A new controversy is developing in college football. An up-and-down Week 2 is setting up the stage for Week 3. However, the Big 12 is now striking its gavel harshly on a costly mistake. It’s not a good look for the conference when it happens in a heated rivalry game. And that’s why the clean-up is happening, since one of Big 12’s own paid a tough price.

The conference released a statement revealing that the referee crew from the Kansas–Missouri game will not be allowed to take part in Week 3. This comes after the referees allowed a punt to be recorded on a free kick. The Big 12 holds the officials in violation of the NCAA’s Rule 2, Section 6, Article 16. Per this rule, the following play can be either a place kick, or a drop kick. A change in the playing roster might have set the stage for this referee mistake.

Right in the 1st quarter, Mizzou led the way with a 32-yard TD from Ahmad Hardy. Afterwards. center Connor Tollison was penalized with unsportsmanlike conduct. Kansas blocked the extra point attempt, and a kickoff was initiated. Missouri brought out punter Connor Weselman, who punted the ball for 51 yards. The Tigers’ go-to kicker, Blake Craig, was injured. Kansas TE Carson Bruhn, however, returned the punt for 9 yards. Ultimately, the Jayhawks ended up losing the game 42-31. This is Kansas’ first loss of the season.

Top Stories

Golf

Jordan Spieth Hits Career Milestone No PGA Tour Player Has in 20 Years

1 day ago

Golf

$3.6 Billion Worth LPGA Sponsor Drops Prize Money Bombshell During Live Broadcast as Players React

11 hrs ago

Golf

Tiger Woods’ Bizarre Behavior With Police Immediately After DUI Crash Revealed in New Report: ‘All the Drones’

17 hrs ago

Golf

‘It’s Unbelievable’: Bryson DeChambeau Fumes at LIV Golf Over Mismanagement at $30M Event

1 day ago

UFC

Khamzat Chimaev Signing With UFC Rival Reignites Fighter Pay Debate

11 hrs ago

UFC

Arman Tsarukyan Gets Mocked as Nina Drama Catches Strays at RAF 08 Press Conference

1 day ago

“When the Conference’s high standard for officiating is not met, the Big 12 will take action,” Chief Football & Competition Officer Scott Draper added in the statement. The crew was led by referee Mike McCabe and umpire Brandon Wood. The staff will now be kept from the Colorado-Houston and Kansas State-Arizona clashes. “We believe we have one of the best officiating programs in college football,” Draper also said.

Kansas and Missouri restarted their longstanding rivalry in this game, following a 13-year pause since their last faceoff. A lot of pent-up energy and high stakes were fuelling this heated game, which ultimately ended in a loss for the Big 12.

What Lance Leipold said about the rivalry loss

A fan gave up 25,000 just to throw shade at Kansas football in a kicking contest – that’s how charged the atmosphere was at the Faurot Field stadium. The 57,321 people saw live how the game swung between the Jayhawks and the Tigers. Kansas had an easy 21-6 lead in the beginning. But Missouri came back fighting, tying the score by halftime. Later on, it was a dominant show from the Tigers that ultimately handed them the win. Missouri now has a 4-game winning streak in the Border War rivalry, which now stands at 57-55-9.

“We both [Lance Leipold and Eli Drinkwitz] wanted a good, clean football game that was going to be highly competitive, and we keep our young men healthy, and I think we got it,” the Kansas HC told the press after the game. But he also added he was “disappointed” about how the game turned out to be. “[We] have to get better in some areas in order to be the team we want to be,” Lance Leipold added.

Kansas still has a relatively good hope for the season after the loss, as they now stand at No. 8 in the Big 12 power rankings. They’ve moved down from the No. 5 ranking from Week 1, but fans will want to see this loss as a blip in the schedule. The Big 12, after all, is the most wide-open conference this season, with an array of teams competing for the title. And that’s why, the conference has to own up to its flaws when they occur in such a situation.