WATCH: Chaos ensues on Mississippi State punt attempt
Mississippi State dropped back for a standard punt attempt against Memphis Saturday, but it turned out to be anything but. The Bulldogs looked like they had downed the punt inside the 20, giving the Tigers a long field to work with.
However, they failed to pick up the ball and Memphis’ Calvin Austin took notice. He scooped it up and raced past the dumbfounded defenders on his way to the end zone to put Memphis up 28-17.
The play left most in shock as it appears like the ball is successfully downed. The referee even waved his hands as if indicating the play was dead. However, according to NCAA rules, if the ball doesn’t settle, it is still live.
But after watching the replay, the ball does appear to be stopped. You be the judge: was the Mississippi State punt attempt downed or was the ruling of a live ball touchdown correct?
The play ended up playing a huge part in the outcome of the game as Memphis won 31-29. Other than that one mistake, the Bulldogs were the better team in nearly every way.
They outgained the Tigers 468-246 and had more than double the amount of first downs. Quarterback Will Rogers was an incredible 50-of-67 passing for 419 yards and three touchdowns. He did not throw any interceptions.
The defense forced an interception from quarterback Seth Henigan and also held Memphis to just 87 yards on the ground on 25 attempts.
The loss dropped Mississippi State to 2-1 on the season, while the Tigers are now 3-0.
The Bulldogs open SEC play at noon ET next Saturday at home against LSU. They will look to put the memory of both this loss and the crazy punt play behind them.
Memphis will hope to continue its undefeated season when it takes on UTSA at 3:30 p.m. ET the same day.