Oregon Ducks, Wisconsin Badgers Officiating 'Consistently Wrong': Bad Penalty Calls

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks battled to beat the the Wisconsin Badgers, 16-13, in a rowdy atmosphere at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Ducks also battled the officiating, facing some questionable penalty calls from the referees. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and coach Dan Lanning rose above.

Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws a pass during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks battled to beat the the Wisconsin Badgers, 16-13, in a rowdy atmosphere at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Ducks survived with a fourth quarter comeback bid to move to 10-1 all-time when ranked No. 1 in the nation, and 4-0 this season.

The Ducks also battled the officiating, facing some questionable penalty calls in the Big Ten matchup vs. Wisconsin.

Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws a pass during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

In the second quarter, the Badgers were in the red zone on fourth and one, and a penalty on Oregon defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei extended the Wisconsin drive and gave Wisconsin a first down. The Big Ten referees called Uiagalelei's movement "abrupt."

The NBC broadcast refuted the call, saying that Uiagalelei's movement was normal football movement and calling the referees "consistently wrong."

Unfortunately, this is just one of multiple instances that the officiating was questionable.

Another break for the Badgers - the referees enforced a holding at the wrong spot that gave Wisconsin an extra 13 offensive yards.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei (10) against the Liberty Flames during the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Wisconsin was called for a delay of game that was not a delay. Then, Oregon was called for a delay of game that was not a delay. There also was a questionable holding call on Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly.

Overall, the hope is for the referees to not impact the game in a negative way. Missed calls, wrong calls ... It's frustrating for fans and the teams.

One major focus this week for Oregon was limiting penalties - The Ducks committed 12 penalties for 95 yards vs. Maryland last Saturday, both season-high marks. Coach Dan Lanning was pleased with the improved focus on cleaning up penalties in practice.

“We had five today," Lanning said after Wednesday's practice. "We had 13 last Wednesday, so it was cleaner. But it could still be cleaner than it is.”

“(The secondary) has been wearing boxing gloves all week. That’s helped,” Lanning said.

Oregon committed seven penalties for 55 penalty yards vs. Wisconsin.

It is a momentous matchup, as the win made Oregon 11-0 for just the second time in program history, joining the 2010 team.

The Ducks started flat offensively as quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw an interception on their second drive. Gabriel has looked uncharacteristically sloppy as the Ducks offense has stalled. The Ducks were losing to the Badgers, 10-6, at halftime. Gabriel was 14-of-19 for 137 passing yards with one interception and zero touchdowns in the first half.

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