Player safety concerns continue to be points of emphasis across college football with this season’s rules changes. After a series of questionable calls from officials during Week 3, coaches sounded off on faulty flags. Hours after Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi ripped officials following his team’s 34-24 win over West Virginia, Georgia’s Kirby Smart questioned why he saw so much yellow on the field during the Bulldogs’ victory at Kentucky.
Narduzzi received a fine, while Smart’s comments were light in nature and encompassed a college football-wide point of view. Georgia received nine penalties for 85 yards against the Wildcats, the second time they reached that total and the most in a single game since 2018.
“I watched games today and it was like, crazy, we’re higher than we’ve been (with penalties), I watch all these games and they’re higher than they’ve ever been,” Smart said, via Dawgs247. “I’m like what’s going on? We’ve been a low-penalty, smart team and I can’t figure out. I don’t know if it’s the wya it’s being called higher, Is it being Calle brighter, because everybody’s got more. We’ve got to reel it in some.”
Late Kick host Josh Pate speculated Sunday night that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s injury last week that resulted in a concussion against the Buffalo Bills created an unnecessary uproar, leading college football decision-makers to engage in conference calls before Week 3 games in hopes of emphasizing hits on quarterbacks and protecting players.
Tagovailoa’s injury did not come as a result of late hit, by the way, he simply lowered his head on a routine tackle by Buffalo’s Damar Hamlin. As noted by Pate, among Saturday’s worst whistles, targeting was called on an Indiana defender after making a form tackle on UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers resulting in a roughing the passer flag. Oregon was called for a similar clean hit at Oregon State.
Officials whistled Florida’s Trikweze Bridges for targeting after he tackled a Texas A&M receiver who left his feet to make a catch. Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker received a personal foul against Kentucky after he took quarterback Brock Vandagriff to the ground following a pass. It was not a dirty or vicious hit, rather a textbook tackle and take down.
And lastly, South Carolina saw penalties nullify both of its defensive touchdowns against LSU, the second coming on Nick Emmanwori’s 100-yard interception return in the fourth quarter when defensive end Kyle Kennard pushed Garrett Nussmeier to the ground during the return.
“Nussmeier, no longer a quarterback because once the ball is picked he’s not a quarterback, gets sought out and knocked down with someone’s hands on his shoulder and because he does a great job of acting on the ground, he’s flagged,” Pate said. “The interception counts, but the points don’t. It was a horrific day yesterday.”
Earlier in the game, officials called back O’Donnell Fortune’s interception return Kennard committed a horse-collar on Nussmeier, a play outlawed this offseason and can now occur within the tackle box, as what happened with the Gamecocks.
Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer said Sunday he and South Carolina’s Ray Tanner called the SEC office asking for explanations on “several calls” that took place against the Tigers. Beamer mentioned that South Carolina rarely submits plays for review. This comes after LSU’s Brian Kelly sought answers from the SEC after a punt block in the game was deemed legal when it should not have counted, he said.
South Carolina and LSU combined for 52 total penalties this season, the most in the SEC, after 22 referees threw flags inside Williams Brice Stadium.
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San Diego State leads the country in penalties with 39 through three games. That’s the same number Air Force and Minnesota had all of last season.