College Football HQ

Tennessee avoids a costly safety in Georgia game after officials' controversial call

Georgia appeared to have two point coming after a Tennessee safety, but the officials intervened
James Parks|
Tennessee avoids a costly safety in Georgia game after officials' controversial call
Tennessee avoids a costly safety in Georgia game after officials' controversial call

Just as both these potent offenses hit a snag in the Georgia vs. Tennessee matchup, it appeared that the Bulldogs' defense had come up with some points.

After the Dawgs pinned the Vols down on their own 1-yard line off Brett Thorson's brilliant punt, Hendon Hooker was working from inside his end zone.

On the third-down play, Georgia lineman Jalen Carter tackled Hooker, resulting in a fumble and what appeared to be a safety and two points for the Bulldogs.

But, controversially, officials declined to call the safety.

The play left more questions than answers.

Hooker's arm appeared to be going forward, resulting in a fumble that was recovered by Tennessee lineman Javontez Spraggins, who lunged further towards the goal line. 

Officials reviewed the play at length, trying to determine if Spraggins' elbow touched the turf inside or outside the end zone.

The consensus among the SEC on CBS broadcast crew was that Hooker fumbled the ball and his teammate was unable to get out of the end zone with the recovery and that Georgia should have received two points.

But the officials disagreed, ruling that the Volunteers moved the ball out of the end zone, resulting in no gain, and a fourth down.

“I don’t believe that’s a forward pass. He’s bringing the ball back,” CBS rules analyst and former referee Gene Steratore said. “So I’ve got Hooker with a fumble.

“What I see here is I think I feel, guys, that if he still has maintained possession of that football, then he is down before that football — and let’s remember, that entire football must get back in the field of play in order for it to be in the field of play and not a safety. 

"In my opinion, when that O-lineman gets that recovery there and starts to be getting tackled, that ball is not clearly out of the end zone, and that would result in a safety.”

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

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