Michigan State defensive back Malik Spencer was ejected for targeting during Friday’s college football season-opener in East Lansing. However, the Florida Atlantic player only took the nasty hit after a late slide.
The scary sequence sparked a debate about the sport’s most controversial rule.
Per the NCAA, targeting is called when a player initiates forcible contact against an opponent that “goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball.” It is largely subjective.
Targeting is a fickle play in college football!
With that being said, key indicators of targeting are outlined by the rulebook:
- Launch — a player leaving his feet to attack an opponent by an upward and forward thrust of the body to make forcible contact in the head or neck area.
- A crouch followed by an upward and forward thrust to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area, even though one or both feet are still on the ground.
- Leading with helmet, shoulder, forearm, fist, hand or elbow to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area.
- Lowering the head before attacking by initiating forcible contact with the crown of the helmet.
Spencer’s hit on Owls quarterback Cam Fancher checked three out of four boxes. He launched, led with his helmet to attack the head/neck area, and lowered his head to initiate contact with the crown of his helmet.
It was textbook targeting. He was ejected. The Big Ten officials made the correct decision.
With that being said, Fancher slid at the last possible second. Sparty’s defense was already engaged in the tackle, at which point it was far too late to get the desired protection from his slide.
More than one thing can be true at the same time!
Spencer committed a textbook targeting penalty and was punished accordingly. However, if the quarterback had gone down to the turf in a more timely manner, it might’ve allowed the defense enough time to pull up and avoid contact all together.
The solution for this issue is way above my pay grade. There is no clear way to eradicate the late slide from college football— but it often causes more problems than it solves!