We’ve seen players tackle teammates at the end of games to preserve possession and eliminate the possibility of a fumble, but not like this.

With over 3 minutes left in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl and Coastal Carolina leading Northern Illinois 47-41, redshirt senior defensive back Alex Spillum tackled teammate Dre Pinckney. Pinckney recovered a NIU fumble and was in the process of returning it to near midfield, and Spillum inexplicably tackled him.

Could Pinckney have returned it for more yards? Did Spillum think there was less time on the clock than 3:21? So many questions.

Check this out:

Coastal Carolina ended up winning the game 47-41, but the Chanticleers went 3-and-out after the fumble recovery and gave the ball back to NIU for one final game-winning drive. The Huskies drove the length of the field and the game ended at Coastal’s 4-yard-line. Northern Illinois came up 4 yards short of the game-tying touchdown.

Thankfully for Spillum, the film room will have a good laugh tackling his own teammate.