Colorado defensive back Shilo Sanders was ejected for targeting in the first half of the Buffaloes' 28-16 loss to UCLA on Saturday. Was it the right call?
Many sports personalities took to Twitter to air their frustrations about the targeting penalty. Late in the second quarter, Sanders flew in for a massive hit on Bruins' Carsen Ryan after Ryan caught a short-yardage pass in midfield. The referees immediately threw a flag and penalized Sanders for targeting, which amounted to a 15-yard penalty and resulted in Sanders getting ejected from the game.
Under the NCAA rules, targeting is described in two ways: one, making "forcible contact against an opponent with the crown of his helmet." Two, making "forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder."
In the video, Sanders did indeed appear to make helmet-to-helmet contact with Ryan. The penalty was reviewed and ultimately upheld; the Buffaloes were down 7-6 at the time of Sanders' ejection.
Colorado's Shilo Sanders ejected for targeting in loss to UCLA
Why was Sanders' hit penalized for targeting whereas, say, Henry Blackburn's hit on Travis Hunter wasn't?
Earlier this season, the Colorado State defensive back delivered a monstrous hit on Hunter that sent him to the hospital for a lacerated kidney. In that play, Blackburn only got called for unnecessary roughness. He appeared to only use his shoulder, not his helmet, when making contact with Hunter, so the referees didn't penalize him with the much harsher targeting penalty.
Despite online appeals and complaints that college football has gone "soft", the rules are the rules. Shilo Sanders will be eligible to play in Colorado's next game against Oregon State.
