The SEC says Tennessee’s dramatic late onside kick against Texas was incorrectly officiated and should have resulted in a five-yard penalty and rekick.
Texas escaped Knoxville with a 20-17 win over Tennessee, but the Longhorns apparently had to survive more than just a furious Volunteers comeback.
They also survived an officiating mistake.
The SEC acknowledged Monday that Tennessee’s late onside drop kick was improperly officiated and should have resulted in a five-yard penalty and another kickoff.
That’s significant considering what happened next.
Tennessee had just pulled within 20-17 when freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon hit Mike Matthews for a 30-yard touchdown with 1:22 remaining.
On the ensuing kickoff, punter Jackson Ross executed an unusual drop kick that bounced into Texas receiver Ryan Wingo before Tennessee recovered near midfield.
Suddenly, the Volunteers had the football and a legitimate chance to tie or win.
Texas eventually stopped Tennessee, preserving its undefeated record, but Steve Sarkisian immediately questioned whether the kick was legal.
“We need to get a ruling on how they kicked it because there’s a lot of gray area in that,” Sarkisian said after the game.
Turns out Sarkisian had a point.
According to the SEC, a drop kick itself is legal, but Tennessee violated the free-kick rules in two ways.
Ross kicked the ball from at least a yard behind the required 35-yard restraining line, and he changed his lateral position after the ball had been declared ready for play.
“The correct enforcement is a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down,” the SEC said in its statement.
That means Tennessee’s recovery never should’ve counted.
Fortunately for Texas, the mistake didn’t alter the final result. The Longhorns defense stopped Tennessee’s last-gasp possession and moved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in SEC play.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning threw for 201 yards, while Raleek Brown rushed for 67 yards and two touchdowns.
Still, imagine the alternative.
Had Tennessee driven a few more yards and kicked a tying field goal - or scored a winning touchdown - the SEC would be dealing with a much bigger controversy.
Instead, Texas won.
And the conference got the luxury of admitting afterward that the Longhorns were right to question one of the wildest plays of the weekend.
Fact check: The 20-17 final, Tennessee’s touchdown with 1:22 remaining, subsequent onside-kick recovery and Texas’ 4-0 record are confirmed by official SEC, Texas and Tennessee records.
