BYU football: Mendenhall disappointed with reaction to call

PROVO — The most talked-about play in college football over the weekend happened in BYU's win over Washington. A controversial unsportsmanlike conduct call on Husky quarterback Jake Locker following a touchdown sparked debate and opinions from the media and fans around the country.

After Locker ran for a TD with two seconds remaining in the game — to cut the Cougars' lead to 28-27 — he threw the ball high into the air in celebration, which is prohibited in the rule book and subject to a 15-yard penalty. The penalty was called, then BYU's Jan Jorgensen blocked Washington's ensuing point-after attempt from 35 yards out to preserve the BYU win.

Since then, talking heads, writers and fans have weighed in — many of whom believe Washington was robbed by the officials. Mendenhall said he doesn't watch TV or listen to the radio or read the newspapers, but he disagrees with that assessment.

When informed about the uproar surrounding the call, he replied: "It's unfortunate that a game that was so hard-fought and decided on the last play — not the second-to-last-play — by a phenomenal effort by a defensive group of kids, one player in particular, Jan Jorgensen, it sounds like the focus has gone to a correct call made by an official within the rules and that then was viewed to determine the outcome of the game. It was actually the next play and every play prior to that that determined the outcome.

"Our team, from beginning to end, out-executed our opponent and deserved to win and demonstrated that in the clearest fashion on the last play of the football game — which was the deciding factor. If that's been lost along the way, that's unfortunate," he said.

His team should be credited for finding a way to win the game, Mendenhall continued.

"When you look at the pattern of consistency of making plays when the game is on the line, to give the impression that a referee's call determined the game when you have a team that has proven time and time again (it can win close games) ... to say that a referee's call decided it when he called it correctly is unfortunate. We do have the rules for a reason. They are to teach principles of class and integrity. Sometimes young men in the heat of the moment get over- exuberant. The rules are in place to try to keep the game intact."

BYU offensive lineman Travis Bright said until that call, he wasn't aware that throwing the ball into the air after a touchdown would result in a penalty.