Rutgers linebacker Tyreem Powell was somehow ejected for targeting a great fourth-down stop in the second quarter of the Scarlet Knights’ game against Michigan State.
Powell broke through the line of scrimmage to prevent Michigan State running back Nate Carter from a loss. It was a big play that gave Rutgers the ball back. At least that’s what Powell thought. And everyone watching live.
As Rutgers celebrated recovering the ball, the officials were spurred to review the play for a possible targeting foul. Sure enough, Powell was flagged for targeting and ejected from the game while Michigan State got a free first down. But in what many Rutgers fans may perceive as a “ball doesn’t lie” moment, the Spartans fumbled the ball on the very next play.
The unequal application of the targeting rule in college football can be controversial. The rule states that “no player may aim at and forcibly touch the head or neck area of a defenseless player or touch an opponent with the crown of his helmet.”
In this case, officers determined that contact of the top of Powell’s helmet with Carter’s facemask was enough to cause an ejection. The hit certainly doesn’t look like live targeting, but if you slow it down enough, you can see how the officials analyzed the play enough to make their decision.
Rutgers LB Tyreem Powell was called in to target this hit. (via Big Ten Network)
But that’s also the problem with the way the targeting rule is enforced. We all understand that the rule is in place to make football safer. But it is also true that hits like Powell against Carter are very common in football games and go unmarked. For the sake of consistency, a little more prudence is needed from senior staff – particularly in big games like this.