I was sorry to see Daryl Daye’s Nicholls State Colonels lose a second straight game Saturday night. Portland State scored twice in the last four minutes to pull out a 44-37 victory.

Sounds a lot like those MSU Bulldogs, doesn’t it? The Colonels travel to Division II Texas A&M-Kingsville; for a third straight road game on Saturday.

Space prevented me from saying all I wanted to say last week about Don Shanks, current president of the SEC Football Officials Association. After finishing high school at Jackson Provine, Don played at Mississippi State and split his career between the offensive and defensive tackles.

Most serious fans probably have seen the final plays of the Ohio State-N.C. State game. Of particular interest to me was the game’s final play. It happened in the third overtime series with Ohio State ahead by six points and N.C. State with a fourth-and-goal situation from the OSU 2.

N.C. State’s running back headed left and cut toward the goal line. As he was hit by the defense and lunged backward toward the goal, he was hit again in the back by another defender and his hips hit the ground before he was able to put the ball over the goal line.

The point I am making is even though the officials correctly agreed the player had not scored, neither of the wing officials (head linesmen and line judge) had a clear view of the play and had to seek help from the umpire, who is really not in position to rule on that type of play.

The close running play into the middle of the line has always been a very difficult play to rule since the view of the runner and the ball is often obscured by players between the officials and the ball carrier. Marking the exact spot where the ball becomes dead is one of the most important technical responsibilities of a football official, and an importance exaggerated in short-yardage situations.

Early in my officiating career teams did not spread the field like they all do today. The wing officials were able to line up just outside the offensive ends and had a much clearer view of the short runs into the line.

I won’t even pretend to offer a solution to that problem. College football officiating is moving rapidly toward adapting NFL officiating mechanics and already has the wing and down-field officials hugging the sidelines.

The NFL, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, is actively scouting not only college but high school football officials. Several Division I college conferences already have as supervisors of officials either active or recently retired NFL officials, and I look for the SEC to be the next to take that step when Bobby Gaston retires in about a year or two.

The NFL will then be in position to feed selected high school officials into college conferences and subsequently feed their own need for football officials from this farm system.

And that’s official.

Al Graning is a former SEC official and former Natchez resident. You can reach him at

AlanWard39157@aol.com