Shane Beamer Says "Officiating Crew Absolutely Blew the Call" In 2018 National Championship

Former Georgia special teams coordinator and now South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer believes Tyler Simmons was onside in a crucial play vs. Alabama in the 2018 national championship game.

Ahead of their matchup this Saturday afternoon, South Carolina head coach and former Georgia special teams coordinator Shane Beamer held his press conference when he was asked about one memory that stood out to him while being the coordinator at UGA. The play that popped into his head was the one that haunted many fans in their sleep.

Early in the second half against Alabama in the 2018 national championship game versus Alabama, the Bulldogs had a wealthy lead over the Crimson Tide, and it seemed everything was falling in place for Georgia to win their first title in the CFB playoff era until Georgia forced Alabama into a punting situation and they blocked the punt, but Tyler Simmons was called offsides.  

Shane Beamer wants the world to know that Tyler Simmons was onsides.

His response when asked about one memory that stands out while coaching special teams for Georgia

"Unfortunately the officiating crew -- not an SEC crew, but the officiating crew absolutely blew the call." pic.twitter.com/ux8CS6Lz24

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) September 12, 2023

"Taking me down nightmares; it was the right thing," Beamer stated while reliving the memory. "If you ask anybody in Athens what 'Tyler Simmons was onsides' means, they know, because, in the national championship game, we had an Alabama punt in, Kirby had come up with a plan that we're gonna show this look when Alabama punts. We're confident that they will do this, and when they do this, we're gonna do that - we were gonna get a free rusher, we felt like, and we did. Came completely clean and blocked the punt just like we had designed it to do. Unfortunately, the officiating crew - not an SEC crew - absolutely blew the call, and I don't wanna say it cost us a national championship, but that was a significant play in the game that potentially cost us a national championship that night. That blocked punt happens early in the second half there's probably not an overtime that game, but I'm over it as you can tell." 

Although Alabama still had to punt on that possession,  Beamer isn't the only one who believes Simmons was onside that play. In fact, the head referee of the match, Don Capron, has actually admitted to his crew missing the call. In the grand scheme of things, the play doesn't matter anymore and the game is over, but the Dawgs could have three rings in five years instead of just two.