No. 17 Tennessee nearly completed a late comeback against No. 1 Texas on Saturday after recovering an onside kick with 1:22 remaining. The Volunteers, however, should not have been awarded possession, as the Southeastern Conference confirmed on Monday that the play was incorrectly officiated and warranted a penalty.
Tennessee trailed 20-17 when quarterback Faizon Brandon connected with Mike Matthews for a 30-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to three points. The Volunteers then used a rare drop-kick onside attempt by punter Jackson Ross. Ross initially appeared to fake going one direction before moving the other way and kicking the ball toward the Longhorns. Tennessee recovered after the ball went through the grasp of Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo.
“The onside kick with 1:22 to play in the Texas at Tennessee football game on Saturday was incorrectly officiated and should have resulted in a five-yard penalty on Tennessee and a replay of the down,” the SEC said in a statement.
“A drop kick is permissible, but a free kick must be made from the kicking team's restraining line which is the 35-yard line on a kickoff, unless relocated by penalty. The ball was at least one yard behind the 35-yard line when it was kicked.
“In addition, after the ball is ready for play the kicker may not change his lateral position between the hash marks. That spot can change only after a charged timeout or on a subsequent kick. The kicker's movement after the ready signal violated the rule.
Article Continues Below“The correct enforcement is a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down. The Southeastern Conference regrets the error and will continue working with the Secretary/Editor for NCAA Football Rules and officials to ensure consistent application of free-kick rules.”
An official initially threw a flag on the play, but the penalty was picked up after the officiating crew discussed the decision.
Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian questioned the legality of the kick following the game and sought an explanation for the picked-up flag. Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel said Monday that the kick had previously been used in the SEC.
The officiating error ultimately did not change the result. Tennessee failed to reach field-goal range on its final possession, and Brandon's Hail Mary attempt as time expired was defended by Texas. The Longhorns ultimately held on for a 20-17 win and improved to 4-0.