WATCH: Questionable penalty call wipes out Maryland pick-6 vs. Michigan State
By virtue of a blocked field goal with time expiring before half, the suspect penalty called on Corey Coley Jr. of Maryland that nullified a Terrapins pick-6 right before halftime against Michigan State only resulted in a six-point swing against the home team.
Trailing 21-13 with less than a minute until halftime, MSU had the ball and opted to try and push it and get into field goal range — or more. Quarterback Payton Thorne heaved throw down the right side of the field intended for Jayden Reed.
But the throw was slightly errant and Reed, in an effort to reach back and snag it, tipped it up to be intercepted by Dante Trader Jr. Trader returned it for a touchdown with :40 left, but the officials called a personal foul on Coley for the hit on Reed, wiping out the turnover and the score. Maryland head coach Mike Locksley was understandably incandescent with the refs.
Coley certainly gives Reed a shot and it looks quite violent, but the contact wasn’t to the head or neck and it appears that Coley did his best to pull up and not follow through on the hit. Reed, for his part, got right back up. It didn’t matter as the refs tagged Coley for the personal foul.
Fortunately for the refs, and for Locksley’s vocal cords, the questionable call was not compounded by MSU scoring.
Michigan State drove into Maryland territory after the penalty and lined up for a field goal as time expired only to have it blocked by the Terrapins. So a six-point swing didn’t get any worse, but they maybe should’ve have had a chance to attempt that field goal at all.
What could’ve been a 28-13 lead for Maryland at the break stayed at one touchdown thanks to a very questionable call and one that will take on a new life if the Terrapins lose.