AUBURN AUTHORITY

SEC: Officials missed penalty on final play of Auburn's win over South Carolina

James Crepea

Montgomery Advertiser

Auburn should've received a five-yard penalty for D'haquille Williams being on the field at the same time as Montravius Adams, both wear No. 1.

AUBURN -- The Southeastern Conference acknowledged referees missed a penalty for duplicate jersey numbers on the final play of Auburn's win over South Carolina Saturday night.

Auburn sent wide receiver D'haquille Williams, who wears No. 1, out to play defense as South Carolina attempted a Hail Mary pass from the Tigers 41-yard line in the closing seconds. Tigers defensive tackle Montravius Adams also wears No. 1 and was on the field for the play, and a team cannot have two players on the field with the same number.

The SEC admitted its eight-man officiating crew, led by referee Matt Loeffler, missed what should have been a five-yard penalty against Auburn and South Carolina should've had an untimed down from the Auburn 36-yard line.

Auburn should've received a five-yard penalty for D'haquille Williams being on the field at the same time as Montravius Adams (left) because both wear No. 1.

"It was discovered well after the game concluded that Auburn had multiple players wearing the same jersey number on the field at once for the play in question," an SEC spokesman said. "By rule, that would have resulted in a five yard penalty and a replay of the down had it been realized during play."

Williams' presence caught the attention of SEC Network play-by-play announcer Brent Musberger before the play.

"Duke Williams has just gone into center field, the wide receiver, as a defensive back for (Auburn defensive coordinator) Ellis Johnson," Musberger said during the telecast. "He's in the middle of the field, standing back on the seven-yard line."

Auburn should've received a five-yard penalty for D'haquille Williams (right) being on the field at the same time as Montravius Adams.

Williams impacted the play, jumping over 6-foot-6 South Carolina tight end Jerell Adams as Dylan Thompson's pass arrived in the end zone and it appeared Williams tipped the ball slightly before it fell into the hands of Jonathan Jones for an Auburn interception.

"There you see Duke Williams, No. 1, he's the one who gets the first paw on it," SEC Network analyst Jesse Palmer said on the telecast, "but ultimately to Jonathan Jones making the pick."

Had South Carolina scored, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier, who pulled out all the stops on Saturday, implied he would have gone for a two-point conversion to win the game over 18-point favorite Auburn.

"If we catch the Hail Mary and we make a two-point conversion that might have been the greatest win in my entire life," Spurrier said. "If it had worked out. It was just a close loss. I thought maybe something good was going to happen, but they picked it off."