Referees wipe out Akrum Wadley's 74-yard touchdown because the NCAA hates fun
Matthew BainIOWA CITY, Ia. — North Texas runs a 3-4 defense, so it's going to blitz a lot with its linebackers. And then it's going to blitz some more.
But there's a downside for the Mean Green's aggressive scheme: It opens up one-on-one matchups for Iowa's playmakers on the outside. That happened late in the first quarter Saturday, when Akrum Wadley beat a corner on a wheel route and outran him for 74-yard touchdown.
Except ... it wasn't a touchdown.
Wadley high-stepped his way into the end zone, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct flag. In college, that call nullifies the score and enforces the penalty from the spot of the infraction. It's a new rule in 2017. The 74-yard touchdown turned into a 68-yard pass with a 15-yard penalty.
Some took to Twitter to question the call.
For the other side of the argument, Iowa radio broadcaster also brought up a good point after the play:
The Hawkeyes wound up scoring on the drive. Seven plays later, Nate Stanley found T.J. Hockenson for an 8-yard touchdown.
Matthew Bain covers preps, recruiting and the Hawkeyes for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, The Des Moines Register and HawkCentral. Contact him at mbain@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @MatthewBain_.