Strange roughing the punter penalty after an errant snap helps Kentucky hang on to beat Missouri

Kentucky punter Colin Goodfellow’s fast considering helped the Wildcats maintain on to beat Missouri 21-17 on Saturday.

As Goodfellow lined as much as punt the ball again to the Tigers with 2:25 to go and Kentucky clinging to a four-point lead, the snap sailed method over his head. Means, method over his head. However Goodfellow didn’t hand over on the play and picked the ball up 5 yards from the purpose line. As quickly as he grabbed the ball, he kicked it away simply earlier than as Missouri’s Will Norris dove in for a crushing sort out.

The kick didn’t make it again to the road of scrimmage. However that in the end didn’t matter. Since Goodfellow was capable of kick the ball away earlier than Norris hit him, Norris was flagged for roughing the punter and Kentucky saved the ball.

Right here’s how the play unfolded. Goodfellow was, sadly, injured by Norris’ sort out and needed to be carted off the sphere.

The penalty allowed Kentucky to maintain the ball till there have been lower than 50 seconds left and compelled Missouri to make use of its final timeout. The Tigers’ last-ditch drive within the closing seconds went nowhere.

Why Norris was penalized

At first look, Norris’ penalty for roughing the passer didn’t appear to make sense. In any case, he was merely making an attempt to observe his instincts and sort out Goodfellow as soon as the ball flew over his head. And had Norris tackled Goodfellow on the 5-yard-line, Missouri would have had first and purpose with an opportunity to take the lead.

However Goodfellow was nonetheless protected by the roughing the punter rule as a result of the ball flew instantly over his head. In line with the NCAA rule guide, a punter “doesn’t mechanically lose his safety until he carries or possesses the ball exterior the sort out field.” Since Goodfellow instantly kicked the ball after choosing it up and didn’t run towards both sideline, he was nonetheless within the sort out field on the time of his kick. And Norris was only a fraction late on the sort out.

It was one other brutal loss for Missouri this season because the Tigers dropped to 4-5 and must win two of its final three video games to get to a bowl sport. Mizzou misplaced earlier this season at Auburn when a brief game-winning area purpose sailed extensive on the finish of regulation and operating again Nathaniel Peat dropped the ball simply in need of the purpose line as he was operating in for a game-winning TD in additional time.

The win, in the meantime, strikes Kentucky to 6-3 forward of a giant matchup in opposition to No. 3 Georgia on the street in Week 11. Hopefully Goodfellow’s damage from his game-saving play isn’t too severe.