Controversial forward progress call costs Miami a TD, momentum flips to Florida
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Miami tailback Marty Brown was racing to the endzone with no one around him, and the Hurricanes were about to go up 20-0 on Florida early in the second half.
Following an abysmal first half from the Gator offense, Florida looked dead in the water. Faced with a 3-touchdown advantage, Miami fans would have liked their chances.
But the touchdown was wiped away. Officials blew the play dead early and ruled that Brown’s forward progress had stopped after he gained 3 yards on fourth-and-1. Brown ran headfirst into a pile of bodies, kept his legs moving, broke an arm tackle, and then left the pile in his dust.
Observers — neutral and subjective alike — were left wondering when, exactly, Brown’s forward progress actually stopped.
Miami’s drive stopped dead in its tracks after the play and the Hurricanes punted it away to Florida.
The Gators picked up 27 yards on their first play of the half. Taillback Jadan Baugh ran in a 7-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 6 with 3:29 to go in the third quarter.
Florida defensive back Cormani McClain then picked off Miami quarterback Carson Beck on the first play of the following drive, and the momentum was squarely on the side of the Gators.
The Gators weren’t able to completely flip the game and take a lead, but fans were still fuming over the call that cost Miami a touchdown. A 20-0 lead early in the third would have made for a much different game. Instead, the Hurricanes went to the fourth, leading by just 6.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
