One of the most critical plays of Florida State’s 17-16 loss to N.C. State was an EJ Manuel pass to former Glades Central standout Kelvin Benjamin, who appeared to grab the ball and get a foot inbounds.
But when Benjamin fell on the ground – out of bounds – the ball popped loose. One referee immediately signaled incomplete and then displayed a juggling motion (and a booth review upheld the ruling on the field, saying that Benjamin “did not maintain control”). With FSU clinging to a 16-10 lead with 4:43 left in the game, and trying to drive, the play happened at a crucial juncture.
FSU coach Jimbo Fisher asked Benjamin immediately if he made the catch, and the redshirt freshman said that he did. And FSU assistants in the coaches’ box encouraged Fisher to use a timeout to challenge the call.
“I thought I caught it as one foot hit in and one foot hit out,” Benjamin said. “I guess they say you have to go all the way through the catch. I thought the ground couldn’t cause a fumble.”
Fisher appealed to the Atlantic Coast Conference on Sunday and was frustrated with the conversation he had with league officials.
“In the rulebook that’s a catch,” Fisher said. “They say it’s not interpreted unless you hit the ground. Now I don’t understand that. We agreed to disagree. If he hits the ground, he has to keep control of it. I’m lost at that. … There are other reasons we lost the game. I’m not blaming that.”
FSU players said they have tried to put the game in the past and move on to Saturday’s home game against Boston College at 5:30 p.m. Benjamin, who leads FSU with 259 receiving yards, took the loss hard.
“I was devastated,” Benjamin said. “But it feels like the team has moved on. You can’t do nothing about it. It’s over now. You just have to move on.”
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