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CFB media blasts targeting non-call on Texas in Peach Bowl
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The Peach Bowl had some late 4th-quarter controversy ahead of overtime.
Many fans and media members felt that the Texas defense committed obvious targeting. There was no initial flag, but the play was reviewed during a timeout. The expectation was there would be a targeting foul, giving Arizona State a 1st down. Instead, ASU faced 4th down and punted the ball to Texas, giving the Longhorns the ball with 57 seconds left.
— dubs408 (@dubsvidstouse) January 1, 2025
Many notable college football media members struggled to make sense of the decision. The common line of not understanding what targeting is if isn’t what was seen on the field was frequently Here’s a sample of what they’re saying on X (formerly Twitter):
OH, COME ON. BLATANT TARGETING. HELMET ON HELMET. WHAT KIND OF DECISION IS THAT????????????????????
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 1, 2025
If that’s not targeting do away with the rule
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) January 1, 2025
The targeting no call looked like it might give Texas the win in regulation. Texas drove 60 yards on 8 plays to set up a 38-yard field goal attempt. Stunning the crowd and fans watching at home, Auburn missed the potential game-winner, sending the game to overtime.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
