How a roughing the kicker penalty helped seal Kentucky football's win vs. Missouri
Kentucky football flirted with disaster in the closing minutes of a 21-17 win at Missouri, but a roughing the kicker penalty helped the Wildcats lock up bowl eligibility.
With a four-point lead and 2:34 to play in the fourth quarter, UK faced a fourth down and 4 on its own 41-yard line. Mark Stoops sent his punt team on the field to try and pin Missouri deep, but long snapper Cade Degraw sent the ball flying over punter Colin Goodfellow's head.
Goodfellow chased the loose ball back inside Kentucky's 10-yard line and somehow got a kick off with Missouri sophomore linebacker Will Norris closing in fast. The ball went out of bounds at UK's 41 as Norris tackled Goodfellow to the ground, and the Wildcats were awarded a roughing the kicker penalty that gave the offense an automatic first down.
Kentucky football:Dane Key broke this freshman receiving record against Missouri
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) November 5, 2022
With the fresh set of downs, Kentucky was able to run the clock down to 46 seconds before a clean punt gave Missouri possession at its own 13 yard line. The Tigers could only settle for a series of laterals on the game's final play, which ended with UK linebacker J.J. Weaver recovering a fumble as the clock hit zero.
Fans on social media questioned the officials' decision to flag Missouri with a roughing the kicker penalty after Goodfellow, who had to be carted off due to the hit from Norris, retreated roughly 30 yards to recover the loose ball. The NCAA rule book says kickers and punters lose protection when they carry or possess the ball outside the tackle box.
Honest question, this is roughing the kicker? The tackle box extends to St Louis?pic.twitter.com/1CeLgWzzMN
— Collin Wilson (@_Collin1) November 5, 2022
Hey @SECOfficiating . You guys want to teach your refs the full extent of the rule? It extends beyond "he was in the tackle box" pic.twitter.com/SHj8QIf5YL
— Sheldon Blubaugh (@LongSnows) November 5, 2022
After the game, Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said officials told him Goodfellow was still in the tackle box and protected under the rule.
"How a guy can still be protected 50 yards down the field is beyond me," Drinkwitz said, according to KTGR-FM.
Eli Drinkwitz, on the roughing the kicker penalty, says the officials told him the punter was still in the tackle box and still a protected punter.
"How a guy can still be protected 50 yards down the field is beyond me." #Mizzou— ESPN100.5/105.1 KTGR (@KTGRsports) November 5, 2022
Kentucky improved to 6-3 (3-3 Southeastern Conference) with the victory. Missouri fell to 4-5 (2-4) with the loss.
Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: How Kentucky punter Colin Goodfellow helped seal the win over Mizzou
