Football. Statement from the Big 12 officials on the Unsportsmanlike Penalty Called On Navy Quarterback Kriss Proctor

The players were trash talking all game - the time to throw the flag was early in the game, not at the end. It's called preventive officiating.' There are books written about "Preventive Officiating," check it out! That call should never be made in a D1 football game, at the time it was made. It affected the outcome of the game, and brought the light on the officiating crew. An officiating crew, by the way, whose performance was mediocre at best. Remember the early whistle that cost AFA a fumble recovery earlier in the game? When is the last time you saw an inadvertent whistle cause a loss of possession in a D1 football game? I've watched a lot of football, and this is the first game I've seen it happen. There is no excuse for that in a D1 football game. And there is absolutely no excuse for an official throwing that flag for unsportsmanlike conduct at that point in the game. This crew blew it - plain and simple. They know it, and despite the statement put out by the conference, their commissioner knows it. The Mountain West officials can't have this controversy go away soon enough. Having said all that, however, there is no excuse for the QB's behavior on that play either, and the coaching staff should make it a teaching point that endures for those Midshipmen who follow, and have the great honor of stepping on the field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in the future.