Overview
- Tennessee executed a practiced drop‑kick onside with 1:22 remaining at Neyland Stadium on Saturday that bounced past Texas’ Ryan Wingo and was recovered by Arion Carter.
- An official threw a flag on the play but the referees conferred and picked it up, leaving the recovery in the game record and the final score unchanged in Texas’ 20‑17 win.
- Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he will ask the Southeastern Conference to review the kick because it looked to be taken from behind the kicking team’s restraining line.
- Former officials and rules analysts including Terry McAulay have publicly argued the kick was illegal under the NCAA rule that requires free kicks to be made from the restraining line, while the play’s defenders note drop kicks are allowed on kickoffs.
- The controversy could prompt an SEC or NCAA clarification on kickoff positioning and influence how teams try similar Australian‑style drop kicks in the future even though Tennessee failed to convert the extra possession into points.