Big Ten rescinds targeting call on Indiana football defensive tackle CJ West

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti announced on his weekly radio show that the targeting call on defensive tackle CJ West was rescinded after a review by the Big Ten offices and he will be allowed to play the entire game against Charlotte on Saturday.

West was called for targeting on the first play of the second half of a 42-13 win over UCLA.

He had a helmet-to-helmet hit on quarterback Ethan Garbers as he was trying to recover a fumbled snap. The 6-foot-2, 317-pound defender was trying to dive on the loose ball as well.

Indiana corner D’Angelo Ponds was also called for targeting in the second half, but he will still have to serve a suspension in the first half. There were also two roughing the passer penalties called on Indiana in that second half as well.

More: Indiana football: Why coach Curt Cignetti put turnover celebration under a microscope

“I think there needs to be a balance there and common sense and intent, also,” Cignetti said of the penalties during his weekly press conference. “Probably the most hardest hits in the game was when Aiden Fisher intercepted the pass and got hit in the head, and there’s no call for that one.

“You know, the other ones were kind of Mickey Mouse. So but, you know, that’s the way it went down Saturday, and we’re not going to change the way we play. I don’t think there was anything dirty out there, that’s for sure.”

West was one of IU’s high-profile transfer additions in the spring portal. He’s been part of a rotation at defensive tackle behind starters James Carpenter and Marcus Burris Jr. He’s played 50 snaps and has two quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

This article originally…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/big-ten-rescinds-targeting-call-233134988.html

Author : The Herald-Times

Publish date : 2024-09-19 23:31:34

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