TCU’s Patterson softens stance on key grounding call in OU game

Upon further review, TCU football coach Gary Patterson said he is more understanding of the circumstances surrounding a key intentional grounding call on Horned Frogs’ quarterback Kenny Hill during the team’s final drive in last week’s 52-46 loss to Oklahoma.

Patterson said he “could easily see why you would think it was” a penalty by watching the play unfold from a different angle than the one had from his spot on the TCU sideline. On the play, Hill released the ball under duress and officials initially ruled there was no infraction because Hill had gotten out of the pocket. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops lobbied otherwise and, apparently after a review, the penalty was enforced. TCU faced a second-and-23 situation from its own 15-yard line and could not generate the first down needed to extend its final drive.

Patterson said during Monday’s conference call with Big 12 coaches that he had not heard from league officials about the play but acknowledged, after reviewing the videotape, that Hill “got hit in the pocket” which would bring a grounding call to the table on an intentional throwaway by the quarterback.

“From where my angle was, you could have taken the ball and drawn (either conclusion),” Patterson said of the in-the-pocket factor on the play. “But the bottom line is, he made the call. I just didn’t like the way it transpired. It was one call and then how it looked, it looked like it was maybe being audited. And then we changed our mind. I’ve won some of those in all our years and sometimes we haven’t. I could easily see why you would think it was (grounding). So, we go on.”

After the game, Patterson indicated he “wasn’t happy with the officiating” during the contest and cited the grounding call as an example.

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 9:08 AM with the headline "TCU’s Patterson softens stance on key grounding call in OU game."