Controversial ruling on penalty, timing costs West Virginia chance at late first-half field goal

Controversy reigned at the end of the first half of the Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pittsburgh on Saturday. Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez was livid with the officials for how they ruled a controversial play.

After quarterback Nicco Marchiol took off running just before the half ended, he was tackled around the Pittsburgh 42-yard line. Then a late hit came flying in.

Officials flagged the hit for unsportsmanlike conduct. Rodriguez and his staff figured that would result in a 15-yard penalty and a chance to kick a field goal on the final play of the half.

Instead, after a lengthy discussion, the officials ruled that because the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was a dead ball foul, there would be no additional play granted on an untimed down. But even the announcers quibbled over the ruling.

“Well it depends on the timing,” ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin said. “If the clock was at zero when the foul occurred, this will be enforced in the second half. If there’s a second left, then they would take it now.”

The broadcast then rewound the play and it appeared that Marchiol was down with one second remaining on the clock. However, officials didn’t agree, ruling for the end of half.

After about two to three minutes of waiting around for a call, both teams then headed into the locker room. West Virginia led 7-3 at the break.

Injury scare for Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein

Pittsburgh had a brief injury scare in the first half against West Virginia, with quarterback Eli Holstein exiting the game and heading for the injury tent. He would return only a few moments later, but he missed a key play in the low red zone.

Holstein was shaken up on a play where he carried the ball out of the backfield. He was wrapped up under multiple defenders, then hit a knee and motioned for trainers to come over.

They walked him off the field on his own power, as the backup quarterback came in. Pittsburgh was facing a second-and-goal from the 5-yard line. Immediately, backup quarterback Cole Gonzales entered the contest and fired a pass to the flats well over the head of his receiver.

Eli Holstein checked back in on the next play. He fired an incompletion on third-and-goal, forcing a field goal attempt, which was made. That cut the West Virginia lead to 7-3 just before the half. Meanwhile, sideline reporter Quint Kessenich reported on Holstein’s brief trip to the injury tent.

“You need a good cut man in your corner,” Kessenich said. “Eli Holstein ducks into the injury tent, they tape him together, stitch him up, he’s back in the ballgame.”