Was Tennessee’s late-game onside kick against Texas actually a violation of the rules?
The No. 14 Volunteers executed a drop-kick onside kick with less than a minute remaining in an attempt to tie the game against the top-ranked Longhorns. Unfortunately for Tennessee, their final Hail Mary pass fell incomplete as they couldn’t make it into field goal range, leading to a 20-17 victory for Texas.
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Following a 30-yard touchdown pass from Faizon Brandon to Mike Matthews with just 1:22 left, punter Jackson Ross managed to execute an onside kick that was recovered by Arion Carter after bouncing off Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo. A penalty flag was thrown during the play, but after a discussion between the back judge and the referee, the call was rescinded, allowing Tennessee to maintain possession.
“We need clarification on how they executed the kick, because there’s a lot of ambiguity involved. One official thought there was a violation and threw a flag, but it was later picked up,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian remarked in the postgame press conference. “I need a definitive ruling on that unique drop kick situation.”
A drop kick is legal for kickoffs as long as the kicker strikes the ball as it touches the ground. Nonetheless, it appeared that Tennessee executed the kick too far back, kicking the ball from just ahead of their 33-yard line—about two yards behind the designated kickoff spot.
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The NCAA rulebook states that “a ball from a free kick formation must be kicked legally and from some point on Team A’s restraining line and on or between the hash marks.” The only exception noted allows for a kick to occur behind the restraining line after a safety, but that was not the case here.
Did the two-yard discrepancy impact the kick’s outcome? It’s unclear. Importantly, for this week’s college football discussions, the play didn’t affect the game’s final result.
Fan Take: This incident highlights the complexities of rules in football, reflecting how even small technicalities can influence critical moments in a game. Fans of other sports can relate, as similar nuanced rules often lead to heated debates and can shape the outcome of crucial plays.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
