What looked like a facemask penalty was missed by officials in a late Sugar Bowl turning point.
Georgia-Ole Miss missed facemask, explained: How controversial no-call changed CFP game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Sugar Bowl included more turning points and momentum shifts than most could have imagined, but an apparent missed call deep into the fourth quarter was easily one of the biggest — even if it ended up not mattering in the end.
Sure, Ole Miss escaped with the biggest win in school history, but for a time it looked like a missed call might deprive the Rebels of such a moment.
With Ole Miss looking for a long drive to deplete the clock and potentially bury Georgia by taking a two-possession lead, it appeared Kewan Lacy was the victim of an illegal facemask grab. The whistle never blew, and Ole Miss’ drive ended without a first down, giving Georgia’s offense an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead.
The missed call quickly drew criticism from ESPN broadcasters Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy, as well as fans across social media.
Here’s a look at the moment that might have changed the Sugar Bowl and the College Football Playoff on Thursday night.
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Georgia-Ole Miss missed facemask call, explained
Lacy was taken down behind the line of scrimmage on second down deep into the fourth quarter, but replay showed how it happened: Georgia DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye clearly got ahold of Lacy's facemask, prompting Lacy and Ole Miss coach Pete Golding to look around for a flag.
The flag never came, as officials let the two sides play on. Georgia got the Rebels off the field on the next play, forcing a punt that allowed them to get the ball back and rumble down the field for a game-tying field goal.
how do you miss this facemask??? pic.twitter.com/Z5oSpPT41d
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 2, 2026
While Ole Miss prevented disaster by forcing a field goal at the very end of the Bulldogs' drive, even after gifting Georgia additional chances with a pair of pass interference penalties, a facemask call would have allowed the Rebels to take more time off the clock and potentially add onto what was a three-point lead at the time. A penalty would have given Ole Miss an automatic first down.
Category: General Sports
