Stan Parrish wanted to go into details and say what he really felt about the officiating in Ball State's 27-23 loss Saturday to Liberty.
Mid-American Conference regulations wouldn't let him elaborate much beyond noting the 8-3 disparity in penalties. The Cardinals were penalized 81 yards for their infractions and had a touchdown called back.
"League policy doesn't allow me to comment on the officiating in a game," he said.
Parrish did say some of the penalties were Ball State's fault, but he was upset so many more calls went against his team than Liberty.
He said he would follow the proper channels and have the MAC review the calls he disagreed with. Video coordinator D.J. Welte said Ball State submitted seven plays to the conference office this week. Teams are usually notified within the week of the MAC's decision on the calls.
The process has evolved and improved significantly since Parrish has been at Ball State, he said. He is pleased with how the officials are judged and reviewed by the conference, even if he gets told there was nothing wrong with the call.
"A lot of them they send back and say, ‘Hey, that's a judgment call,'" he said. "That's the way it goes. The worst call to get back is ‘Oh, we blew it.'"
The type of infractions Ball State was called for is a concern for Parrish and the players. The Cardinals had a touchdown called back on an illegal block by wide receiver Dan Ifft and the Flames were given four first downs because of penalties.
Safety Sean Baker was one of the Cardinals guilty of giving up a first down. He was called for a pass interference call in the second half.
After the game Saturday, the captain was harsh on himself for committing a penalty.
"It was a complete lack of discipleine," he said. "Those are drive killers."
Ball State was called for seven penalties in its opening night 27-10 victory against Southeast Missouri State. The Cardinals are the 18th-most penalized team in the country, something captain MiQuale Lewis said they must improve Saturday when they travel to Purdue.
The running back said many of the penalties the Cardinals were called for last week are mistakes that can be corrected.
"We've just got to play smarter," Lewis said. "We had a lot of late hits. Those are dumb penalties, penalties that we can cut out and eliminate."
Like most coaches, all Parrish wants is for the referees to make the correct calls.
"We're all trying to get it right," he said. "It's a hard job."
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