Former ref blasts college football fan base as 'childish, ignorant' for comments

Football rules expert and former referee Terry McAulay didn't mince words when describing how Texas A&M fans responded to his commentary of their game.

Former NFL ref and football rules expert Terry McAulay was on the receiving end of some pointed commentary from Texas A&M fans, and he didn't care for it. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Football rules expert and former referee Terry McAulay not only called out what he thought was a missed holding call in Texas A&M’s win over Notre Dame over the weekend, but is now taking serious issue with the winning team’s fan base.

McAulay called out the SEC officials in the game for apparently missing a holding infraction on the Aggies’ game-winning play, but then took even more issue with the reaction he got from their fans.

“I didn’t think it was possible for any fan base with which I interact with on X to be as vitriolic, childish, and ignorant of officiating and rules than the Tennessee fan base, but in about 12 hours the Texas A&M fan base has done it,” he said in an X post.

“They are the new leader in the clubhouse. No small feat. Note the Longhorns’ fan base tried last year after the missed targeting in the ASU game, but fell woefully short.”

The apparent foul in question came with about 15 seconds left in the game as Notre Dame’s pass rushers pushed their way towards A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, but a defensive lineman can be seen basically being tackled round his neck.

Moments later, Reed connected with Nate Boerkircher for the game-winning score to give Texas A&M a one-point win and a perfect 3-0 record.

“This was just a patently egregious missed offensive holding foul,” McAulay said in an earlier X post with a video of the apparent non-call.

He added: “Game, time, score, are all irrelevant. It should be called anytime and every time it occurs.”

McAulay was quick to note the missed call wasn’t a conspiracy on the part of the SEC officials calling the game, but a matter of where the various officials were looking.

Many are asking how this was missed.

Here’s why (and it’s not because of any grand conspiracy):

The still photo below shows the Umpire in the middle, who is the primary official, looking to his left. I can’t say why, but there is no reason for him to look that way.

It also… https://t.co/CbpJPjkOj9 pic.twitter.com/emrGrsYDnY

— Terry McAulay (@tjmcaulay) September 14, 2025

“In summary, it was a total mechanical breakdown by at least two, maybe three, officials who should have called this,” he said.

But they didn’t, and Reed’s pass to Boerkircher will stay on the books, as will Texas A&M’s undefeated record heading into an idle week before the SEC opener against Auburn.

Notre Dame, college football’s national championship runner-up a year ago, tumbled to an 0-2 record, both to ranked teams by a combined four points.

That was just enough for the Irish to cling to a No. 24 place in the AP rankings this week, a drop from No. 8, with some analysts wondering why they weren’t dropped out of the poll.

The Golden Domers’ playoff ambitions lay in tatters just two weeks into the season, but they’re technically still alive, provided they don’t mess up again the rest of the way.

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