Calls Mount Against Referee After Controversial Call Costs LaNorris Sellers & South Carolina Big

South Carolina started their 2025 season with an emphatic 24-11 victory against Virginia Tech. The score may suggest that it wasn’t a close game, but heading into the 4th quarter, the two teams were battling it out with the Gamecocks leading the game 10-8. Thanks to Vicari Swain’s 80-yard punt return touchdown, Shane Beamer’s team established a lead. LaNorris Sellers followed it with a 64-yard touchdown pass to Nyck Harbor, thereby ending the Hokies’ resolve for a comeback. However, if you believe South Carolina fans, the game should never have been this close.

Sellers’ first touchdown pass of the game was ruled a drop, costing a touchdown to South Carolina. “LaNorris Sellers first touchdown pass would’ve came on a hitch by Nyck Harbor. Called a drop by the ref on the replay. Erases TD,” reported Virginia Talk Radio Sports reporter TJ Wilkerson.

With 3:52 left in the first half, the Gamecocks were looking to convert a third-and-goal at the Hokies’ 9-yard line. Norris looked towards wide receiver Nyck Harbor on a corner route in the end zone. Officials ruled the catch a touchdown, and then the drama ensued. Following further review of the film, the on-field call was overturned. The review found that the football kind of wriggled out of Nyck’s hands when he rolled over on the field, with the football hitting the ground.

South Carolina then elected to take the field goal, a 27-yard drive by kicker William Joyce. Instead of 14-5, the score read 10-5. Unfortunately for the fans, the call was a deja vu of what happened in the LSU-Clemson game. Brian Kelly’s team was similarly robbed of a second-half touchdown.

The moment had analysts fueled. David Pollack tweeted, “So after week 1, I now know if you don’t catch the ball with it glued to your body, it’s not a catch. Make common sense common again please.” The reaction from the Gamecock fans was along similar lines.

Fans mount calls after controversial TD pass drop

Although they won the game, South Carolina fans were fuming when they felt their team was denied a touchdown. One fan let out his frustration. “So, LaNorris Sellers throws a dime to Harbor. 2 steps in bounds and his foot hits out of bounds, then bobbles after…what the he-l does he have to do, hand it to the ref?” he wrote.

Another called out, “Did we just witness another TD called off. We using NFL rules now?,” he put it bluntly. In the NFL, the TD rules are stringent. The player must maintain possession, remain in bounds while catching the ball, and execute a football move. Either tuck it, take a step, or maintain control long enough for it to qualify as a TD. However, college football rules have been different. For instance, you don’t need to have both your feet in the field of play to have a completion.

Another fan piped in, comparing it to the LSU vs. Clemson matchup. “At some point, having the ball and having feet down should be a touchdown. The same thing happened to @LSUfootball last night. I understand you have to control the ball through the ground, but when it’s in the endzone it should be TD play ended. That’s my opinion I guess,” he wrote.

Both moments are worrying. Naturally, you wonder if we can have some consistency in how refs rule completions. To make matters worse, the on-field team has little control over the review. This is one of those things that can blow up if common sense is not applied.