BYU says SDSU accusations are wrong

PROVO —BYU officials said on Thursday the video replay staff that did the San Diego State-BYU game followed league protocol and insinuations of wrongdoing are out of line.

The statement came a few days after three prominent SDSU boosters sent a letter to BYU President Cecil O. Samuelson and accused the university of stonewalling and a cover-up in the controversial ruling that upheld a JJ Di Luigi non-fumble call in the Aztecs' loss to BYU on Oct. 9 in LaVell Edwards Stadium.

SDSU's athletic department leaked the names of the officials in the video booth and announced an MWC disciplinary action against them.

SDSU boosters Leon Parma, Bob Payne and Jack Goodall sent the letter to Samuelson via express mail on Monday. In it, they also ask him to "declare the game forfeited" to SDSU if he finds evidence of gross negligence or foul play committed by the BYU alumni who were working for the Mountain West Conference video replay booth that day.

"There are too many open questions for you not to act on this matter," said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

SDSU officially told San Diego media the replay official working the booth said he would have ruled differently had he seen all the video of the play.

The inference by SDSU from that statement is that replays were withheld by video workers in the booth who were associated with BYU.

BYU's statement read: "Decisions concerning replay officiating systems, including who is hired and assigned to work games, are made by the Mountain West Conference. The MWC conducted a thorough review of the matter in question from the BYU versus San Diego State game and took actions it deemed appropriate.

"BYU has reviewed the replay matter with the Mountain West Conference and is confident that the replay team followed standard MWC operating procedures. Insinuations that any locally contracted member of the MWC replay team influenced the replay ruling or did not follow Conference protocol are inaccurate.

"The University will have no further comment on this matter."