‘I don’t know what targeting is’: Did a non-call cost Arizona State a playoff game?

ATLANTA — It’s rough for any game, any season to come down to a penalty flag. But it’s arguably rougher when a season turns on a penalty flag that wasn’t thrown.

Texas’ 39-31 win over Arizona State in double overtime at the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day was an instant classic, by far the best game of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and one of the best games of the year by any measure. Left for dead after going down two touchdowns early, Arizona State stomped its way back into the fight, tying the game at 24 with just over five minutes remaining.

And then, after a missed Texas field goal attempt, Arizona State had the chance to nab an improbable victory right out from under the Longhorns. With less than 90 seconds remaining, the Sun Devils were on the move, and quarterback Sam Leavitt found Melquan Stovall across the middle for a 10-yard gain to midfield.

Texas safety Michael Taafe met Stovall at the logo, laying out Stovall on the ASU 48 with a cracking hit. Helmets collided, leaving Stovall prone on the field for several minutes. The assumption in the stadium and before screens nationwide was that this would be flagged as targeting, and Arizona State would move up to the Texas 37 with just over a minute remaining in the game. An upset was at hand!

Only … there was no flag. Officials in the booth decided that Taafe wasn’t guilty of targeting, and Arizona State, facing fourth and 5 at midfield, punted the ball away. Another missed Texas field goal gave Arizona State a chance in overtime, but blown coverage on two straight plays, and a Leavitt interception, doomed the Sun Devils’ hopes for an epochal upset.

So, attention turned back to that targeting call, and the promise of an upset that vanished to wherever netherworld the flag was already in. Was the play targeting? Here’s the play, in…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/i-dont-know-what-targeting-is-did-a-non-call-cost-arizona-state-a-playoff-game-172537511.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-01-02 17:25:00

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