C. MICHIGAN 30, NO. 22 OKLAHOMA STATE 27
It probably shouldn’t have been allowed, but a Hail Mary with a lateral makes for a wild finish.
STILLWATER, Okla. — A mistake by the officials that extended the game when it should have been over allowed Central Michigan to score the winning touchdown on a Hail Mary and lateral Saturday for an astonishing 30-27 upset of No. 22 Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma State tried to kill the final four seconds of the game by throwing the ball away on fourth down, but the Cowboys were penalized for intentional grounding, a loss-of-down penalty. Rules state the game cannot end on an accepted live-ball penalty, said referee Tim O’Dey of the Mid-American Conference, CMU’s league.
“There’s an exception to the rule that says if enforcement of the foul involves a loss of down, then that brings the game to an end,” O’Dey told a pool reporter after the game.
O’Dey said that after conferring with NCAA rules committee secretary Rogers Redding, the crew determined the “extension should not have happened.”
But the final result stood. Article 3b of the NCAA rulebook states: When the referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final. Bill Carollo, NCAA coordinator of football officials, said in a statement: “Despite the error, this will not change the outcome of the contest.”
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a text to the AP: “The game is final and errors can only be corrected during the course of the game. Very unfortunate.”
Corey Willis scored the winning touchdown after a lateral from Jesse Kroll at the Oklahoma State 12.
Oklahoma State (1-1) thought it had won when Mason Rudolph threw the ball away on fourth down as the clock expired, but the officials conferred, assessed an intentional grounding penalty and gave Central Michigan another play.