Virginia Tech loses 35-33 to Pittsburgh after disputed last-second field goal call
Virginia Tech lost 35-33 to Pittsburgh on Friday night after officials ruled a late 35-yard field goal by John Love no good. Fan video angles disagree, and coach James Franklin said he couldn't tell.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Virginia Tech lost 35-33 to Pittsburgh on Friday night, ending the Hokies' unbeaten start to the season. Fox NewsR “The Virginia Tech Hokies dropped their first game of the season Friday night, losing to Pittsburgh, 35-33” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “The Virginia Tech Hokies are no longer undefeated” Read at Newsweek ↗ Mixed · 2With three seconds left, Hokies kicker John Love attempted a 35-yard field goal that would have won the game; the officials ruled it no good. NewsweekN “With just three seconds remaining, the Hokies' kicker John Love lined up for a 35-yard field goal.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Fox NewsR “The refs, though, threw a wet blanket on the whole thing.” Read at Fox News ↗ Centre · 1Fans at Lane Stadium erupted as the kick appeared to clear the upright, then booed when referees signalled it missed. NewsweekN “fans in Lane Stadium erupted as it appeared to clear the post for a game-winning field goal.”“cheers immediately turned into boos and jeers from upset fans” Read at Newsweek ↗
Right · 1Fox News's OutKick column says fan videos from different angles point in different directions: one from directly behind the posts and one from the far end look like a made kick, while one from behind the kicker looks like a miss. Its writer says the ball appeared to slip just inside the left upright and calls it "razor thin". Fox NewsR “Some help Virginia Tech's case, like this was taken from a fan directly behind the goal posts”“Now THAT one looks like he missed it.”“The ball appeared to slip just inside the left upright by the slimmest of margins.” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1The column says Love thought he made the kick, and that the play could not be reviewed under the NCAA rule because the ball went above the uprights. It also notes that the NCAA rulebook, unlike the NFL's, does not address balls passing above the uprights. Fox NewsR “Love himself thought he made it, too.”“This one was not reviewable, based on that rule. It went above the uprights.”“The NCAA rulebook doesn't say anything about the ball going above the uprights.” Read at Fox News ↗ Centre · 1Head coach James Franklin said he could not tell from his angle whether the kick was good. He said he was confident in Love and that since the officials ruled it no good, "everything else doesn't really matter a whole lot". NewsweekN “from my angle, I couldn't tell you, one way or another.”“everything else doesn't really matter a whole lot” Read at Newsweek ↗
Centre · 1Social media commenters quoted by Newsweek mostly said the kick looked good, and some compared the finish to a controversial Michigan-Western Michigan ending. NewsweekN “many saying the kick looked like it should have been good.”“"What in the Western Michigan is going on here?!"” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 1Virginia Tech led 14-0 early, on an Ethan Grunkemeyer 38-yard touchdown pass to Que'Sean Brown and a Grunkemeyer sneak. Pittsburgh then scored 21 unanswered points, starting with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Mason Heintschel to Cataurus Hicks, and the Hokies were scoreless in the third quarter before scoring nine in the fourth. NewsweekN “going up 14-0 on an Ethan Grunkemeyer 38-yard touchdown pass to Que'Sean Brown”“scoring 21 unanswered points”“held the Hokies scoreless in the third quarter. Virginia Tech then scored nine points in the final quarter” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 1It was Franklin's first loss as Virginia Tech head coach. The Hokies play at California on Saturday, Oct. 10. NewsweekN “It was the first loss of the James Franklin era at Virginia Tech”“They'll attempt to bounce back on Saturday, Oct. 10, when they play a road game against California at 3:30 p.m. ET.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Newsweek runs a conventional game and reaction report built around Franklin's postgame comments on the call.
- Emphasis
- Franklin's quotes, fan reaction on X, the scoring sequence and the next game.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not discuss the replay rules or the conflicting video angles.
- Charged language
- “stunned everyone”“lost heartbreakingly”
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Fox News's OutKick runs a first-person opinion-style column treating the kick as a debate, comparing fan video angles and the rulebook.
- Emphasis
- Conflicting video angles, ESPN's limited replay, the non-reviewable rule and NCAA-NFL wording differences.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little game detail beyond the score and does not quote Franklin or any official.
- Charged language
- “fiery debate”“The zebras actually got a call right”“refs are generally terrible”
What every side reports
- Virginia Tech lost 35-33 to Pittsburgh on Friday night.
- The loss was the Hokies' first of the season.
- Officials ruled John Love's late field goal attempt no good.
- Many fans thought the kick looked good.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the kick was actually good
- Centre
- Newsweek says the kick appeared to clear the post and cites commenters saying it looked good. It reports Franklin could not tell from his angle.
- Right
- Fox News's OutKick column says angles conflict: some look like a make, one looks like a miss. The writer first thought it was good and says he was left unsure.
James Franklin person
Franklin says he could not tell from his angle, backs kicker Love, and accepts that the officials' ruling stands.
“At the end of the day, [the officials] said it didn't go through” — Newsweek
Virginia Tech Hokies organisation
The Hokies' fans and kicker Love believed the kick was good, according to the coverage; the team lost its first game.
“Love himself thought he made it, too.” — Fox News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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James Franklin Addresses Controversial Field Goal Call After Virginia Tech Loss
Sympathetic Game report centred on Franklin's reaction and fans' view that the kick looked good.
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Right1 article
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Mixed Casual, humorous opinion column weighing fan video angles and rules, critical of refs and ESPN's replay coverage.
- 3 Oct 13:47 First Fox NewsR Virginia Tech's controversial missed field goal sparks fiery debate as different angles tell a different story
- 3 Oct 17:36 +3h 49m NewsweekN James Franklin Addresses Controversial Field Goal Call After Virginia Tech Loss
- 3 Oct 17:55 +4h 8m NewsweekN Pat Narduzzi Delivers Fiery Message to Voters After Pitt Survives Virginia Tech
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.