WATCH: Auburn safety allowed to remain in game after targeting call controversially overturned

The Auburn secondary is without CB Jamel Dean against Ole Miss on Saturday, and fellow DB Jeremiah Dinson is out for the first half due to a targeting call last week.

On the first drive of the game, the Tigers almost went down another defensive back, as Smoke Monday was flagged for targeting.

As you can see below, it looked to be a pretty clear case of targeting, but somehow, the call was overturned and Monday remained in the game:

Smoke Monday lucky the Pac-12 was reviewing this targeting call pic.twitter.com/zB6Z0UksiT

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) October 20, 2018

Fans were understandably baffled by the call, taking to Twitter to try to figure out why Monday wasn’t ejected:

Refs owe us one on that targeting call. That should've been an ejection. #OleMissFootball

— Rebs38 (@Rebs38) October 20, 2018

If this isn’t targeting I don’t know what is https://t.co/0KXod677Xn

— J (@theduke_silver) October 20, 2018

That was textbook targeting

1. Led with helmet
2. Hit a defenseless player
3. with forcible contact to head/neck area

Literally checks every single box

— Lucas Jackson (@CoolHand_Lucas) October 20, 2018

Defenseless player ✅
Leading w/ the crown the helmet ✅
Helmet to helmet contact ✅
Forcible contact ✅
Targeting called on field ✅

I don’t even understand what they are looking for at this point. I think they just flip a coin in Birmingham.

— Brad Mayfield (@BradMayfield) October 20, 2018

The Auburn secondary dodged a major bullet, but they’re still down a couple of key players against a high-powered Ole Miss offense.