For those who missed the Thursday night football game between North Carolina State and Clemson, there was a pretty controversial play that went against the home team and may have set off a sequence of events that changed the outcome of the football game. Nearly 24 hours later, the ACC is still uncertain if the play was called correctly or not.
The play in question came in the third quarter when North Carolina State running back Bryan Underwood swept to the right side of the field and appeared to run the entire length of the football field for a touchdown, which would have given the home team the lead Instead of an 83-yard touchdown run, Underwood was ruled out-of-bounds after a 36-yard gain. The play was not challenged by North Carolina State, nor was it overturned by an official video review. This is an overhead shot of the controversial call, at the point where it is believed to have raised a question.
“In last night’s Clemson at NC State game, the official ruled the runner stepped out-of-bounds and whistled the ball dead,” ACC coordinator of officials Doug Rhoads said in a statement, according to ESPN.com. “In conformance with NCAA guidelines, the replay official properly recognized the play as one that was not eligible for review.”
The play not being one eligible for a review would have prevented North Carolina State from challenging the play anyway. A couple plays later North Carolina State fumbled away the football to Clemson’s defense, and the Tigers soon cashed in with a demoralizing touchdown to pad their lead in what turned out to be a 14-point swing.
“Our office has viewed all available angles, each numerous times, in slow motion and freeze frame,” Rhodes explained in his statement. “It is not clear, in reviewing all angles, whether the runner stepped out-of-bounds or avoided any contact with the sideline. We recognize that within the number of images and angles viewed, some look like he did not step out-of-bounds while one looks like he did step out-of-bounds. In the end, this cannot be resolved beyond all doubt.”
Here is the video originally shared here on Thursday. You make the call.