As he watched Many Pacquiao come up on the questionable end of the judges’ scoring in a title bout Saturday night, former LSU defensive standout Patrick Peterson was among the many from around the sports world sounding off on Twitter about the blown call. In doing so, Peterson dug up some dirt from the past about a time he felt he was on the wrong end of a poor moment in sports officiating.
Haven't seen that bad of a call since........ 👀😳 #NeverForget #PacquiaovHorn @espn pic.twitter.com/BpDnZhbvz7
— Patrick Peterson /P2 (@P2) July 2, 2017
That moment Peterson is recalling took place in 2009, with No. 9 LSU looking to pull an upset of No. 3 Alabama. With about six minutes to play in the fourth quarter in Tuscaloosa, Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy appeared to be picked off by Peterson with an incredible effort to keep not one, but two feet in play with possession of the football. The play was called an incomplete pass.
Judge for yourself.
Alabama retained possession of the football and McElroy completed a 10-yard pass to Julio Jones on the following play to keep a drive moving down the field. A few plays later, Alabama tacked on a field goal to take a 24-15 lead with just over three minutes to play. LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee was picked off on LSU’s next offensive possession and Alabama held on for the win. The Crimson Tide clinched a spot in the SEC Championship Game and went on to win the BCS national championship that season, the first under Nick Saban.
LSU dropped a game a few weeks later against Ole Miss and went on to lose in the Capital One Bowl on one of the worst playing surfaces in bowl history, against Penn State.
Who knows where the history of college football would have gone had the officials made the correct call on that interception?