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Count Fox analyst Joel Klatt as one of the people surprised Ohio State football wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was called for an offensive pass interference penalty Saturday vs. Oregon.
On the final drive, with quarterback Will Howard leading the Buckeyes down the field on a would-be game-winning drive, Smith attempted to get open on a second-and-10 from the Oregon 28 to move his team into better field position for a game-winning field goal.
However, Smith appeared to push off Oregon cornerback Nikko Reed to gain separation and haul in a pass near the 20-yard line. He was called for offensive pass interference, moving Ohio State back 15 yards to the Oregon 43 and effectively out of field goal range. The final play saw Howard scramble for a 12-yard gain down to the 26-yard line as time expired, never allowing the Buckeyes a chance for the game-winning kick and giving Oregon the 32-31 win.
REQUIRED READING: Ohio State football stock report: Defense suffers setback in loss at Oregon
On Monday, Klatt said he disagreed with the call against Smith, based on past conversations with officials and the physicality of Saturday’s Big Ten matchup in Eugene.
“I was shocked watching the game that they called the offensive pass interference,” Klatt said his eponymously named “The Joel Klatt Show.”
“I talk with officials all the time and generally speaking, here’s what it comes down to: For offensive pass interference, they want to see a clear extension. They want to see the arm clearly extend in order to gain separation.”
Smith, who had nine receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown, has been one of the top college football receivers this year. But he appeared to make a freshman mistake with the called push-off. Klatt agreed there was contact between Smith and Reed, but didn’t feel it was worth of the game-altering call.
“Was there contact…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/joel-klatt-pass-interference-ohio-202244334.html
Author : The Columbus Dispatch
Publish date : 2024-10-14 20:22:44
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