The NCAA’s targeting regularisation remains a highly debated topic passim the assemblage shot season, and 2 calls past play volition person an interaction connected Saturday’s crippled betwixt UCLA and Utah.
UCLA starting cornerback Cameron Johnson was called for the punishment successful the 3rd 4th of Saturday’s nonaccomplishment to Oregon astatine the Rose Bowl.
The redshirt elder was ejected aft being flagged for his deed connected Oregon receiver Mycah Pittman during his 29-yard reception. The punishment besides tacked connected 15 yards from the extremity of the play, placing the shot successful the reddish portion astatine UCLA’s 17-yard line. Two plays later, Oregon moving backmost Travis Dye scored 1 of his 4 touchdowns.
The harsh consequences of the punishment volition transportation into this week’s crippled arsenic Johnson volition beryllium suspended for the archetypal fractional of the Bruins’ pivotal Pac-12 South roadworthy crippled successful Utah (4-3 overall, 3-1 Pac-12). True freshman Devin Kirkwood whitethorn commencement successful Johnson’s place.
Utah inferior linebacker Devin Lloyd indispensable besides beryllium retired for the archetypal fractional against UCLA (5-3, 3-2), aft helium was disqualified from a crippled against Oregon State past week.
The targeting regularisation bans immoderate forcible interaction starring with the crown of the helmet oregon to the caput oregon cervix country of a defenseless player, which Utah manager Kyle Whittingham believes his prima linebacker did not do.
“We decidedly missed him erstwhile helium got ejected,” Whittingham said. “I don’t deliberation it should’ve been called successful my estimate, but I’m not the 1 that counts, truthful it was called and we person to unrecorded with it.”
UCLA had its archetypal subordinate called for targeting against Arizona State connected Oct. 2. Ale Kaho was flagged aft helium came successful precocious to bring down moving backmost Rachaad White, making small contact. The referees reversed the telephone aft a reappraisal and the redshirt inferior linebacker was allowed to instrumentality to the crippled with 12:03 left.
UCLA manager Chip Kelly was asked his thoughts connected the targeting regularisation successful September during a property conference, days aft USC kicker Parker Lewis was ejected for targeting connected the opening kickoff successful a crippled against Stanford.
“They don’t inquire me, truthful if that’s the regularisation past we person to play by the rule,” Kelly said. “We manager disconnected however the officials are going to construe that and past recognize that the rule’s successful spot due to the fact that it’s a information woody and we get that full portion of it … immoderate the regularisation is, we’ll explicate it to our players and marque definite we don’t manager tackling that way, truthful we manager tackling the due mode and marque definite we execute.”
Lloyd’s lack successful the archetypal fractional Saturday against the Bruins volition beryllium important arsenic helium leads the Utes’ defence with 68 tackles, including 13 tackles for a loss. He besides has 5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 walk breakups and recovered a fumble this season. Senior information Brandon McKinney is 2nd connected the squad with 44 tackles.
Whittingham volition person to trust connected his extent astatine the presumption to capable the void.
“We’ll person to person a feline acceptable for the archetypal fractional that volition instrumentality (Lloyd’s) reps and divided those up and disagreement them 50-50 with what Devin would get and what the replacement would get (during practice),” Whittingham said. “It volition beryllium a juggling act, but Devin is simply a precise experienced and accomplished feline and helium doesn’t request a ton of reps.”
Lloyd is the lone subordinate to beryllium voted arsenic the Pac-12 antiaircraft subordinate of the week doubly this season.
TV RATINGS
The UCLA athletics section had a engaged week preparing for ESPN’s “College GameDay” assemblage shot preview amusement connected field portion the shot squad prepared to play Oregon, who entered the crippled ranked No. 10 successful the AP Top 25 poll.
The shot crippled registered 3.8 cardinal viewers connected ABC connected Saturday, according to a property merchandise by ESPN. The viewership made it 1 of the Top 5 most-viewed Pac-12 Conference games since 2017.
A bulk of the archetypal 4th was aired connected ESPN News portion Illinois defeated No. 7 Penn State 20-18 successful the NCAA’s archetypal nine-overtime play game. That crippled peaked astatine 7.4 cardinal viewers during overtime, according to ESPN.
“College GameDay” had 1.7 cardinal viewers arsenic the amusement was broadcasting from Wilson Plaza astatine UCLA. The last hr had “more than 2 cardinal viewers” and featured the highly anticipated personage impermanent predictor conception featuring Bruins hoops fable Bill Walton.