Jameis Winston shoves official out of way during game [Video]

Jameis Winston shoved an official out of the way Saturday, although Winston said the contact was not done with intent to harm the referee.

FSU’s quarterback appeared to push an official in the second half against Boston College as he tried to hurry up and snap the ball under center. The center judge was behind center Cam Erving, thus in Winston’s way. The center judge put his hand on Winston’s chest to prevent him from getting Erving, and Winston responded by trying to move the official out of the way.

“Oh, he said we had changed a running back somewhere,” Florida State Coach Jimbo Fisher said when asked if he received an explanation for why the center judge and Winston had the exchange. “I don’t know. Never mind. I’m going to shut up. I’m getting a little perturbed on some of that stuff.

”He didn’t realize, he thought he could snap the ball. The kind of play we had was based off a quick run up the line, snap the ball. That’s what it was based on. I don’t know, we’ll see.“

Fisher was already frustrated from several officiating snafus during FSU’s 20-17 win against Boston College, including an interception that came as a result of what could’ve been pass interference when an Eagles defender appeared to make contract with WR Rashad Greene before an intended pass reached him.

Officials are instructed to stand over the football and allow defenses time to make a substitution. But in this case, the ball was already set and the center judge was standing behind the center, not the football.

”Oh, he was just holding it because he said we had a substitution,“ Winston said. ”It was actually a fast-tempo play, so I was trying to get up under there and let it ride.“

Winston was not penalized for making contact with an official, although Dave Cutia, ESPN’s college officiating expert and the former Pac-10 coordinator of officiating, told ESPN that Winston should have receive a 15-yard penalty or a should have been ejected.

”No, they did a good job on that from that standpoint,“ Fisher said of how the officials handled the situation. ”I think they understood what was going on. Those guys handled that part of the game. They managed the game itself, that part, I thought very good. They did a very nice job.“