Man, talk about a gut punch. Turns out that wild onside kick by Tennessee punter Jackson Ross in the fourth quarter against No. 1 Texas was messed up, and not by the Vols. The SEC dropped a bomb on Monday, admitting the play with one minute, 22 seconds left in that 20-17 loss at Neyland Stadium was incorrectly officiated. This isn’t just some minor detail; the league straight up said it should have been a five-yard penalty on Tennessee and a replay of the down. Oof.
The Play That Should Have Been Different
You remember it, right? Ross lined up for that drop kick, trying to snag a crucial possession late in the game. Tennessee was down by just three points against the undefeated Longhorns, who are now 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC. Every single play mattered in that grinder. The SEC’s statement pulls no punches, saying flat out the officials blew it. This isn’t just about a team losing, it’s about a game-changing call getting whiffed in a huge matchup.
Breaking Down the Blunders
So, what exactly went wrong? The SEC detailed two specific rules violations. First, while a drop kick itself is totally fine, a free kick has to be made from the kicking team’s restraining line, which is the 35-yard line on a kickoff. Unless there’s a penalty that moves it, that’s the spot. The problem? The ball was at least one yard behind the 35-yard line when Ross kicked it. That’s a no-go right there.
But wait, there’s more. The SEC also called out Ross for another foul. After the ball is ready for play, the kicker can’t change his lateral position between the hash marks. That spot only moves after a charged timeout or on a subsequent kick. Ross’s movement after the ready signal violated that rule too. Both of these should have resulted in a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down. The Southeastern Conference officially expressed regret for the error and promised to keep working with the NCAA Football Rules Secretary/Editor and officials to make sure these free-kick rules are consistently applied. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Vols fans knowing two distinct rule violations weren’t caught in the moment.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply