Follow up from the Salt Lake Tribune:
No sanctions on Nevada's low-blocking lineman from WAC
The Western Athletic Conference will not take any disciplinary action against Nevada senior offensive lineman John Bender for his below-the-waist block on BYU's Romney Fuga that ended the Cougar nose tackle's season, a WAC spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon.
"It was ruled as not being flagrant and no further action will be taken," said Jason Erickson, WAC director of media relations.
Erickson told The Tribune on Monday that WAC commissioner Karl Benson and supervisor of officials Jim Blackwood were reviewing the incident.
The conference will have no further comment on the matter.
Nevada coach Chris Ault spoke Monday as if he would not sanction Bender either, calling the low block a clipping penalty that should have been called, but wasn't.
Fuga suffered tears to two ligaments in his knee on the play and will need surgery. He is out for the remainder of the 2010 season. BYU coaches hope he can return in time for the 2011 season.
BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said he submitted tape of the play to conference officials on Monday, but that there was nothing else he could do about the incident that left the Cougars without one of their best defensive players.
Tuesday, Mendenhall said Fuga will be difficult to replace, if not impossible.
"I don't think the void is fill-able, as Romney played the postiion through the first three games and a quarter this year. He was playing as good as any nose tackle that I have coached before.
But maybe even more than that, just his consistency and his dedication in really embracing the culture of our team. And he is one of the more experienced players on our team that has played quite a bit and knows what it is like, and knows what the expectations are.
That part could be missed maybe even more than his play."
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Nevada's Ault said on Monday that Bender was sickened by the result of his actions and was remorseful that it happened.
However, Bender wrote the following on his Twitter account: "No flag, no foul."
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It is obvious that Mendenhall is still upset over the block that has sidelined nose tackle Romney Fuga for the season. He said he sent the clip in, but got the word back that no sanctions will be taken against Nevada lineman John Bender.
"Well, I sent the clip in to our head of officials, and they ruled it a legal block. Not illegal. A legal block. They said it was from the side, and it was legal. So they looked at film from all different angles, and they said it was a legal block, and didn't see any reason for sanctions," Mendenhall said.
Told by radio personality Hans Olsen that he should send it back and demand they look at it again, Mendenhall looked at the ground and said, hmmm.
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And from the Nevada newspaper (Reno Gazette Journal):
BENDER'S BLOCK DEEMED CLEAN
Nevada offensive lineman John Bender is not facing any disciplinary action from the WAC for his block of BYU's Romney Fuga that resulted in Fuga's season-ending injury, Nevada spokesman Chad Hartley said.
Hartley said he had been in contact with the WAC office and was told that the conference reviewed tape of the play and determined the block was not deemed to be flagrant and no action would be taken.
And despite the fact that Pack coach Chris Ault called the block a clip and said Bender should have been flagged for it, assistant coach Cameron Norcross said today that the Big 12, whose officiating crew worked the game, reviewed tape of the play and deemed the block clean and legal.
Bender, a senior guard, went low to block Fuga, a junior defensive tackle, during the Wolf Pack's 27-13 win at BYU on Saturday. Fuga suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on the play.
