Friday night’s absolutely chaotic ending to Virginia Tech’s upset bid at No. 7 Miami (Fla.) is sure to have both fanbases arguing for the rest of time.
The Hokies thought they completed a Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired to win, 40-38. The Hurricanes were certain the catch was not completed and kept their undefeated season alive with a 38-34 victory.
Both teams awkwardly celebrated on the field as the refs tried to get a handle on the situation. What was initially ruled a touchdown on the field was overturned in favor of Miami after a lengthy review by the ACC control room.
INCOMPLETE, Miami wins pic.twitter.com/OBJmWsIvmz
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 28, 2024
Now we know why the league ruled the way it did.
From the ACC on the final play of Miami-Virginia Tech: "During the review process of the last play… it was determined that the loose ball was touched by a Miami player while he was out of bounds which makes it an incomplete pass and immediately ends the play."
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) September 28, 2024
So was it the right call? Per the NCAA rulebook interpretation, it seems so:
I. A player with one foot out of bounds behind a goal line touches a loose ball in the field of play. RULING: Ball is out of bounds and dead at its most forward point in the field of play.
There may not have been enough evidence to determine whether or not a catch was made, but the fact a player who was out of bounds touched the ball makes that discussion moot.
That surely won’t stop anyone from arguing over the call, but it’s at least an understandable reason for why the ACC declared Miami the winner.
