Pac-12 coaches see referees as one reason for increased penalties

The Pac-12 has become the most penalized conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision, as seven of the 20 most flagged teams are from the conference.

There were issues this past week involving UCLA and USC.

The Bruins had 14 penalties for 121 yards in a 40-37 double-overtime victory over Colorado. Bruins Coach Jim Mora screamed at officials in the second quarter after his team lost interceptions on back-to-back plays because of penalties.

Mora danced around criticism when asked after the game, but said “I think there are things that people need to do in regards to penalties.” He finished by saying, “I mean, that’s a joke.”

USC lost to Utah on the road, 24-21, on Saturday. Replays showed the Utes’ game-winning touchdown pass may have been a pick play similar to the one that cost Notre Dame its winning touchdown against Florida State.

USC Coach Steve Sarkisian took the high road Tuesday, saying, “It was a legal play, no flag was thrown.”

Pac-12 coaches cited a few reasons for the rise in penalties, some focusing on the number of spread offenses around the conference. Oregon State and USC are not spread teams, yet the Trojans rank 122nd out of 128 teams nationally in penalties. Oregon State is tied for 118th.

There was a common denominator with coaches: the referees.

Washington State is tied for 114th in penalties. Coach Mike Leach said, “spread teams are going to get penalized more because there are more individual matchups.” But, he added, “It may have something to do with the guys calling games for the Pac-12.”

From 2001 to 2010 no more than three conference teams ranked among the bottom 20 in penalties. That jumped to six in 2011 and 2012. There were four last season.

This season, Arizona State ranks 16th, the only Pac-12 team among the top 50 in fewest penalties.

California is tied for 114th in penalties. Coach Sonny Dykes said, “Our style of play lends itself to more penalties.” But Dykes said it was also “how the game is called. That has something to do with it as well. The way it is officiated.”

Coaches are careful when talking about referees. Colorado Coach Mike MacIntyre was fined $10,000 by the Pac-12 after television cameras caught him chasing referees after a loss to Oregon State this season.

“That was not the first time it happened,” said Oregon State Coach Mike Riley said about the fine. “It was another reminder that this is the way it is and what they expect from all of us.”

It can go the other way, though usually with less information being released. Conference officials reprimanded referees after they allowed the clock to run out with Wisconsin trying to set up for a game-winning field goal against Arizona State in the Sun Devil’s victory over the Badgers last season. Commissioner Larry Scott said there would be “additional sanctions” but gave no specifics and didn’t name the referees.

Riley said that the conference has “made a great effort to get better and communicate with us to try to help us understand how things are called.”

Sarkisian made a diplomatic pitch, saying, “I don’t mind if our conference calls a tighter game. All I’m concerned about is the games are called consistently and fairly.”

Sarkisian said he does not get too worked up over the officiating.

“You can get emotionally hijacked,” Sarkisian said. “Every week we send plays [to the conference] for response. Some come back in our favor and some do not.”

And what happens when they come back in his favor?

“I don’t know,” Sarkisian said. “It gives me something to talk about around the dinner table.”

Follow Chris Foster on Twitter @cfosterlatimes