Miami wasn’t backing off taking a shot at Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who felt an early blow by the Hurricanes defense in Monday night’s national championship game.
But the brutal hit by Miami senior defensive back Jakobe Thomas didn’t come with a flag, as ESPN rules analyst Bill Lemonnier thought it should.
With the Hoosiers driving in the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium, Mendoza handed the ball to running back Kaelon Black, who drove up the middle while Mendoza carried out the fake and looked up field as if he still had the ball.
Well, he didn’t, but Thomas treated Mendoza like he did, barreling into the IU quarterback. Lemonnier believes the hit by Thomas should have been ruled a late hit and targeting, but neither were called and the game went on.
“He came in, crown of the helmet, right into his head,” Lemonnier said on the ESPN telecast when looking at the play.
Here is the controversial play that left a loud noise at Hard Rock Stadium but no yellow flag for the fans to see:
It didn’t take long for the national title game to be infused with some controversy, and it involved the Heisman Trophy-winning Mendoza, who was making his return to his hometown of Miami in trying to lead the Hoosiers to their first ever national championship.
And it surely wouldn’t be the last controversial call of the night, or non-call in this case.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
