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Las Vegas • Defenses aren't the only ones being pushed by the uptempo pace in college football. So have officials, and, just like defenses, they are making some changes so they can respond.
The Mountain West, which has experimented with eight officials in the past, is making the change permanent for 2015.
Mountain West officials coordinator Greg Burks said the addition will help officials better monitor substitutions and passing formations.
The center judge will be in the offensive backfield opposite the referee, who is on the front side of the quarterback. The center judge spots the football and holds the offense while the defense substitutes to match an offensive substitution, and will handle holding and blocking fouls.
Burks admitted there were times officials didn't catch all the holds they should have when crews smaller than eight officials worked the games.
"I always thought, 'You can miss a hold, but you can't miss roughing on the quarterback,' " he said. "We weren't seeing the tackles like we needed to."
Because the Mountain West has an official-sharing agreement with the Big 12, which also uses eight-man crews, scheduling will be easier, Burks said.
"It will give us more flexibility in assignments," he said. "I am of the opinion if a coach sees a referee more than twice, he isn't going to like him very much."
• Burks said the emphasis on targeting is working, as he believes teams are trying to lower the strike zone.
The league has passed around a Seattle Seahawks video that demonstrates to teams the proper tackling below the shoulders, Burks said.
In addition, when targeting is in question, Burks said it is the one instance he prefers officials to throw a flag when in doubt, because the call can be overturned by replay.
"It's having the effect we intended it to," he said. "We don't head-hunt, and we are trying to stay away from that."
• Burks drew some laughs when he said he felt the need to address ball pressure, so everyone knows the policy. The allowable PSI is 12.5-13.5. Burks said the back judge will check the ball pressure before the game and adjust it to 13 PSI if it is out of that range.
• The points of emphasis will continue to be sportsmanship, Burks said. A key change is that it is now an unsportsmanlike penalty to pull an opponent off a pile, such as a situation when there is a fumble and several players try to jump on the ball. A second unsportsmanlike penalty disqualifies a player.
"We are trying to make a point on behavior fouls," Burks said. "We want some of that out of the game."
Late nights
When asked what he would change about college football if he had a magic wand, Utah State coach Matt Wells said it would be the kickoff times.
"Unless you are playing on a major network, I wish every game would start at 1 p.m. on Saturdays," Wells said.
Wells isn't a fan of the late nights that are common in the Mountain West, although he realizes the TV exposure his team gets is key for recruiting, he said.
"It helps; it helps everybody," he said. "The exposure may not get a guy to sign right then and there, but it gets you in the door."
Feeling good
USU quarterback Chuckie Keeton said he feels 100 percent after being with his team in spring and summer workouts. He has spent extra time in the weight room, too.
"Hopefully it will make me more durable," he said.
Keeton's playing weight is 210, up 8 pounds from what he was last year.
"I did a lot in the strength room this summer and really worked on it," he said. "Weight lifting isn't like a drug, but I did get a little addicted to it. Once you start, you don't want to stop."
New kid on the block
CSU has a new coach in Mike Bobo, who spent the past eight years as Georgia's offensive coordinator.
Wells knows Bobo from his recruiting days, when he was at Navy.
"He comes from a tough conference, but he is going to do fine," Wells said. "He is a smart, offensive-minded coach."
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