The refs got it right....they had to fudge on the technicality of the rule of a whistle being blown, but they got it right in the end. The camera angle from the south endzone while Gordon was returning the pick clearly shows which official blew the whistle and marked where he thought Gordon's knee went down. I think the explanation of Vandy almost getting a break makes more sense. They were not put at a disadvantage because there was no Vandy player anywhere close to where the whistle made any difference.
Yeah, you could see the whistle from multiple angles, lol. However, I didn't see a shred of evidence that any Vandy player quit trying, there just were not any near Gordon.
I look at it this way...the head ref chose to IGNORE the whistle. Whether he has a right to do so or not is almost immaterial IMO. Justice was served.