Imagine your favorite football team struggling to score, only to shoot themselves in the foot with a barrage of penalties. That’s exactly what happened to the North Carolina Tar Heels in their recent matchup against Stanford, where a season-high 11 penalties, seven of them against the offense, hindered their already challenged scoring efforts. But here’s where it gets controversial… While UNC emerged victorious with a 20-15 win, the game was marred by questionable calls that left fans and even the team’s general manager, Michael Lombardi, scratching their heads.
In a candid interview on the Carolina Football Live radio show, Lombardi didn’t hold back. While he acknowledged the need to clean up the 73 penalty yards, he also expressed frustration with the inconsistency of the officiating. “Some interesting calls by them, I could say that,” Lombardi remarked to host Jones Angell, his tone hinting at more than a little exasperation.
One particular play that stood out was a holding call against UNC center Austin Blaske in the second quarter. A successful quarterback draw by Gio Lopez was negated by the penalty, pushing the Tar Heels back and ultimately leading to a turnover on the next play. Lombardi, after reviewing the tape, was baffled. “I thought the guy was stumbling,” he said. “I don’t know what they expect him to do.”
And this is the part most people miss… It’s not just about individual calls; it’s the pattern of inconsistency, especially with pass interference penalties. Against Stanford, cornerback Marcus Allen was flagged for pass interference on a third-and-12, extending the Cardinal’s drive and leading to a field goal that tied the game at halftime. Allen, who leads the UNC secondary with seven penalties this season, has been at the center of several controversial calls, including one against Virginia that wiped out an interception and left Carolina fans fuming.
“The pass interference calls, they’ve been inconsistent all year long,” Lombardi admitted. “I haven’t been able to figure that out. It’s like the strike zone in baseball—you can’t figure it out either.”
What truly bothered Lombardi, though, were the unforced errors—the pre-snap and post-whistle penalties that plague any team striving for excellence. Six of UNC’s 11 penalties against Stanford fell into this category, including false starts, an offside, and an illegal substitution. For a program under the guidance of Bill Belichick, who emphasizes mastering the fundamentals, these mistakes are particularly glaring.
“The ones that hurt the most are the unforced errors,” Lombardi emphasized. “The false starts, the receiver flinches—those are the ones we have to focus on fixing.”
As UNC looks to improve, the question remains: How much of their struggle is self-inflicted, and how much is due to inconsistent officiating? Is it time for a deeper conversation about referee accountability in college football? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—this is a debate that’s sure to spark some heated discussions.