USC Athletic Director Pat Haden left the press box during Saturday's Pac-12 rivalry game at Stanford to argue with the referee over a questionable targeting penalty which resulted in the ejection of linebacker Hayes Pullard.
Pullard received the controversial penalty in the final minute of the third quarter on a late hit at the end of a kickoff return. Haden allegedly received a text from head coach Steve Sarkasian, who tried to argue the penalty with the referees himself to no avail. Apparently Haden didn't think twice coming down from the box to continue the argument on his team's behalf.
You never see an athletic director jawing with a referee during a game, but Haden probably felt he could help take some heat off his coach and keep Sarkasian's focus on the field.
Haden remained on the USC sideline for the remainder of the game and watched Sarkasian lead the Trojans to a 13-10 win over Stanford.
GIF via GIFDSports. H/T NIS.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
