Peach Bowl officials blow huge targeting call vs. Texas safety Michael Taaffe
Bad college football officiating reared its ugly head late in Arizona State's College Football Playoff quarterfinal vs. Texas on New Year's Day.
With the game tied 24-24 and just over one minute to play, Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt completed a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Melquan Stovall over the middle. Stovall was immediately hit by Texas safety Michael Taafe.
The play left Arizona State with a 4th-and-5 at their own 48-yard line with 1:08 to play.
But after they showed the replay on TV, Taafe hammered Stovall with his helmet, effectively knocking him out. It was as clear of a helmet-to-helmet hit as it gets.
Somehow, after reviewing the play, the officials did not call targeting. The targeting call that should have been made would have given the Sun Devils a first down in Texas territory, with a chance to drive for a game-winning field goal.
Instead, ASU was forced to punt the ball back to Texas. The Longhorns drove down to the Arizona State 19-yard line and missed a 38-yard field goal as time expired.
Texas went on to win the game in double overtime, 39-31.
"To be honest I don't know what targeting is," Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said after the game. "We lost one of our best players in the first half [Shamari Simmons] for targeting and I just don't know what it is, so I don't want to comment on something that I have to get a better grasp of what it is. ... I just don't quite understand it."
Watch the missed targeting call:
Why have a targeting rule if you are going to call obvious targeting in the biggest games?
— Jay Feely (@jayfeely) January 1, 2025
How could they look at this and deem it not targeting???
pic.twitter.com/GhJVMHAvMy
The reaction on social media was met far and wide with criticism of the officials.
I have watched every college football game that matters — and tons that don’t — for the entire targeting era. How is this not targeting? Legit would love to hear this explained. It’s textbook. pic.twitter.com/yjNOtnoEX4
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 1, 2025
100% targeting, horse shit to not call it
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 1, 2025
AWFUL pic.twitter.com/gPey4XgKvh
Hello America.
— Ray Cotto (@All22_Ray) January 1, 2025
Allow me to introduce you to B1G refs.
They do what they want. For the outcome they (tv networks) want.
That’s why this is “not targeting.”pic.twitter.com/xlV7vA8mO1
HOW ON EARTH IS THIS NOT TARGETING???? pic.twitter.com/sHOJZwmY0X
— Footballism (@FootbaIIism) January 1, 2025
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Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.