Alabama, and South Carolina last week against Florida each protested several calls, and even discussed them throughout the week with the SEC office including Commissioner Greg Sankey, who issued a statement in the middle of the week.

Fans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the missed calls or non-calls nearly every week.

Pruitt held a seemingly ongoing dialogue with the officials as he talked to them after many plays, especially if a flag was thrown.

By late in the third quarter, the penalties were five for 33 yards against Tennessee, and six for 40 yards against South Carolina.

Here’s a sampling of fan reaction to the officiating:

@SECOfficiating here we go again. Refs are missing all kinds of calls in the UT game. Horrible officiating

— Williams (@TennVol327) October 26, 2019

@SECOfficiating here we go again. Refs are missing all kinds of calls in the UT game. Horrible officiating

— Williams (@TennVol327) October 26, 2019

And they just missed an obvious face mask.

This is just horrendous.

— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) October 26, 2019

Hey @SEC @SECOfficiating you’ve missed 1. Clear targeting 2. Face mask tackles and 3. Called targeting in what should be a legal football hit. You need to re-evaluate these refs immediately. #vols @Vol_Sports

— Lukas Ray (@appalachiansoul) October 26, 2019

How many times are the refs NOT going to call obvious penalties? Facemask, roughing the passer and unnecessary roughness uncalled. @SEC: players deserve better. #Vols

— Taylor Hall (@Taylor_Hall) October 26, 2019

Once again with an egregious “no call” facemask. #scvstenn What will it take for officials to make these obvious calls??

— Cary Street (@Cary64) October 26, 2019

And for the 2nd straight week, @tenn gets screwed by the refs

— Josh Watkins (@jwat_1776) October 26, 2019

Tenn gonna argue with refs after every single play?

— christopher brissey (@ChrisWBrissey) October 26, 2019

if i was Tenn head coach id put in a 3rd string LB and tell him to just blindside hit the shit out of the ref who made that call

— Sammy Bets (@DegenSammy) October 26, 2019

Any Tennessee player wouldve been suspended for 3 years for that hit

— Barstool Rocky Top (@BarstoolTenn) October 26, 2019

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.