James Franklin Seeks Big Ten Clarification on Batting Penalty
Penn State coach James Franklin said Tuesday that he's waiting for clarification from the Big Ten about an illegal-batting penalty at Michigan that the coach cited as being interpreted "very inconsistently."
In the fourth quarter of Penn State's 27-17 victory, cornerback Daequan Hardy forced a third-down fumble against quarterback Cade McNamara, which teammate Jayson Oweh ultimately recovered. In between, though, defensive end Shaka Toney batted the ball inbounds.
The play was ruled to be illegal batting, according to Rule 9 of the NCAA rulebook. Instead of forcing a turnover, or at least a fourth down, Penn State's defense remained on the field, as Michigan was awarded a 10-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage and a first down.
Ultimately, Penn State's defense made stops on third and fourth downs to preserve the victory. But the penalty remained a hot topic post-game and was questioned by several former officials, including NBC's Terry McAulay.
"I saw some highly qualified people all over the country saying that that was not ruled correctly," Franklin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. "I have gotten an interpretation from the Big Ten but I usually have a conversation as well, and I'm still waiting to get clarification and understanding of that call, because it’s been interpreted very inconsistently."
Penn State, like all Big Ten teams, submits plays from each game to the Big Ten for clarification. Franklin said he does so primarily as an educational tool for his players and staff.
The batting rule is meant to prevent players from gaining a yardage benefit, but that's not what Toney appeared to be attempting. Franklin said that he has read the rule, and its accompanying interpretations, as, "if it's questionable, you don't call it."
"Most of the opinions I've gotten have aligned with the way I see it," Franklin said. "But I want to make sure that I'm crystal clear from the Big Ten as well."
Around the Lions
- Running back Devyn Ford, who missed the Michigan game because of a family situation, will be available for Saturday's game at Rutgers, Franklin said. Ford, who was injured against Iowa, returned to practice Sunday.
- Penn State hopes to have more depth at cornerback for the Rutgers game. The Lions played with just three available corners at Michigan. Tariq Castro-Fields and Keaton Ellis, who have made a combined five starts, both missed the Michigan game. Sophomore Marquis Wilson made his first career start in their place.
- Linebacker Charlie Katshir, who played in three games, is out for the season because of an injury, Franklin said.
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