During James Madison’s road bout with Utah State on Saturday, the Dukes coaching staff found a very creative (if unsuccessful) way to protest an Aggies touchdown call.
On a 4th-and-four in the second quarter, Utah State attempted a field goal that turned into a trick play where Aggies kicker Elliott Nimrod ran the ball in for a touchdown.
However, the James Madison coaches argued that Nimrod had stepped out of bounds before scoring.
As the referees debated if Nimrod had actually gotten into the end zone, one of the Dukes assistants got out his cell phone with a photo of what could be an Aggies step out of bounds and handed it to James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti.
Cignetti then tried to show the deliberating referees where he felt the kicker had indeed stepped out before the touchdown.
Well, the refs weren’t so happy about that as they quickly brushed off the photo of what James Madison felt should’ve sparked a turnover on downs.
Great moments in college football pic.twitter.com/mMZQgEb3fs
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 24, 2023
Well, the referees confirmed the touchdown for Utah State, and all James Madison got out of the exchange was a hilarious video that shows just how much technology has changed in the past decade-plus.
If anything, NBA veteran Patrick Beverley will be proud that the James Madison coaches borrowed his strategy of finding impromptu photographic evidence of when you feel the officials have it wrong during the game.
