Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff was two full steps out of bounds when a Tennessee player knocked him to the ground with a blatant dirty hit. The SEC officiating crew chose to look the other way.
A blatant unnecessary roughness (or late hit out of bounds?) penalty somehow went unpenalized.
The play in question took place during the first half. Vandagriff scrambled for a short gain and ran onto the Volunteers sideline to avoid a big hit from defensive back Christian Harrison and linebacker Jalen Smith. They were both in hot pursuit and ready to lay the lumber.
Vandagriff’s right foot went out of bounds first. His left foot followed closely behind.
As the redshirt junior’s right foot came back around, he took an open-hand punch to the face. Tennessee defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott reached out both of his arms and laid him out. One of the Vols’ assistant coaches ran over to stop his guy from further escalating the situation but could not prevent what had already happened, which was absolutely deserving of a penalty.
Even though Vandagriff might’ve sold the flop just a little bit, Norman-Lott is 6-foot-3, 315 pounds so it’s not like it was a light shove. The quarterback got rocked!
HOW DO THEY NOT CALL THIS??? pic.twitter.com/amyV5V4LbG
— Karl Townes (@Karl_Townes) November 3, 2024
Tennessee fans are trying to claim Norman-Lott was just acting in self defense. Kentucky fans are furious with what they see as home cooking at Neyland Stadium.
If Norman-Lott was actually trying to prevent a collision with Brock Vandagriff, he still pushed him to the ground as a player on the sideline. The lack of flag was shocking. It was a cheap shot.
Although the surprising no call did not have a direct impact on the final score, 15 yards and a first down would’ve gone a very long way for the Wildcats on that drive. They were still in spitting distance of the Volunteers during the first half. SEC officials allowed the late hit to go unchecked.